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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
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.
Answer four quick questions
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
We work out your work-licence position
Under 0.15
03
You do the smart things early
QTOP · 4 days
A QTOP course — it runs over 4 days, and we’re a proud sponsor — plus character references and, where relevant, drug counselling. We tell you exactly what to get, and when.
04
We tailor every word to your result
05
Your lawyer speaks for you — and you leave with a plan
06
Fixed fee, quoted in writing upfront — no hidden charges, and the money stays in trust until you authorise it.
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 drug driving?
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
The Queensland Traffic Offenders Program runs over 4 days and shows the court you took the charge seriously before anyone asked — we’re a proud sponsor. Add references, and medical help where relevant. Enrol at qtop.com.au →
Facts & myths
Keeping you on the road: the work licence
The mandatory minimums
Your licence until court
Low range: police suspend you 24 hours, then you keep driving until court. Mid or high range: suspended from the day you’re charged right through to court. Caught driving during that suspension? That’s a separate charge — minimum 2-year disqualification.
Can't stop driving before court?
If you’re mid or high range and can’t wait weeks off the road until your court date, a section 79E application — lodged within 21 days of the charge — can get you a temporary licence until your matter is finalised. It needs detailed affidavit material, so move quickly.
You can't drive away from court
The disqualification starts the moment the magistrate imposes it. That means you cannot drive away from the court — not home, not to work. Plan a lift or public transport for the day, because once you’re disqualified, getting behind the wheel is a fresh offence.
Being "in charge" of a vehicle
Drink driving not on a road
Drink driving on P plates
Refusing the test
The interlock
Getting your licence back
Will it go on my criminal record?
General information only, not legal advice. Every matter turns on its own facts — call 1300 952 255 for free, specific advice.
Courts we attend
A local careless driving lawyer, whichever court you're in
From Southport to Hervey Bay and everywhere in between, we appear in these Magistrates Courts every 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.
Frequently asked questions
The questions everyone asks about drink driving
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?
Refusing to provide a specimen of breath or blood is treated just as seriously as a high range reading — same disqualification range, no work licence. Call us; there’s often more to the circumstances than it first appears.
From our clients
Drink driving matters we've stood beside.
Every review below is a genuine Google review from a client we've helped through one of the most stressful times in their lives.
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
Every matter is run by a lawyer who appears in these courts constantly — the person you speak to is the person at the bar table.