High range drink driving in Caloundra
This is the most serious drink driving charge in Queensland: the disqualification starts at 6 months and has no upper limit — typically up to 20 months where the reading is very high or there’s been an accident. Where yours lands is decided by preparation. Charged in the southern Sunshine Coast? Your matter is heard at Caloundra Magistrates Court, 3 Gregson Place. Here’s the honest picture, and exactly what we’ll do about it.
fixed fee, guilty plea
$
2000
1 court date
most matters finished in one appearance
Caloundra
heard at 3 Gregson Place
Court date coming up? Talk to our team today — free.
We’ll call you back around 15 minutes in business hours — Belinda or Sara.
4.9 on Google · Fixed fees, always in writing
Your court
Caloundra Magistrates Court
3 Gregson Place, Caloundra QLD 4551. High range drink driving for the southern Sunshine Coast is heard here. The registry is open 8:30am–4:30pm weekdays.
Our office
Suite 8, 84 Wises Rd, Maroochydore
A short drive from court. Meet us here, by phone, or at court on the morning. Phone 1300 952 255.
Your lawyer
Braden, Jacob or Steven
Your matter is run start to finish by one of our Caloundra regulars — Braden, Jacob or Steven. The lawyer you speak to is the one who appears beside you.
The honest picture
What a reading of 0.15 or more actually means for you
A blood alcohol reading of 0.15 or higher is charged as driving under the influence of liquor (UIL) under section 79 of Queensland's transport legislation. It's dealt with in the Magistrates Court, and for most people it's their first time in any court. That's the frightening part — the process itself is routine, and we walk it every week.
Six things make high range different from low or mid range — know all of them before your court date:
1
Your licence was suspended the moment you were charged
A high range charge triggers an immediate suspension — you cannot drive at all until your matter is finished in court. In limited circumstances a court can grant permission to drive before then. Ask us; this is time-critical.
2
A work licence is not available for high range
Unlike low and mid range charges, you cannot apply for a restricted (work) licence with a reading of 0.15 or more — no matter how much you need to drive for your job. That makes the length of the disqualification the main battleground.
3
The minimum is 6 months off the road — and there is no upper limit
No magistrate can go below 6 months. Above it, nothing is capped: where the reading is very high or there was an accident, disqualifications typically run up to 20 months. Every week we are in court looking to reduce the disqualification.
4
An interlock will apply when you get your licence back
After your disqualification ends, you’ll drive with an alcohol ignition interlock fitted to your vehicle for at least a year. We’ll explain how the program works and how to get through it without tripping up.
5
Imprisonment is legally on the table
The maximum penalty for a first offence includes 9 months’ imprisonment. With proper preparation, jail is rare for a first offence — but repeat high range within 5 years makes it a real prospect. Either way, it’s not a charge to face unprepared.
6
It's dealt with in open court — and you must be there
High range can’t be handled online or by post. You appear before a magistrate in person, and the facts are read aloud in open court. What’s said next — your story, your preparation — is up to whoever speaks for you.2
Penalties at a glance — first offence
Licence disqualification
6 months min — no upper limit
Typically up to 20 months where the reading is very high or an accident occurred
Max imprisonment
9 months
Work licence
Not available
Interlock program
After disqualification
Jail is rare for a first offence with good preparation. Repeat high range within 5 years is different — imprisonment becomes a real prospect. Call us either way.
What we actually do
How we shorten your disqualification
The law sets the floor at 6 months and no ceiling at all. Everything below is aimed at one thing: landing you as close to the floor as your case allows.
We get the full picture
Your story first: job, family, why the licence matters — and anything that explains (without excusing) that night. It all ends up in front of the magistrate.
01
We get the brief from the prosecutor
We obtain the police brief — the QP9 and the analyst’s certificate — and check the facts and how the reading was taken before you plead to anything. If something’s wrong, we find it here.
02
You do the smart things early
A QTOP course — it runs over 4 days, and we’re a proud sponsor — plus character references, and medical or counselling help where it’s relevant. We tell you exactly what to get, and when.
QTOP · 4 days
03
We tailor every word to your result
What we say to the magistrate is built around you — your reading, your history, your need to drive — and aimed squarely at the best realistic outcome: the shortest disqualification, the lowest fine, and the conviction question argued.
Keep driving
04
Your lawyer speaks for you in court
You won’t address the court or have to find the words yourself — your lawyer puts your story to the magistrate, in person, in a courtroom we appear in every week.
05
You leave with a plan
Interlock steps, licence reinstatement dates, and what to do (and not do) while disqualified — in writing, before we say goodbye outside the court.
06
All of it included in the $2,750 fixed fee — quoted in writing before you commit.
Steven Brough · Founder · Queensland Law Society member · 25+ years in Queensland courts
Steven's approach
High range charges are Steven Brough's home ground.
Steven founded the firm in 2010 and has spent 25+ years in Queensland Magistrates Courts. The approach he built runs through every high range matter our lawyers take on, because the stakes are highest: no work licence is available, so every week of the disqualification is decided by preparation.
His method is simple: start early, do the things magistrates actually give credit for — a QTOP course (we're a proud sponsor), character references, medical or counselling help where it's relevant — then have your lawyer put your story properly, in person, to a magistrate they appear before every week.
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 runs over four days, so it fits before most court dates — but places fill and references take lead time, which is why the first phone call matters more than any other step.
And before you spend a cent, we'll tell you the realistic range for your reading — when the 6-month minimum is genuinely in reach, and when a very high reading or an accident means the honest starting point is closer to 20 months. If we don't think we can improve your outcome, we'll say so on that first call.
QTOP sponsor
5,000+ matters run
$2,750 fixed fee
2 minutes — work licences and what happens at court, straight from Steven
Diving deeper
Want the full picture on high range?
Steven has written a complete guide to high range drink driving in Queensland — the ranges, the penalties, the myths, and exactly what reduces the sentence. Here’s the short version.
How the law defines high range
A blood or breath alcohol concentration of 0.15 or more is charged as driving under the influence of liquor (UIL) under section 79 of the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act — also called DUI, all the same charge in court. It’s the most serious of the three ranges (low is 0.05–0.099, mid 0.10–0.149), and unlike the lower ranges, no work licence is available. Refusing to provide a breath or blood specimen is treated just as seriously.
What decides your disqualification
The minimum is 6 months off the road and there’s no upper limit. Where the reading is very high or an accident occurred, disqualifications typically run up to around 20 months. The court weighs your reading, your traffic history, whether there was a crash — and, crucially, how your matter is presented. Every week between the minimum and the worst case is argued, not fixed.
No work licence — and what we do instead
This is the hard part people hope isn’t true: at 0.15 and above, a work licence simply isn’t available, no matter the hardship. So the whole focus shifts to the one thing that can still move — the length of your disqualification. Getting that as close to the 6-month floor as your matter allows is where an experienced lawyer earns their fee.
Will I go to jail?
Imprisonment — up to 9 months for a first offence — is legally on the table, but for a first high range charge with proper preparation it’s rare. Repeat high range offences change that: a further charge within a few years makes actual jail a real prospect, and enough priors can make imprisonment mandatory. If custody is a genuine risk in your matter, we’ll tell you plainly and prepare accordingly.
Your licence between now and court
High range means immediate suspension: the police take your licence on the spot and it stays suspended right through to your court date, often weeks away. A section 79E application (lodged within 21 days) can return you to the road in the meantime — but because there’s no work licence at the end for high range, it’s of limited benefit, and we’ll tell you honestly whether it’s worth it in your case.
How the sentence is reduced
Completing the Queensland Traffic Offenders Program (QTOP) before court — it runs over 4 days, and we’re a proud sponsor — is one of the most powerful things you can do. Add genuine character references, and medical or counselling material where alcohol is a factor. Then your lawyer puts your story, in person, to a magistrate they appear before every week.
Being "in charge" of a vehicle
You can be charged even if you never drove — if you had control of the car, like sitting in the driver’s seat with the keys near you, with no intention of driving. It often catches people waiting to be picked up, looking for something, or sleeping it off. It doesn’t matter the car wasn’t on a road: a driveway or car park counts. “In charge” means being responsible for the car until you hand that over to someone else.
You can't drive away from court
The disqualification starts the moment the magistrate imposes it. That means you cannot drive away from court — not home, not to work. Arrange a lift or public transport for the day, because once you’re disqualified, getting behind the wheel is a fresh and serious offence.
The interlock
Once your disqualification ends and you’re eligible to relicence, you must fit an alcohol ignition interlock for at least 12 months. The court can’t waive it — it’s a Transport requirement — though narrow exemptions exist for things like remote-location, island residence or a medical inability to provide a breath sample.
Getting your licence back
You don’t just start driving when the disqualification ends. You reapply through Queensland Transport, sit on a probationary licence for a year (zero alcohol limit, only 4 demerit points), and complete a course — online for a first offence, in person if you’ve had two or more. Only then, with the interlock fitted, are you back on the road.
What it costs to have us there
Our fixed fee for a first high range drink driving charge is $2,750 — one upfront price, no hidden extras, held in trust until your matter is done. For that you get full preparation, negotiation of the QP9 with police, and an experienced traffic lawyer beside you in court, so you’re heard first and out sooner.
Facts & myths
No demerit points apply to a high range charge. You can’t plead guilty online — try, and the court will make you appear anyway. Refusing a breath test is treated like high range, not a lighter charge. And you’re not automatically under the limit the next morning: alcohol clears at only about 0.015 per hour, and nothing — coffee, water, a shower — speeds it up.
General information only, not legal advice. Every matter turns on its own facts — call 1300 952 255 for free, specific advice.
At 0.15, three things are locked in. Everything else is decided at court.
6 mths — no cap
minimum disqualification, no upper limit — typically up to 20 months at very high readings
No
work licence available
1+ year
interlock after you’re back
Frequently asked questions
Asked at 2am, answered here
These are the questions clients ask us most in the first phone call. Anything else — the call is free.
Will I go to jail for high range drink driving?
For a first offence, jail is unlikely — most people receive a fine and disqualification. Very high readings, accidents, or prior history raise the risk, which is exactly when preparation and proper representation matter most.
Can I drive to work while I wait for court?
No — your licence is suspended from the moment you’re charged. In limited cases a court can allow driving before your court date. Call us as soon as possible; the window is short.
Will this give me a criminal record?
Drink driving is a traffic conviction, and in many cases the court can be persuaded not to record a conviction — which matters for jobs and travel. We’ll tell you honestly whether that’s realistic for you.
Is it worth getting a lawyer if I'm pleading guilty?
This is where a lawyer helps most. The plea is a given — the disqualification length, the fine, and whether a conviction is recorded are not. Months of driving are decided in those ten minutes before the magistrate. Saving even two months off the road can be the difference that keeps your job, your family running, and your licence back sooner — a huge impact for a single court appearance.
Will I lose my licence for high range drink driving?
Yes — a disqualification of at least 6 months is mandatory, with no exceptions, and there is no upper limit. Where the reading is very high or there was an accident, disqualifications typically run up to 20 months. How far beyond the minimum yours goes is decided at court — and it’s where preparation (QTOP, references, a lawyer who speaks for you) earns its keep.
Can I get a work licence for high range drink driving?
No. Work licences are only available for low and mid range charges — at 0.15 or over you’re not eligible, no matter how much you need to drive for your job. That’s exactly why keeping the disqualification as short as possible matters so much.
What does it cost?
$2,750 fixed for a high range guilty plea — preparation, submissions, prosecutor liaison and court appearance included. Quoted in writing before you commit.
One bad night doesn't have to cost you everything.
Free advice · 7 days, 7am–7pm
Your local court
Caloundra Magistrates Court — where your matter is heard
High range drink driving for the southern Sunshine Coast is heard at Caloundra Magistrates Court, 3 Gregson Place. It’s a busy daily court with a resident magistrate — and the bench our lawyers appear before regularly, which is exactly why we know what a Caloundra magistrate gives credit for.
Where it is
3 Gregson Place, Caloundra QLD 4551 — a busy daily court with a resident magistrate. The registry is open 8:30am–4:30pm weekdays.
Parking & getting there
There’s free public parking at the court and around the Caloundra CBD. Allow time to clear security screening at the entrance.
When it sits & what to expect
Caloundra is a daily court that sits every weekday across two courtrooms — aim to arrive by 8:30am, find your courtroom, and your lawyer will meet you, speak to the police prosecutor, and appear beside you.
Caloundra Magistrates Court, 3 Gregson Place, Caloundra.
From our clients
Results in high range matters.
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
“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.”
Jason Sproule — Google review
“Jacob pruden represented me on a mid range charge. Very professional and helpful on getting the paperwork right for the work licence application, and in the courtroom it was very apparent he is highly experienced. Very happy with the result and if you require representation I would highly recommend.”
rob tyler — 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.”
Jason Sproule — Google review
“First time in a court situation, I was given Jacob Pruden by clarity law and couldn’t be more happier. Explained terms that were hard to understand and made sure I had a clear understanding on al the possible outcomes. My Pruden is someone I would recommend for anyone Thanks you”
Jarvis “J” P — Google review
“Found these guys through Google and so grateful! Assisted with my sons traffic incident so professionally but also so personally. The best and honest outcome for my son it always seemed was their goal and that’s what the outcome was. Jacob attended 3 different courts and was so supportive and assuring but also very clear to my son what the process was and what outcomes meant. Would Recommend Clarity Law 100% if you want a lawyer who works for you and is fair and just. Thankyou so much !”
Judy Zieth — Google review
“Jacob and Belinda at Clarity Law were amazing. They were very sympathetic and understanding of my situation. They did their best to put my mind at rest and worked well to get a positive outcome. I love Clarity Law’s website as well, it is informative and states the fixed cost prices. I don’t want to need a lawyer again but, if I did I would be calling Clarity Law.”
donna burton — Google review
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
Our client services team answer every call themselves — no call centre, no scripts. Immediate answers at no cost, and your details go straight to a lawyer. Court tomorrow? Say so — we take urgent matters.
02
A fixed quote lands in your inbox the same day
With extra information relevant to your charge — so you understand your matter whether you engage us or not. If you engage us the money stays in our trust account until you authorise it.
03
You decide, on your own time
Sleep on it. Compare it. If you’d rather another firm, that’s fine — no pressure.
04
Engaged? An experienced lawyer takes it from there
Engaged? An experienced lawyer takes it from there
You get your lawyer’s direct mobile and email. Every one of our lawyers is in court every week — you’re never handed to someone learning on your matter.
Questions at 2am?
Ask our assistant about high range drink driving in Caloundra — any time.
Instant answers on penalties, interlocks, court process and licences — trained on Steven’s guides. For advice on your situation, it hands you straight to a human.
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.
From our blog
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