Vietnam Drink-Driving Penalties After Tết 2026: What the Reports Actually Say

The 40 million VND fine is not a new Tết 2026 rule

Short answer: the reported 40 million VND maximum drink-driving fine is not a new Tết 2026 penalty. It matches the highest fine category for car drivers already written into Decree 168/2024, which has been in force since 1 January 2025. The Traffic Police Agency stated on 30 January 2026 that Decree 168/2024 remained in force and that alcohol-related fines had not been increased for 2026. Reports linking the 40 million VND figure to Tết 2026 therefore describe an existing penalty, not a holiday-specific change. The same applies to reports of a 'full licence-point deduction': the decree provides no such deduction for this offence. At the highest alcohol threshold for car drivers, it revokes the driving licence for 22 to 24 months. Decree 168/2024 was later amended by Decree 238/2026/NĐ-CP, in force since 15 August 2026, but that amendment does not change the alcohol fines, point deductions or licence-revocation periods described here, and nothing in it is specific to Tết.

Decree 168/2024 sets the fines, effective since January 2025

Short answer: the fine levels come from Decree 168/2024, which took effect on 1 January 2025 and introduced a 12-point driving-licence system for road users. For car drivers, the decree sets three alcohol-concentration categories. The first, for alcohol concentration not exceeding 50 mg per 100 ml of blood or 0.25 mg per litre of breath, carries a fine of 6 million to 8 million VND and a deduction of 4 licence points. The second, for concentration above 50 mg up to 80 mg per 100 ml of blood, or above 0.25 mg up to 0.4 mg per litre of breath, carries a fine of 18 million to 20 million VND and a deduction of 10 points. The third, for concentration above 80 mg per 100 ml of blood or above 0.4 mg per litre of breath, carries a fine of 30 million to 40 million VND and revocation of the driving licence for 22 to 24 months. That top category is the source of the reported 40 million VND maximum.

Motorcycle riders face lower fines than car drivers

Short answer: motorcycle riders face lower fines than car drivers at the highest alcohol-concentration category. For motorcycle riders in that top category, the fine is 8 million to 10 million VND, compared with 30 million to 40 million VND for car drivers. Article 7 of Decree 168/2024 also provides for licence revocation for 22 to 24 months in that top category, as for car drivers, and lists no point deduction for it. Lower down the scale, riders face a fine of 2 million to 3 million VND and a 4-point deduction up to 50 mg per 100 ml of blood (0.25 mg per litre of breath), and 6 million to 8 million VND and a 10-point deduction above that, up to 80 mg (0.4 mg per litre). The decree treats cars (Article 6) and motorcycles (Article 7) as separate vehicle classes. If you ride a scooter or motorbike in Vietnam, the practical takeaway is the same as for drivers: any detectable alcohol is a violation, and the financial penalty at the highest measured level is smaller than a car driver's but still substantial.

Any detectable alcohol is a violation; there is no safe limit

Short answer: there is no safe alcohol limit for drivers in Vietnam. The road-traffic rules prohibit driving with any detectable alcohol concentration in the blood or breath. The cited materials do not establish a permitted threshold, so the zero-tolerance position is the only one supported by the reviewed evidence. This means even a small amount of alcohol can result in a fine if a breath or blood test detects it, regardless of whether you feel impaired. Foreign renters who drive in Vietnam should treat the rule as absolute: do not drink and drive at all. The prohibition itself comes from Article 9 of the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety (Law 36/2024/QH15), and nothing in the reviewed material suggests a different threshold for Tết 2026.

The decree revokes licences, not points, at the top car-driver threshold

Short answer: the reported 'full licence-point deduction' does not match what Decree 168/2024 says for car drivers above the highest alcohol threshold. Under the decree, a car driver with more than 80 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, or more than 0.4 mg per litre of breath, faces a fine of 30 million to 40 million VND and revocation of the driving licence for 22 to 24 months. No point deduction is specified at this level.

The decree provides no 'full deduction' of all 12 points for this offence. Points are deducted for other violations, and for the two lower drink-driving categories, but for the top drink-driving category for car drivers the penalty is licence revocation, not point deduction. Reports describing a full point deduction for Tết 2026 do not match the decree text and should be treated with caution. If you see a viral post claiming that drink-driving over Tết triggers a total loss of points, check the decree text before relying on it. The highest fine figure is real, but the way the licence is dealt with is different.

Police denied any 2026 fine increase on 30 January

Short answer: on 30 January 2026, the Traffic Police Agency stated that Decree 168/2024 remained in force and that alcohol-related fines had not been increased for 2026. Tết checkpoints enforce the existing law, not new penalties.

The agency's statement came after social media posts claimed that alcohol fines had been sharply increased for 2026. According to the Traffic Police Agency, that information was incorrect. The fine levels set by Decree 168/2024, which took effect on 1 January 2025, continue to apply. This means the 40 million VND maximum fine for car drivers is not a new Tết measure; it has been in place since the start of 2025.

For renters and expats travelling during Tết, the practical point is that police roadblocks may be more frequent, but the penalties themselves have not changed. If you are stopped, the officer is enforcing the same rules as any other time of year. See our Tết guide for renters for what else changes around the holiday.

Check the official text and fine-lookup tools before you drive

Short answer: before you drive in Vietnam, consult the official text of Decree 168/2024 and use a fine-lookup tool such as Thư viện Pháp luật. Treat viral Tết reports as claims until an official source confirms them.

Decree 168/2024 has been in force since 1 January 2025 and established a 12-point driving-licence system for road users. The official decree text, read together with its 2026 amendments in Decree 238/2026/NĐ-CP, is the primary reference for current penalties. Fine-lookup tools, like the one on Thư viện Pháp luật, allow you to search for drink-driving fines by vehicle type and alcohol concentration. Check the legal basis and date a tool shows, because Decree 168/2024 was amended in 2026.

The Traffic Police Agency's 30 January 2026 statement is a useful check: it confirmed that no fine increase had been made for 2026. If a report about Tết penalties contradicts that statement or the decree text, it is likely wrong. For general advice on driving and transport as an expat, see our guide on getting around Vietnam.