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Work licences — keep driving for work after a drink or drug driving charge

If a conviction would cost you your job, a section 87 restricted (work) licence can keep you on the road for work purposes while you serve your disqualification. It must be applied for before you are sentenced — get it right the first time, because there is no second chance.

$2,990

fixed fee, plea + application

Before

sentencing — the deadline that matters

26 courts

we run these applications in

Check in 30 seconds

Can you get a work licence?

Answer four quick questions and see roughly where you stand. This is general guidance, not a guarantee — the affidavit and how it’s argued are what win a work licence.

Apply before you're sentenced.

A work licence has to be granted before you’re convicted. Plead guilty without one and you lose the chance — so get advice early.

General guidance only, not legal advice. Confirm your answer with a lawyer on 1300 952 255, free.

Answer four quick questions

1. Did you hold an OPEN Queensland licence when charged (not P-plates or learner)?

2. Was your reading under 0.15 — a low or mid range drink/drug charge (not high range, DUI or refusal)?

3. In the last 5 years, are you free of any other drink/drug driving conviction or court disqualification?

4. Would losing your licence cost you your job or income (or cause your family severe hardship)?

What it is

A work licence keeps you driving for work while you're disqualified

A work licence — properly a restricted licence under section 87 of the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995 — lets you keep driving strictly for work purposes during a drink or drug driving disqualification. It is the difference, for a lot of people, between keeping their job and losing it.

It is not a full licence and it is not automatic. You have to apply for it, prove you qualify, and satisfy the magistrate that losing your licence outright would cause you or your family severe hardship. Get the application right and, in most cases, you drive to work the next day on conditions the magistrate sets. Get it wrong — or miss the deadline — and there is no second chance: you serve the full disqualification.

Eligibility

Five things that must all be true

Miss any one of these and a work licence is off the table — which is why the first phone call matters. We check your eligibility in minutes, free.

1 · The charge qualifies. Low or mid range drink driving (under 0.15), failing to provide a specimen, or driving with a relevant drug present. High range and dangerous driving do not qualify.

2 · You held an open licence. A current Queensland open licence for the vehicle at the time you were charged — not a learner, P1 or P2.

3 · A clean five years. No drink or drug driving convictions and no licence suspensions or disqualifications in the last five years.

4 · Your income depends on it. You must satisfy the magistrate that without a licence you would lose your job, or your business would fail, causing severe hardship to you or your family.

5 · You apply before sentencing. The application is filed and heard alongside your plea. Once you are sentenced it is too late — no exceptions.

How it works

From first call to driving to work

01 Free eligibility check

One call. We confirm the five criteria and quote the fixed fee before you commit.

02 Affidavits prepared

We draft your affidavit and your employer’s (or your accountant’s, if self-employed) — the evidence the magistrate acts on.

03 Filed before sentence

The application is filed at your court and listed with your plea, so everything is decided on the one day.

04 Heard with your plea

Your lawyer addresses the magistrate, the conditions are set, and in most cases you drive to work the next day.

What the court needs to see

The evidence that wins a work licence

A magistrate can only act on evidence. We build it for you — and the quality of that evidence is what separates a granted application from a refused one.

Your affidavit

A sworn statement setting out your job, why you must drive for it, what you earn, your family’s reliance on that income, and the hardship losing your licence would cause. We draft it with you so it says what the court needs to hear.

Your employer's affidavit

Confirmation from your employer that driving is a genuine requirement of your role and that you may lose your job without a licence. If you’re self-employed, your accountant’s evidence does the same job.

The conditions

The magistrate sets what you can drive, when and for what — typically limited to work hours and work purposes. We propose sensible, workable conditions rather than leaving it to chance, and explain exactly what breaching them means (it’s a serious offence).

In court

The application is heard with your guilty plea, on the one day. Your lawyer makes the submissions, tenders the affidavits, and answers the magistrate’s questions — you don’t have to find the words yourself.

Meet the founder

Steven Brough — 25+ years, one job: your best outcome

Steven founded the firm in 2010 to do one thing properly — traffic law — at a fixed fee, with honest advice. He has spent more than 25 years in Queensland Magistrates Courts and personally run thousands of drink and drug driving pleas and the work licence applications that go with them.

He built the firm's work licence method: apply early, put the hardship evidence on properly, and argue it before a magistrate the lawyer appears in front of regularly. It's the approach every one of our lawyers uses on your application, wherever in Queensland your matter is heard.

More about Steven →

When you ring

A real person, straight away — 7am to 7pm, 7 days

Call 1300 952 255 and Belinda or Sara answers. They'll take a few details, check whether a work licence is even on the table, and book a time for one of our lawyers to call you back — usually within about 15 minutes in office hours. No call centre, no pressure, no charge for that first conversation.

By the time you hang up you'll know whether you qualify, what the fixed fee is ($2,990, all in), and exactly what we'll need from you and your employer to get the application filed before your court date.

What happens in court

Your application, heard with your plea

A work licence application is decided on the same day you plead guilty to the drink or drug driving charge, in the Magistrates Court named on your notice. Here’s how the morning runs, wherever in Queensland you are:

Before your name is called. Your affidavit and your employer's affidavit are already filed and served. Your lawyer meets you, checks you're across the conditions being sought, and speaks to the police prosecutor about the facts.

The plea. The charge is read and you plead guilty. Your lawyer makes submissions on penalty — the reading, your record, and the steps you've taken — to keep the disqualification as short as the law allows.

The application. Your lawyer then makes the work licence application, tenders the affidavits, and satisfies the magistrate that you're a fit and proper person and that losing your licence outright would cause extreme hardship.

The order. If granted, the magistrate sets the conditions — the hours, days and purposes you can drive for. In most cases you're driving to work again the next day.

Diving deeper

Related guides

A work licence sits alongside the charge behind it. These guides cover the rest.

Drink driving

Ranges, penalties and how a plea runs in queesland.

Drug driving

Relevant drug present charges and when a work licence applies.

Special hardship licence

The equivalent for a points or high speed suspension.

Prices

Every fixed fee, set out plainly before you commit.

FAQ

Work licence questions, answered

Can I get a work licence in Queensland?

Yes — if you were charged with a low or mid range drink driving offence (under 0.15) or drug driving, held a current open Queensland licence at the time, and have not been convicted of drink or drug driving or had a licence suspension in the last five years. You must also show you are a “fit and proper person” and that losing your licence would cause you or your family to lose your income.

When do I have to apply?

Before you are sentenced — this is the single most important rule. Once a magistrate convicts you and disqualifies you, it is too late. Call us before your first court date and we will make sure the application is filed in time.

What does a work licence let me do?

It lets you drive for work purposes only, on the conditions the magistrate sets — typically limited to certain hours, days and purposes connected to earning your living. It is not a normal licence, and breaching its conditions is a serious offence.

How much does a work licence cost?

Our fixed fee is $2,990, which covers the drink or drug driving plea and the work licence application together — preparation, affidavits for you and your employer, submissions and your lawyer beside you in court.

Which court do I apply in?

The application is heard with your drink or drug driving charge, in the Magistrates Court named on your Notice to Appear. We appear at all of them — pick your court below.

Applying in a particular area?

Wherever your application is filed, we're in that court most weeks.

A work licence application is heard with the charge behind it, at the Magistrates Court named on your notice. Pick your court for local details:

From our clients

Kept on the road, kept in work.

4.9 on Google

“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.”

Niiranjjan B Taste — 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.”

Zachary Liddle— Google review

“Jack Marshall was incredible, he helped me secure a special hardship license with no fuss, which will enable me to continue supporting my family. Very professional and knowledgeable. Highly recommend. Couldn’t have done it without him”

Jason Sproule — Google review

Charged, and need to keep driving?

Apply before you're sentenced — the deadline is the whole game.

Free first advice on whether you qualify, and a fixed $2,990 quote before you commit. 7am–7pm, 7 days.

Plain-English glossary

The words you'll hear, explained

Restricted (work) licence

A licence granted under section 87 of the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995 that lets you drive for work only during your disqualification.

Disqualification

A licence granted under section 87 of the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995 that lets you drive for work only during your disqualification.

Affidavit

A sworn written statement. Your work licence turns on your affidavit and your employer’s — which we draft with you.

Fit and proper person

The test the magistrate applies — whether, given your record and circumstances, you can be trusted with a limited licence.

Extreme hardship

You must show that losing your licence would cost you your income or your family severe hardship — not mere inconvenience.

Notice to Appear

The document naming your charge, your court and your date. It tells us where to file the application.

Ask the Driving Law assistant

Not sure if you qualify? Ask us anything about work licences.

Every work licence turns on the detail — your reading, your record, your job. The fastest way to a straight answer is a free call: 1300 952 255, 7am–7pm, 7 days. Belinda or Sara will point you to the right lawyer.

General information only, not legal advice. Confirm your situation with a lawyer before acting on anything you read here.