This information is general and should not be relied upon as a substitute for legal advice. The Legal Services Commission provides free advice for most legal problems. Contact the Legal Helpline on 1300 366 424 or make an appointment for free legal advice at the Legal Services Commission. Show
What to do if you are pleading guilty to a drink driving charge or have received a penalty notice for drink driving. A drink driving charge can be:
The law limits the amount of alcohol you are allowed to have in your blood when driving. This is called the alcohol limit. The limit depends on the type of licence you have. For example, learners and P-platers have a lower limit than full licence holders. The penalties you can get for breaking the law also depend on how much over the limit you are, so you can be charged with low, middle, high, special and novice-range PCA offences. For first time offenders with a blood alcohol reading in the lower ranges, instead of having to go to court, you might receive a penalty notice (fine) and an immediate suspension of your driver licence. Combined alcohol and drug offences NSW Police can drug test drivers who are under the influence of alcohol. If you are over the alcohol limit and test positive for drugs, you may be charged with a combined drug/alcohol offence. The penalties for the combined offences are much higher. For further information about penalties for the combined offences, see the penalty tables below. For more information on drugs and driving see the Legal Aid NSW brochure Drugs, driving and you. I received a fine from police for drink drivingThe police can give you an on-the-spot fine and suspend your licence immediately if:
If you admit the offence, you should pay the fine or make arrangements to deal with the fine before the due date. If you do not pay the fine, Revenue NSW can take other action against you. This can include enforcement fees and a further suspension of your licence. If you have received a fine and an immediate suspension of your licence, you must not drive during the period of the suspension. Once the period of suspension has ended, check that your licence has not expired and that there are no other issues impacting on your licence. If there are no issues, you can start driving again. I received a fine, but I want to take the matter to courtYou do have the option to ask for your matter to be heard by a court. The penalty notice gives you information on how to do this. If you are going to take the matter to court, you should do this before the due date of your fine. If you elect to have the matter heard in court, your licence suspension will remain. This means that you must not drive until the matter is heard or the period of suspension has ended. You should get legal advice before asking to have your matter dealt with by the court. If you elect to go to court, once the Court Attendance Notice is issued you cannot change your mind. The Court Attendance Notice can be issued very quickly – sometimes within 24 hours of the application. If you think you want to have your matter dealt with by the court, you need to consider:
Can I appeal the immediate suspension of my driver licence?Yes. You can lodge an appeal against your suspension at the Local Court. If you appeal, you must lodge the appeal within 28 days of receiving notice of your licence suspension. There may be a fee for this appeal. If you are on a Centrelink benefit experiencing financial hardship, ask if this fee can be waived. The court will not decide your appeal straight away. The appeal will be listed before the magistrate at least 28 days after you have lodged the appeal. Will my immediate suspension be lifted until the court has determined my appeal? No. The suspension will remain in place and you cannot drive. In exceptional circumstances the court could stay your suspension until your appeal is heard. When lodging your appeal you could ask that your appeal be listed for an application to ‘stay the suspension’. This means you are asking for your suspension to be lifted before the appeal is heard. When dealing with your appeal, the court can only lift or vary your suspension, or grant a stay if it is satisfied that there are exceptional circumstances. Before you lodge an appeal, it is a good idea to get legal advice about whether or not your circumstances are exceptional. You can also get advice on how to prepare for your appeal. If I go to court, how should I prepare?Get character references Written references from people who can talk about your good character may help your case. References should be addressed to the magistrate, and the people writing them should say they know about the charges you are in court for. For more information about how to write a character reference for court, see the Legal Aid NSW brochure called Character References. Write down what you want to say to the court Write a letter to the magistrate, or make notes of what you will say in court. The court will consider what you say when it decides what penalty to give you. You should consider these things:
You should explain:
What should I do at court?
What could happen to me?If you are convicted, you will lose your licence for some time - the higher your alcohol reading, the longer you will lose your licence for. The court can also fine you, or give you other penalties, like a gaol sentence for more serious offences. For repeat or more serious drink driving convictions you will also have as mandatory alcohol interlock order made against you. What are mandatory alcohol interlock orders?An interlock is an electronic breath testing device that is connected to the ignition of a vehicle and stops it from starting if it detects alcohol. If you are convicted of repeat or more serious drink driving offences the court will make a mandatory interlock order against you. This means your licence will be disqualified for 5 years - unless you complete:
Participating in the interlock program means:
If you try to drive after drinking alcohol, you could:
You will have to pay to have the interlock installed and maintained. It costs about $2,200 a year. Some people can get a discount and if you are in 'severe financial hardship' you can ask the RMS for financial help. You can find more information at: www.rms.nsw.gov.au/interlock. Interlock exemption orders An interlock exemption order can only be made at the time the court convicts and sentences you. If you think you will be unable to fit an interlock device to your vehicle, you should ask the court to make an interlock exemption order. You will need to convince the court that an exemption order should be made. If the court makes an 'interlock exemption order', you will get a longer disqualification period. However, you will not have any interlock period, which means you will not face the 5-year disqualification for failing to fit an interlock device when required. An interlock exemption order may be made if you can prove to the court that you either:
If you are convicted of a Middle Range PCA offence, and it is your first offence, in addition to the matters above, the court may also make an interlock exemption order if you can prove that:
What penalties can I get?The penalties you may get if you have been charged with a drink driving offence are set out below. However, the law is complicated and this table may not cover your situation. You should get legal advice about your own case, especially if this is not your first offence or if you have been charged with a combined drink and drug driving offence. If you have been given a fine and are not asking a court to deal with the matter, the fine and licence suspension will remain the same as what was given to you at the time of the offence. If you are considering asking a court to deal with the offence, the tables below set out the maximum penalties the court may impose. Penalties: Drink driving First offence (no previous major offence in the last 5 years) Interlock Orders* Offence Max. Fine Max. Gaol (months) Automatic and Minimum Disqualification (months)* Minimum Disqualification (months)** Minimum Interlock Period (months) Novice range PCA $2,200 N/A Auto: 6 Min: 3 N/A N/A Special range PCA $2,200 N/A Auto: 6 Min: 3 N/A N/A Low range PCA $2,200 N/A Auto: 6 Min: 3 N/A N/A Mid range PCA $2,200 9 Auto: 12 Min: 6 3 12 High Range PCA $3,300 18 Auto: 36 Min: 12 6 24 Second offence (a previous major offence in the last 5 years) Interlock Orders* Offence Max. Fine Max. Gaol (months) Automatic and Minimum Disqualification (months)* Minimum Disqualification (months)** Minimum Interlock Period (months) Novice range PCA $3,300 N/A Auto: 12 Min: 6 1 12 Special range PCA $3,300 N/A Auto: 12 Min: 6 1 12 Low range PCA $3,300 N/A Auto: 12 Min: 6 1 12 Mid range PCA $3,300 12 Auto: 36 Min: 12 6 24 High Range PCA $5,500 24 Auto: 60 Min: 24 9 48 Notes on the penalty tables * The disqualification periods that will apply are the periods listed under Interlock Orders in the table above. The Automatic and Minimum periods listed above will only apply if the court makes an ‘interlock exemption order’ at the time the court convicts you of the offence. If an interlock order is made and you do not obtain an interlock licence – your licence will remain disqualified for 5 years. Mandatory interlock orders are further explained in this brochure. ** The law also provides a maximum period of disqualification in cases where an interlock order is made, however these periods do not appear in this table. If you refuse or fail to provide a breath test this is treated as seriously as if you had a high range PCA, and the same penalties will apply. Penalties – Combined offences – 1st offence Penalties Mid-range + illicit drug presence High-range + illicit drug presence Immediate licence suspension Yes Yes Max court fine $3300 (30 penalty units) $5500 (50 penalty units) Max prison term 18 months 24 months Min disqualification 12 months 18 months Max disqualification Unlimited Unlimited Auto disqualification 2 years 4 years Min interlock period 12 months 2 years Vehicle sanctions No Yes Penalties – Combined offences – 2nd and subsequent offence Penalties Low, novice or special range + illicit drug presence Mid-range + illicit drug presence High-range + illicit drug presence Immediate licence suspension Yes Yes Yes Max court fine $5500 (50 penalty units) $6600 (60 penalty units) $11000 (100 penalty units) Max prison term 18 months 2 years 2 years Min disqualification 18 months 2 years 3 years Max disqualification Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Auto disqualification 2 years 4 years 6 years Min interlock period 12 months 2 years 4 years Vehicle sanctions Yes Yes Yes Notes on the combined offences penalty tables
Your licence disqualification will be extended if you are in gaol If you are sentenced to a term of imprisonment, your disqualification will be extended for as long as you are in gaol for that offence. This won’t include the any of the time you are released on parole. You may not be able to use your vehicle If police charge you with a serious drink driving offence that is also a ’second offence’, they may impound your vehicle or confiscate the number plates. What should I do after the court's decision?If there is something you don’t understand about the court’s decision, ask the magistrate to explain. If you don’t get time to ask the magistrate, ask court staff at the Registry to explain. Don't drive while disqualified If you have been disqualified from driving, you must hand in your licence. If you drive you can go to gaol for up to 6 months or be fined $3,300 fine (or both). If it is not your first offence, you could go to gaol for up to 12 months and be fined $5,500. You will also be disqualified from driving for at least 3 months (or 6 months if this is not your first offence) when you are convicted for driving while disqualified. Police can take away your vehicle for 6 months if you drive while disqualified three or more times in a 5-year period. Some people can apply to the Local Court to ask for their disqualification periods to be removed from their driver licence. To find out if you can do this see the Legal Aid NSW brochure, Are you disqualified from driving? You should get legal advice before you apply. You won’t be able to apply if you have an uncompleted interlock order. Re-apply for your licence When your disqualification period is over, you must re-apply for your licence. You will not get it back automatically. If you drive before you do this you could be charged with ‘driving while cancelled’. Contact Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) on 13 22 13 or visit www.rms.nsw.gov.au to find out how to get a new licence. Pay your fine If the court gives you a fine and you think you will have trouble paying it in the 28 days you have to pay it, speak to court staff before you leave about making a ‘time to pay’ arrangement. If you don’t pay the fine in the time you are told to pay it, Revenue NSW can take other action against you. If you need help to manage your fines debt, contact Revenue NSW on 1300 655 805 or www.revenue.nsw.gov.au You may be able to get a Work and Development Order (WDO) which allows you to clear up to $1,000 a month off your fines through approved activities or treatment programs. For more information visit www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au/wdo Can I appeal the court's decision?You can appeal to the District Court if you are not happy with the magistrate’s decision, but you should get legal advice before you do this. You have 28 days from the date of the magistrate’s decision to lodge your appeal. You will also have to pay a fee. If you are on a Centrelink benefit or experiencing financial hardship—ask if the fee can be waived. For more information about how to appeal, see the Legal Aid NSW brochure called Appealing to the District Court. Also, if you had good reason for not being in court when the magistrate made the decision, you can apply to have the decision reviewed. Where can I get legal help?LawAccess NSW A telephone helpline that gives free legal information, referrals to other services and legal advice in some cases. Call 1300 888 529 or visit www.lawaccess.nsw.gov.au Legal Aid NSW You can get free legal advice, and in some cases, representation in court from Legal Aid NSW. To find your closest office call 1300 888 529 or visit www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au/contact-us. Legal Aid NSW will only represent you in some cases. We look at:
If this is the first time you have been charged with a PCA offence it is not likely you will go to gaol. However, gaol is more likely if you:
Aboriginal Legal Service (ALS) If you are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander you can also contact the ALS for free legal advice. To find your closest ALS office call 1800 765 767 or visit www.alsnswact.org.au This publication is a general guide to the law. You should not rely on it as legal advice, and we recommend that you talk to a lawyer about your situation. Is drink driving a criminal conviction UK?Yes, drink driving is a criminal offence under Section 5(a) of the Road Traffic Act 1988. Driving while exceeding the legal limit can result in a criminal record, a driving disqualification, an unlimited fine and in serious cases a prison sentence! What is the legal drink driving limit in the UK?
Does drink driving go on criminal record Victoria?Drink-driving, drug-driving and excessive speeding
Convictions for these offences are spent immediately. This means that they will not show up on your police record check, unless an exemption applies.
Is DUI a criminal offence in Qld?To cut to the chase, yes it is! Under the Transport Operations (Road Use) Management Act, it is a criminal offence to drive whilst over the legal alcohol limit.
Is drink and drive criminal offence in Australia?High range offences are the most severe forms of drink driving offences in Australia. A person is guilty of this offence if they are caught driving a vehicle with B.A.C. levels above 0.15. For this, Police can seize the offender's license on the spot.
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