Author: Ophelia Hollway
Practice area: Drink Driving
Ophelia is a Senior Associate and LIV Accredited Criminal Law Specialist at Doogue + George, appearing regularly as a solicitor advocate across Victorian courts and having practised exclusively in criminal law since admission. Her depth of experience in this area means clients receive accurate, considered advice.
View full profile →Ophelia authored this content and last revised it for accuracy on 5th August 2026.
What is the offence of Exceed PCA?
Exceed PCA is a Victorian drink driving offence under section 49(1)(g) of the Road Safety Act 1986. It applies where a blood sample is taken within 3 hours after driving (or being in charge of) a motor vehicle and analysis shows the prescribed concentration of alcohol or more, not solely from alcohol consumed after driving. Maximum penalties vary.
Key points
- What must be proved: A compliant blood sample within 3 hours, analysed within 12 months by a qualified analyst, showing more than the prescribed concentration, and not solely due to post-driving alcohol.
- Type of conduct: Exceeding the prescribed concentration of alcohol shown by a blood test taken within 3 hours after driving or being in charge of a motor vehicle.
- Usual court level: Ordinarily heard in the Magistrates’ Court (occasionally in higher courts).
The maximum penalty for Exceed PCA depends on prior offences and blood alcohol concentration: from 20 penalty units - $4,182.00 — as at 2026–27 (first offence) up to 18 months imprisonment and/or 180 penalty units - $37,638.00 — as at 2026–27 (third or subsequent offence where BAC is 0.15 or more).
Common defences may include disputes about whether the blood sample was taken within 3 hours; whether it was analysed within 12 months; whether the alcohol reading was solely due to alcohol consumed after driving; and whether the blood sample was taken in accordance with the required procedures.
Have you been accused of Exceed PCA?
Police Interview
There is usually nothing to be gained from making a comment in a Police interview. The Police are trained in interview techniques that encourage you to reveal information that assist their case. The Police are only interested in locking you into a position or a version making it difficult to contest a charge of Exceed PCA.
Please call us to discuss your matter and get advice before participating in a Police interview where you intend to make a comment or no-comment interview.
Pleading Not Guilty
If you are pleading not guilty in the Magistrates’ Court to an offence Exceed PCA the matter will proceed to a contested hearing. A contest is basically a trial in the Magistrates’ Court where the Magistrate hears the evidence and decides if you are guilty or not. Our lawyers go to Court every single day and contest all driving matters. Our lawyers know how to pick apart a weak prosecution case and are expert cross examiners.
Pleading Guilty
If you are pleading guilty it is important that you engage an expert lawyer to make a plea on your behalf. A well-structured and thoughtful plea can ensure that you have the best chance at receiving the minimum penalty for your offending. There is a mandatory license disqualification for this offence which our lawyers will advise you about.
Sentencing
Sentencing in the higher courts of Victoria
Source: Sentencing Advisory Council of Victoria (SACStat), Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic) s 49(1)(g) — 11 charges, higher courts, 1 July 2019 – 30 June 2024.
| Sentencing outcome | % |
|---|---|
| Fine | 72.7% |
| Community Correction Order | 18.2% |
| Imprisonment | 9.1% |
A custodial sentence is more likely in serious or aggravated cases but is not the dominant outcome. Sentencing remains highly individualised, with the court carefully weighing the objective seriousness of the conduct and the offender’s personal history before determining the appropriate penalty.
Sentencing in the Magistrates’ Courts of Victoria
Source: Sentencing Advisory Council of Victoria (SACStat), Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic) s 49(1)(g) — 820 charges across 819 cases, Magistrates’ Court, 1 July 2020 – 30 June 2023.
| Sentencing outcome | % |
|---|---|
| Fine | 75.9% |
| Adjourned Undertaking | 14.9% |
| Community Correction Order | 7.9% |
| Imprisonment | 0.9% |
| Discharge/Dismissal | 0.5% |
The precise result will depend on factors such as the reading, prior driving history and surrounding circumstances. Proper preparation and strategic advocacy can make a meaningful difference to the penalty imposed.
Which court will the case be heard in?
The offence of drink driving Exceed PCA is ordinarily heard in the Magistrates Court, however the offence is occasionally heard in the higher courts.
What is the legal definition of Exceed PCA?
The legal definition of this offence is:
- A person is guilty of an offence if he or she—
- Has had a sample of blood taken from him or her in accordance with section 55, 55B, 55BA, 55E or 56 within 3 hours after driving or being in charge of a motor vehicle and—
- the sample has been analysed within 12 months after it was taken by a properly qualified analyst within the meaning of section 57 and the analyst has found that at the time of analysis the prescribed concentration of alcohol or more than the prescribed concentration of alcohol was present in that sample; and
- the concentration of alcohol found by the analyst to be present in that sample was not due solely to the consumption of alcohol after driving or being in charge of the motor vehicle.
- Has had a sample of blood taken from him or her in accordance with section 55, 55B, 55BA, 55E or 56 within 3 hours after driving or being in charge of a motor vehicle and—
Examples of Exceed PCA
- A person with a full drivers licence delivers a blood sample within three hours of driving or being in charge of a motor vehicle, and after analysis the blood sample returns a blood alcohol reading of 0.09 (or any reading greater than 0.05).
- A person with a probationary drivers licence delivers a blood sample within three hours of driving or being in charge of a motor vehicle, and after analysis the blood sample returns a blood alcohol reading of 0.03 (or any reading greater than 0.00).
Legislation
The relevant legislation for this offence is section 49(1)(g) of the Road Safety Act 1986.
Elements of the offence
The elements the prosecution must prove for a person to be guilty of this offence are:
- The person has had a blood sample taken from them within three hours after driving or being in control of a motor vehicle;
- The blood sample was analysed within 12 months after it was taken by a properly qualified analyst;
- The analyst has found more than the prescribed concentration of alcohol present in the blood sample;
- The concentration of alcohol found in the sample was not due solely to the consumption of alcohol after driving or being in charge of the motor vehicle.
Element 1: The person has had a blood sample taken from them within three hours after driving or being in control of a motor vehicle
The person must have had the blood sample taken from them within three hours after driving or being in control of a motor vehicle. If the sample was taken after more than three hours has elapsed between the sample being taken and driving or being in control of a motor vehicle, the offence will not apply.
Did they take the sample within three hours of driving?
The blood sample must be taken ‘in accordance with 55, 55B, 55BA, 55E or 56 [of the Act’.1 This means that a person must only give a blood sample if they are unable to give a breath sample because of a physical disability or if the breathalysing instrument being used to measure the quantity of alcohol in their breath is faulty.2 The person taking the blood sample must be a registered medical professional or approved health professional.3
The person must have been ‘driving’ or ‘in control of’ a vehicle. This will be the case when the person is in control of the vehicle’s movement. Examples of being in control of a vehicle’s movement include a person sitting in the driver’s seat of a car and causing the car to move using the accelerator and steering wheel; or a person propelling a motorcycle by applying the accelerator and steering using the handlebars and leaning.
Element 2: The blood sample was analysed within 12 months after it was taken by a properly qualified analyst
The blood sample must be analysed within 12 months of being provided. If the blood sample is analysed more than a year after being provided, this offence will not apply.
The blood sample must be taken by a properly qualified analyst. A ‘properly qualified analyst’ is a person who is an approved analyst, a person who carries out the analysis in an approved laboratory, or any person the Magistrate or Judge deems to have sufficient scientific qualifications, training and experience to carry out the analysis.4
Element 3: The analyst has found more than the prescribed concentration of blood alcohol present in the blood sample
There must be more than the prescribed concentration of alcohol present in the blood sample for this offence to apply.
In most cases, the prescribed concentration of alcohol is 0.05 grams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.5
The prescribed concentration of alcohol is 0.00 grams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood for the following people:6
- Drivers on their L or P plates;
- Holders of a P1 or P2 licence;
- Restricted motorcycle riders (shown as an ‘E’ condition); and
- Professional drivers (e.g. taxi drivers, truck drivers and bus drivers).
Element 4: The concentration of alcohol found in the sample was not due solely to the consumption of alcohol after driving or being in charge of the motor vehicle
This offence will not apply if the alcohol found in the sample was due solely to the consumption of alcohol after being in charge of the motor vehicle.
This means the offence will not apply if the alcohol found in the sample was entirely ingested after the person ceased to be in control of the motor vehicle.
Defences
Some possible defences to this charge include:
- There was a faulty analysis (this could be due to a technical issue with the lab results or the sample not being analysed within 12 months);
- The blood sample was not taken within three hours of the person driving;
- The presence of alcohol in the blood sample was solely due to the consumption or use of alcohol after driving or being in charge of a motor vehicle.
Questions in cases like this
- Was the sample taken within three hours of the person driving or being in charge of a motor vehicle?
- Was the blood sample analysed within 12 months of being taken?
- Was the alcohol entirely introduced to the person’s system after they stopped driving or being in control of a vehicle?
Maximum penalty for section 49(1)(g) of the Road Safety Act 1986
The maximum penalty for Exceed PCA (s49(1)(g) of the Road Safety Act 1986) depends on the how many times a person has committed this offence and the concentration of the alcohol in the person’s blood.7
In the case of a first offence, the maximum penalty is 20 penalty units (a $3223.80 fine).
In the case of a second offence:
- 6 months imprisonment and/or 60 penalty units ($12,546.00 — as at 2026–27) if the concentration of alcohol is less than 0.15 grams per 100 millilitres of blood;
- 12 months imprisonment and/or 120 penalty units ($25,092.00 — as at 2026–27) if the concentration of alcohol in the person’s blood was 0.15 grams or more per 100 millilitres of blood.
In the case of a third or subsequent offence:
- 12 months imprisonment and/or 120 penalty units ($25,092.00 — as at 2026–27) if the concentration of alcohol in the person’s blood was less than 0.15 grams per 100 millilitres of blood;
- 18 months imprisonment and/or 180 penalty units ($37,638.00 — as at 2026–27) if the concentration of alcohol in the person’s blood was 0.15 grams or more per 100 millilitres of blood.
New regulations that came into effect from 31 January 2018 mean that Victorian offenders will face Victorian driving penalties should they be caught drink driving interstate.
New legislation came into effect on 30 April 2018 that requires anybody found guilty of Exceed PCA to lose their licence, to complete a Behaviour Change Program before regaining their licence and to have an alcohol interlock device fitted to their vehicle for at least six months.8 The length of licence cancellation and alcohol interlock period will depend on the concentration of alcohol present in the person’s bloodstream.
The Department of Treasury and Finance reviews and updates the value of a penalty unit on 1 July each year.9 As such, the maximum fine for this offence is liable to change.
Other important resources
- SACStat Higher Courts – Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic) : s 49(1)(g) – exceed prescribed concentration within 3 hours after driving – blood test
- SAC Statistics – Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic) : s 49(1)(g) – exceed prescribed concentration within 3 hours after driving – blood test
- FindLaw: Exceeding PCA
- VicRoads – Alcohol and other drugs
Case studies related to Exceed PCA
FAQs for Exceed PCA
What does “Exceed PCA” mean in Victoria?
What must the prosecution prove for Exceed PCA?
When must the blood sample be taken for this offence?
What is the prescribed concentration of alcohol for a blood test?
What are the maximum penalties for Exceed PCA?
What issues commonly arise in Exceed PCA cases?
Can I get bail for Exceed PCA (49.1.g) charges in Victoria?
Do you represent clients for Exceed PCA (49.1.g) in Melbourne courts?
[1] Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic) s 49(1)(g)
[2] Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic) s 55(9A)
[3] Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic) s 55(9A)
[4] Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic) s 57(1)(a)
[5] Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic) s 3
[6] Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic) s 52
[7] Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic) s 49(2A)
[8] https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/safety-and-road-rules/road-rules/a-to-z-of-road-rules/alcohol-and-other-drugs
[9] http://www.justice.vic.gov.au/home/justice+system/fines+and+penalties/penal
ties+and+values/
