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Drink driving charges in Queensland —
Low, mid or high range — every drink driving charge carries a mandatory licence disqualification, and how far past the minimum yours goes is decided at court. We’re a traffic-law-only firm appearing in Magistrates Courts across Queensland every week. Here’s the honest picture, whether you can keep driving, and exactly what we’ll do.
$2,750
fixed fee, guilty plea
Work licence
available under 0.15 — keep driving
Same day
free advice call, 7 days
Court date coming up? Talk to our team today — free.
We’ll call you back in around 15 minutes during business hours.
- ✓ Confidential
- ✓ No obligation
- ✓ 7am–7pm
4.9 from reviews on Google
The three ranges
Low, mid or high range — which charge are you facing?
Queensland charges drink driving in three bands, all under section 79 of the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act . Your blood or breath alcohol reading decides the band — and the band decides the mandatory minimum disqualification, whether you can apply for a work licence, and how serious the court treats it. Every band still leaves plenty to argue at court.
Low range
0.05 – 0.099
The most common drink driving charge. Serious, but the most workable — with the lowest mandatory penalties of the three.
Disqualification
1 month min · 1–9 mths
Work licence
Available · $2,990 total
Maximum fine
14 penalty units
Mid range
0.10 – 0.149
A longer minimum off the road, but a work licence is still on the table if you qualify — which is why applying before you’re sentenced matters.
Disqualification
3 months min · 3–12 mths
Work licence
Available · $2,990 total
Maximum fine
20 penalty units
High range
0.15 +
Disqualification
6 mths min · no cap
Work licence
Not available
After disqualification
Interlock 1 yr+
Ranges shown are for a first offence — repeat offences and refusing a breath or blood test carry higher minimums. A recorded conviction isn’t automatic; the magistrate has a discretion we argue in every matter where it’s realistic. Call 1300 952 255 for an honest, specific estimate on your reading.
Keep driving
Can you get a work licence?
If your reading was under 0.15, a restricted (work) licence can keep you driving for work through your disqualification. It must be applied for before you’re sentenced — once you plead, the door closes. Check yourself in 20 seconds.
Total fixed fee including a work licence application: $2,990. Call 1300 952 255 before your court date.
What we actually do
How we protect your licence — and shorten your disqualification
We get the full picture
01
We get the brief from the prosecutor
02
03
We work out your work-licence position
Under 0.15
If your reading is under 0.15 and you’re eligible, a work licence can keep you driving. It must be applied for before you’re sentenced, so we sort it early — total fixed fee including the application is $2,990.
You do the smart things early
Before sentence
04
We tailor every word to your result
05
Your lawyer speaks for you — and you leave with a plan
06
All of it included in the $2,750 fixed fee ($2,990 with a work licence application) — quoted in writing before you commit.
Steven Brough Founder · Queensland Law Society member · 25+ years in Queensland courts
Steven's approach
Drink driving is what we do, every week.
Steven founded the firm in 2010 and has spent 25+ years in Queensland Magistrates Courts. Drink driving is the charge we run more than any other — across every court in the state — so the approach he built runs through every matter our lawyers take on: start early, do the things magistrates actually give credit for, and have your lawyer put your story properly, in person, to a bench they know.
In your matter that looks like this: your lawyer reads the charge documents and your traffic history, checks how the reading was taken and that the paperwork stacks up, then maps a preparation timeline back from your court date — QTOP (we're a proud sponsor), character references, and, where your reading is under 0.15, the work-licence application that keeps you driving.
And before you spend a cent, we'll give you an honest read on the realistic outcome for your reading — including whether we can genuinely improve it. If we can't, we'll say so on that first call.
QTOP sponsor
5,000+ matters run
Fixed fee, quoted upfront
2 minutes — what happens at court, straight from Steven
diving deeper
Want the full picture on a drink driving charge?
The short version of everything we brief our clients on before court — the ranges, what decides your penalty, the one thing that reliably helps, and the myths worth ignoring.
Read the full guide →
The three ranges
Low range is 0.05–0.099, mid range 0.10–0.149, high range 0.15 and above. A work licence is only possible under 0.15 — at high range there is none.
What decides your penalty
How to reduce it: QTOP
Facts & myths
No demerit points apply to a drink driving charge. You can’t plead guilty online. A conviction isn’t automatic — the magistrate has a discretion, and we argue it in every matter where it’s realistic.
Courts we attend
A local careless driving lawyer, whichever court you're in
week. Tap your court for a page written specifically for it — parking, listing days, and what to expect on the
day.
One bad night doesn't have to cost you everything.
Free advice · 7 days, 7am–7pm
Belinda Smyth· Client Services Manager · 24 years in the legal industry — she and Sara take your calls
How we operate
What happens when you contact us
No scripts. No sales pitch. No chasing or hounding. At worst, you hang up knowing more about your charge than when you called.
01
Belinda or Sara takes your call
02
A fixed quote lands in your inbox the same day
03
We prepare everything before the day
04
We meet you at the courthouse door
Questions at 2am?
Ask our assistant about your drink driving charge — any time.
Instant answers on the three ranges, penalties, work licences and the court process — trained on Steven’s guides. For advice on your situation, it hands you straight to a human.
Can I get a work licence?
How long will I lose my licence?
What does QTOP do?
Frequently asked questions
Asked at 2am, answered here
Will I lose my licence?
Will a conviction be recorded?
What does it cost?
Do demerit points apply?
Can I still drive for work?
Is it worth getting a lawyer if I'm pleading guilty?
Will I go to jail?
What if I refused the breath test?
From our clients
Licence saved, conviction avoided.
Every review here is a 100% authentic Google review.
4.9 on Google
“Thank you Russell & Belinda ! Your Experience and Professionalism helped me out immensely. The matter was sorted with meticulous planning . Personal attention was never neglected and you were available and comforted me in the most difficult of times. All the best and thank you once again.”
Niiranjjan B Taste — Google review
“Braden Milburn and the Clarity team did an outstanding job representing me. His professionalism, expertise, and dedication were evident throughout my case, and I’m incredibly grateful for his excellent work and support. Highly recommend!”
Zachary Liddle— Google review
“I appreciated having Russell appear for me in court in regards to my DUI charge. He was very professional and made attending court a lot less stressful. Clarity Law also charged a lot less than other businesses.”
Lisa Renwick — Google review
our team
The lawyers who'll stand beside you
person you speak to is the person at the bar table.
Steven Brough
Founder & Principal
Russell
Senior lawyer
Jacob Pruden
Senior lawyer
Will
Lawyer
Sarah
Lawyer
Ryan
Lawyer
Braden
Lawyer
Office locations
Eight offices. A local lawyer for your court.
Brisbane
07 3067 7017
Gold Coast
North Brisbane
07 3485 0184
Ipswich
07 3485 0147
Logan
Level 2, 3972 Pacific Hwy, Loganholme