NEW SOUTH WALES

Casino DUI Lawyers

In shortBoorman Lawyers are experienced, dedicated drink driving, drug driving and DUI lawyers who regularly appear at Casino Local Court and represent clients facing alcohol, drug and serious traffic charges at this courthouse. Casino Local Court at 68 Walker Street hears drink and drug driving charges from the Richmond Valley. We assist clients at Casino 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: Casino Local Court, 68 Walker Street, Casino NSW 2470. Phone 1300 679 272. Registry 9am–1pm and 2pm–4pm, Tuesday to Friday (closed the first and second Tuesdays of each month).
Licence: disqualification is automatic on conviction; there is no work licence in NSW.
5 years: a later offence within 5 years is a second offence, with an interlock for every range.

New South Wales law · law checked 20 Oct 2026

Call 1300 941 900 Make an enquiry about legal representation

What's on this page

What happens to your licence tonight?

It depends on your reading and the charge.

Novice, special or low range, first offence: police may give you a penalty notice. That means a fine and a 3-month licence suspension, starting on the date in the notice, with no court case and no conviction (TfNSW). If police instead issue a court attendance notice, you can usually keep driving until court.
Mid range, high range, DUI or refusing a breath analysis: police can give you an immediate suspension notice under s 224 of the Road Transport Act 2013. Your licence stops working from the moment you receive it.
Drug presence, first offence: a penalty notice is possible here too; otherwise the charge goes to court after the laboratory result comes back.

The ranges come from s 110: novice is any alcohol under 0.02 for learner, P-plate and unlicensed drivers; special is 0.02 to under 0.05 for heavy vehicle, bus, taxi and dangerous goods drivers; low is 0.05 to under 0.08; mid is 0.08 to under 0.15; and high is 0.15 or more.

Can you drive between the charge and the court date?

If you were suspended, no. An immediate suspension normally lasts until the charge is finally dealt with. You can appeal it to the Local Court under s 268, but the court can lift it only in exceptional circumstances. Running cattle, getting to the saleyards or a long trip to Lismore for work will not usually be enough on its own. The appeal must be decided before the charge is.

If you were not suspended, yes, until the court decides your case. Be careful: a second drink driving charge while the first is pending is treated seriously, and police can suspend you then.

The rules apply to any motor vehicle on a road or road related area, not just cars. A farm ute, truck or motorbike on a public road counts.

What happens to your licence on the court date?

Everything turns on whether a conviction is recorded.

No conviction (section 10). Under section 10 of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999, the magistrate can dismiss the charge or make a conditional release order without conviction. Then there is no disqualification and no interlock. You walk out with your licence, unless a separate suspension is still running. It is not available if you had a section 10 for a similar major offence in the past 5 years (RTA s 203).

Conviction. Disqualification is automatic (RTA s 205). For a first offence:

Charge	Licence result	Maximum penalty
Novice, special or low range	Disqualified 6 months; the court may reduce it to 3	$2,200
Mid range	Interlock order: 3–6 months disqualified, then at least 12 months with an interlock	$2,200 and/or 9 months' prison
High range, DUI or refusal	Interlock order: 6–9 months disqualified, then at least 24 months with an interlock	$3,300 and/or 18 months' prison
Illicit drug present	Disqualified 6 months; the court may reduce it to 3	$2,200

The interlock order is mandatory for the charges listed. The court can make an exemption order only on narrow grounds, such as no access to a vehicle or a medical condition, and an exemption means a longer disqualification: 12 months (minimum 6) for mid range, 3 years (minimum 12 months) for high range. A penalty unit is $110. Our NSW drink driving penalties page shows every figure.

What happens while you are off the road?

You cannot drive at all. NSW has no work licence, hardship licence or restricted licence for a drink or drug driving disqualification. That is the single biggest difference between how people expect the system to work and how it actually works.

Time you have already spent under an immediate suspension is usually taken into account by the court when it sets the period. Driving during the disqualification is a separate offence with its own penalties and a further disqualification, explained on our NSW disqualified driving page.

If an interlock order was made, use the off-road months to plan the next step. Choose an approved provider with a service centre you can get to from Casino, and budget for the lease and servicing. The TfNSW Alcohol Interlock Program page lists providers. If you do not enter the program at all, you remain disqualified for 5 years.

What happens to your licence over the next 5 years?

Two things follow you.

The interlock period. After an interlock order, you hold an interlock licence and may drive only a vehicle fitted with the device for the minimum period: 12 months for a first mid range offence, 24 months for a first high range, DUI or refusal offence. The device records every test, and you must meet the program's requirements before it comes off. Our NSW interlock order explainer covers the detail.

The 5-year window. Any drink or drug driving offence within 5 years is a second or subsequent offence (RTA s 9). That includes an offence dealt with by penalty notice. A second offence means higher maximums, an interlock order for every drink driving range (even novice or low range), no second section 10 if you have had one, and the Driver Knowledge Test before you can be relicensed. For example, a second high range offence means 9 to 12 months off the road, then at least 48 months on an interlock.

When and where is Casino Local Court open?

The official Local Court list gives the address as 68 Walker Street, Casino NSW 2470, with postal address PO Box 21, Casino NSW 2470. Phone 1300 679 272; fax (02) 6671 5679. The registry and phones are open 9.00am to 1.00pm and 2.00pm to 4.00pm, Tuesday to Friday, closed the first and second Tuesdays of each month. AVL facilities are available. Check the date and time on your court attendance notice and arrive early.

What helps the magistrate decide on your licence?

The magistrate weighs your record, the reading, the driving, and what you have done since. Material that helps:

a Traffic Offenders Program certificate;
references from people who know about the charge;
an employer or business letter explaining what losing the licence would mean, for example for stock work or deliveries across the Richmond Valley;
your NSW driving record;
medical, caring or counselling documents, if relevant.

Our NSW DUI court process guide explains what happens at the first mention and at sentence. For when a no-conviction order is realistic, read no-conviction outcomes for NSW drink driving.

Can the charge be defended?

Sometimes. A breath analysis generally must be done within 2 hours of the driving (Sch 3), and police must follow the testing rules. Whether you were driving, and whether a drug sample was properly taken and analysed, can also be in issue. Driving with an illicit drug present (s 111) does not require proof that you were affected, so "I felt fine" is not a defence. See our NSW drink driving defences guide and our NSW drug driving penalties guide.

Which courts are near Casino?

Lismore Local Court – about 30 km east on the Bruxner Highway
Kyogle drink driving matters – about 30 km north on the Summerland Way
Ballina DUI charges – about 60 km east

The rest are in our NSW court list.

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Casino drink driving FAQs

What are the contact details for Casino Local Court?

The official list gives 68 Walker Street, Casino NSW 2470; PO Box 21, Casino NSW 2470; phone 1300 679 272; fax (02) 6671 5679. Registry and phone hours are 9.00am to 1.00pm and 2.00pm to 4.00pm, Tuesday to Friday, closed on the first and second Tuesdays of the month.

Can I get a licence to drive for work while disqualified?

No. NSW has no work licence for drink or drug driving disqualifications. After an interlock order, you can drive with an interlock once the off-road period ends.

Is the interlock something I apply for?

No. For the listed offences, the court must make an interlock order on conviction unless it grants an exemption. You then apply to Service NSW for the interlock licence once the off-road period is over.

Does a penalty notice count against me later?

Yes. A drink or drug driving penalty notice counts as an earlier offence for 5 years, so a later offence is treated as a second offence.

Who decides whether my licence is suspended before court?

Police, at the time of the charge, for mid range, high range, DUI and refusal charges. Only the Local Court can lift that suspension, on appeal, in exceptional circumstances.

Will I get my licence back automatically?

No. When a disqualification ends, you must apply for a new licence. A repeat offender must pass the Driver Knowledge Test first.

Sources and date checked

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

Local Court of NSW – Court locations C (Casino) — checked 19 Oct 2026
Road Transport Act 2013 (NSW) – current version (ss 9, 110, 111, 112, 203, 205, 209–212, 224, 268; Sch 3) — checked 20 Oct 2026
Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) – s 10; s 17 (penalty unit $110) — 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.

Casino Local Court — court details

Casino Local Court

Street: 68 Walker Street, Casino NSW 2470
Postal: PO Box 21, Casino NSW 2470
Phone: 1300 679 272
Registry hours: Registry and telephone 9.00am – 1.00pm and 2.00pm – 4.00pm
Days open: Tuesday to Friday (closed the first and second Tuesdays of each month)
Facilities: Audio visual link (AVL) facilities

➜ Get directions

Local Court of NSW, Court locations – C (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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