NEW SOUTH WALES

Broken Hill DUI Lawyers

In shortBoorman Lawyers are experienced, dedicated drink driving, drug driving and DUI lawyers who regularly appear at Broken Hill Local Court and represent clients facing alcohol, drug and serious traffic charges at this courthouse. Broken Hill Local Court at 240 Argent Street runs on Central time, half an hour behind Sydney, and its registry also serves the Wentworth and Wilcannia courts. NSW law applies, not South Australian law. We assist clients at Broken Hill Local Court by appearing at court mentions, guilty pleas and sentencing hearings, preparing comprehensive sentencing submissions and character reference material, advising on licence disqualification periods and mandatory alcohol interlock rules under New South Wales law, and preparing Section 10 non-conviction applications.

Court: Broken Hill Local and District Court, 240 Argent Street, Broken Hill NSW 2880. Phone 1300 679 272. Registry 9am–1pm and 2pm–4pm Central time.
Circuit: Wentworth and Wilcannia courts are run through the Broken Hill registry (PO Box 260).
Law: NSW Road Transport Act 2013. NSW has no work licence for drink driving; mid range and above means interlock.

New South Wales law · law checked 20 Oct 2026

Call 1300 941 900 Make an enquiry about legal representation

General image – not this courthouse.

What's on this page

How does a Broken Hill drink driving case unfold?

The table follows a NSW drink driving case at Broken Hill, from the roadside to getting your licence back. Times at Broken Hill court are in Central time, 30 minutes behind Sydney.

When	What happens	Broken Hill note
At the roadside	Screening breath test, then breath analysis. The reading sets the charge under section 110 of the Road Transport Act 2013	For a first novice, special or low range offence, police may issue a penalty notice instead of charging you
Same day	Court attendance notice; for mid range, high range or DUI, possible immediate licence suspension (s 224)	The suspension applies everywhere, including if you hold an interstate licence
Within days	Get advice on plea; check the police facts; decide whether to appeal the suspension	An appeal to the Local Court must be made before the charge is decided and needs exceptional circumstances (s 268)
Weeks 1 to 4	Book the Traffic Offenders Program, gather references and evidence	Allow extra time for services that come from outside the city
First court date	Plead guilty or not guilty, or ask for an adjournment	Arrive by the time on your notice in Central time
Sentence	Fine, disqualification or interlock order, or a section 10	The penalties are the same as in Sydney
After disqualification	Apply to be relicensed; interlock if ordered	Plan interlock fitting and servicing in advance

Can you get a work licence for drink driving in NSW?

No. This catches out a lot of people, particularly those who have heard about Queensland's work licences. In NSW there is no restricted licence for drink driving. Once you are disqualified, you cannot drive until the disqualification ends, except under an interlock licence where one is ordered.

That makes the decisions before sentence more important. The ways the court can reduce the impact on your licence are:

dealing with the matter under section 10, without a conviction and therefore without a disqualification;
setting a shorter disqualification within the range allowed;
for interlock offences, the interlock order itself, which allows a shorter disqualification followed by driving with an interlock.

Our guide to avoiding a drink driving conviction in NSW explains when section 10 is realistic.

What penalties apply at Broken Hill?

The maximum fines and minimum disqualifications are set by NSW law. For a first offence ($110 per penalty unit):

Novice, special or low range: fine up to $2,200; 6 months' disqualification (minimum 3 months).
Mid range: fine up to $2,200 and/or 9 months' prison; interlock order (3–6 months off the road, then at least 12 months on an interlock).
High range or DUI: fine up to $3,300 and/or 18 months' prison; interlock order (for DUI, where alcohol was involved) (6–9 months off the road, then at least 24 months on an interlock).

Living a long way from the next town is not a ground for an interlock exemption (TfNSW). See our NSW drink driving penalties guide and our NSW alcohol interlock guide.

Which charges are heard at Broken Hill?

Broken Hill Local Court hears every type of NSW drink and drug driving charge, including:

novice, special, low, mid and high range PCA;
driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs;
refusing or failing to provide a breath, blood or oral fluid sample;
driving with an illicit drug present, covered in our NSW drug driving guide;
related offences such as unlicensed, suspended or disqualified driving.

Our NSW drink driving offences guide explains each one.

What makes Broken Hill different?

Broken Hill is a mining city in the far west of NSW, closer to Adelaide than to Sydney, on the Barrier and Silver City Highways. Three things stand out for a drink driving case:

Central time. The registry works on Central time: 9.00am to 1.00pm and 2.00pm to 4.00pm, which is 9.30am to 1.30pm and 2.30pm to 4.30pm in Sydney.
NSW law, South Australian neighbours. Broken Hill is close to the South Australian border. A charge in NSW is dealt with under NSW law, whatever state your licence is from.
Distance. The nearest NSW courts with their own pages are hundreds of kilometres away, so matters from the region are dealt with here or at the circuit courts run from here.

Which courts are near Broken Hill?

Wentworth court – 72 Darling Street, Wentworth; run through the Broken Hill registry (PO Box 260), with registry days that vary by week of the month
Wilcannia court – 66 Reid Street, Wilcannia; open Tuesday to Thursday in the third week of the month and on court days
Cobar Local Court drink driving – 31 Barton Street, about 418 km
Hay DUI matters – corner Moppett and Pine Streets, about 424 km; open on court sitting days only
Bourke drink driving charges – 55–57 Oxley Street, about 475 km

The full list is in our NSW courts we attend directory.

What clients say

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Broken Hill drink driving FAQs

What are Broken Hill court's hours?

According to the Local Court of NSW, the registry at 240 Argent Street is open 9.00am to 1.00pm and 2.00pm to 4.00pm Central time (9.30am to 1.30pm and 2.30pm to 4.30pm Sydney time), Monday to Friday. Phone enquiries on 1300 679 272 are taken 8.00am to 4.00pm Central time.

My licence is from South Australia. Does NSW law still apply?

Yes. An offence committed in NSW is dealt with under NSW law at a NSW court. The effect of a NSW disqualification on an interstate licence is a matter for licensing authorities, so get advice about both.

Who handles Wentworth and Wilcannia matters?

Both courts are run through the Broken Hill Court House, PO Box 260 Broken Hill. Check your notice for which court you are listed at.

Can I appear by video link?

Broken Hill court has audio visual link (AVL) facilities. Whether you can appear that way depends on the type of hearing and the court's directions.

Is a defence worth considering?

Sometimes. If there is a real issue about the testing procedure, timing or whether you were driving, it should be assessed before you plead. Our NSW drink driving defences guide covers the common issues.

Sources and date checked

Sources and references for this page, checked 20 Oct 2026.

Local Court of NSW – Court locations B (Broken Hill) — checked 19 Oct 2026
Local Court of NSW – Court locations W (Wentworth, Wilcannia) — checked 19 Oct 2026
Local Court of NSW – Court locations C and H (Cobar, Hay) — checked 19 Oct 2026
Road Transport Act 2013 (NSW) – current version for 1 October 2026 (ss 108, 110, 205, 209–212, 224, 268) — checked 20 Oct 2026
NSW Government (Transport for NSW) – Drink and drug driving penalties — checked 20 Oct 2026
NSW Government (Transport for NSW) – Alcohol Interlock Program — checked 20 Oct 2026

This page is general information about New South Wales law only. It is not legal advice. Every matter turns on its own facts.

Broken Hill Local Court — court details

Broken Hill Local Court

Street: 240 Argent Street, Broken Hill NSW 2880
Postal: PO Box 260, Broken Hill NSW 2880
Phone: 1300 679 272
Registry hours: Registry 9.00am – 1.00pm and 2.00pm – 4.00pm Central time (9.30am – 1.30pm and 2.30pm – 4.30pm Sydney time); telephone 8.00am – 4.00pm Central time
Days open: Monday to Friday
Facilities: Audio visual link (AVL) facilities · Local and District Court

➜ Get directions

Local Court of NSW, Court locations – B (localcourt.nsw.gov.au), saved 19 Oct 2026. These are the court registry's details, not Boorman Lawyers office details. Check your court papers for your listing time and courtroom.

NSW Traffic Law

Choose your NSW traffic law topicNSW

Guides for New South Wales traffic law matters.

NSWDrink Driving OffencesRead guide →NSWDrink Driving PenaltiesRead guide →NSWDrink Driving DefencesRead guide →NSWDrug Driving Offences & PenaltiesRead guide →NSWHigh Range PCA Guideline JudgmentRead guide →NSWLicence Suspension AppealRead guide →NSWAlcohol Interlock LawsRead guide →NSWNo Conviction Drink DrivingRead guide →NSWTraffic Offenders ProgramRead guide →NSWDUI Court Process GuideRead guide →NSWDangerous DrivingRead guide →NSWDisqualified DrivingRead guide →

Enquire about legal representation

Call 1300 941 900 or make an enquiry about legal representation.

What to have ready

Court & next listing date: Which court is on your paperwork and when your matter is listed.
Charge or reading (if known): Tell us the charge or reading if you have it — you do not need your full police facts yet.
Work & driving needs: Let us know if you rely on your licence for work or family responsibilities.

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