The drinking and driving rules in Cayman are strict and strongly enforced.
The legal blood-alcohol limit for the Cayman Islands is 0.07% (70mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood). If you are caught either driving or sitting in the drivers seat of a car, and you are over the legal limit, you will be fined CI$1,000 or imprisoned for six months and you will lose your driving licence for a year. We recommend that you use a taxi or a designated driver if you are going to be drinking.
Although the drinking and driving rules in Cayman are strict, it continues to be the leading cause of fatalities and serious collisions on Cayman’s roads. In late 2022, the legal limit for blood-alcohol level whilst in charge of a motor vehicle was lowered from 0.1% to 0.07% in an attempt to combat this issue.
Yet the RCIPS reports that in the entirety of 2022, approximately 60% of all DUI offences involved those who were driving at double the 0.07% drink-drive limit or more. In 22% of cases, drivers were three times over the limit. In 44% of DUI cases, a collision was involved. Driving at excessive speed (also a major traffic issue — 3026 tickets were issued in 2022) and DUI were the two most significant underlying factors that led to the 15 road fatalities which took place in the Cayman Islands in 2022. In June of 2023, the new Governor of the Cayman Islands, Jane Owen, expressed concern that there were already 100 DUI arrests made in the previous five months of the year.
If you do intend to drink prior to using Cayman’s roads, it is highly advisable that you seek alternate forms of transportation.
If you are caught either driving or sitting in the driver’s seat of a car while over the legal limit of 0.07% (70mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood), you will be fined CI$1,000 or imprisoned for six months, and you will lose your driving licence for a year. Repeat offenders face larger fines, longer jail terms and permanent driving bans. Having a DUI conviction can also affect your ability to obtain a work permit in Cayman.
For information and updates on traffic updates visit www.rcips.ky.
A drunk driving conviction will show up on your Police Clearance form and is a hindrance to gaining work in the Cayman Islands. For more information on this please see the Immigration page.
Legal Help
If you are caught driving over the limit and need legal advice, then any of the law firms listed below will be able to help you.