Alcohol typically takes about one hour to metabolize per standard drink, but the total time it stays detectable in your system varies depending on the type of test and individual factors such as genetics, age, weight, liver health, and how much you drank
. Detection times by test type:
- Blood: Alcohol can be detected for up to 12 hours after drinking
- Breath: Detectable for 12 to 24 hours
- Urine: Usually detectable for 12 to 24 hours, but can be detected up to 72 hours or even 80 hours with sensitive tests like ethyl glucuronide (EtG)
- Saliva: Detectable for up to 12 to 24 hours
- Hair: Alcohol metabolites can be detected for up to 90 days
The liver metabolizes alcohol at a fairly constant rate—about one standard drink per hour. A half-life of alcohol is about 4 to 5 hours, meaning it takes roughly 25 hours (five half-lives) for the body to clear alcohol completely
. However, the presence of food, individual metabolism, and drinking patterns can affect this rate. In summary, alcohol can remain in your system from a few hours up to several days depending on the testing method and personal factors, with hair tests showing the longest detection window and blood or breath tests the shortest
