In shortBoorman Lawyers are experienced, dedicated drink driving, drug driving and DUI lawyers who regularly appear at Cobar Local Court and represent clients facing alcohol, drug and serious traffic charges at this courthouse. Cobar Local Court, at 31 Barton Street, sits on the Tuesday and Wednesday of the fourth week of each month, and its registry work is handled through Dubbo. We assist clients at Cobar 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: Cobar Local Court, 31 Barton Street, Cobar NSW 2835. Phone 1300 679 272. Sits Tuesday and Wednesday of week 4; post c/- Dubbo Court, PO Box 50, Dubbo NSW 2830.
Licence: disqualification is automatic on conviction, and NSW has no work licence.
Interlock: a mandatory order for first-offence mid range, high range, DUI and refusal convictions.
When does Cobar Local Court sit, and who runs its registry?
Cobar is a circuit court. The official Local Court list gives the courthouse as 31 Barton Street and shows it open on the Tuesday and Wednesday of the fourth week of each month. Week numbers follow the Local Court's own calendar, not the calendar month, so a "week 4" date can fall later than you expect. Registry hours on those days are 9.00am to 1.00pm and 2.00pm to 4.00pm, and AVL facilities are available.
On other days, Cobar's paperwork is handled by Dubbo. The postal address is C/- Dubbo Court, PO Box 50, Dubbo NSW 2830, and the phone number is 1300 679 272 (8.30am to 4.30pm). If you need to file a document, ask for an adjournment, or check whether your matter is listed, that is the route to use.
Because the court sits only two days a month, one adjournment can push your case back by several weeks. Bear that in mind when you plan the Traffic Offenders Program or other steps you want finished before sentence.
What area does the Cobar court cover?
Cobar hears matters from the town and the surrounding far west: the Barrier Highway towards Nyngan (about 130 km east) and Wilcannia, the Kidman Way north towards Bourke (about 160 km) and south towards Hillston, and the mining and pastoral country around Nymagee and Mount Hope. Your court attendance notice names the court, and that is where the case starts, even if you live closer to another town.
The local economy is built on mining and on large pastoral properties. Many people work rosters at mine sites, drive long distances between properties, or commute between towns for work. That pattern shapes how a licence disqualification lands here, which is why the rest of this page looks at NSW law from a far west point of view.
How do you get to Barton Street without a licence?
If police suspended your licence on the spot, you cannot drive to court. Driving while suspended is a separate offence that makes the drink driving case harder. Options to plan for:
a lift from a family member, partner or workmate – arrange it well before the court date;
regional coach services, if one suits your timing;
asking the court, through the Dubbo registry, whether you may appear by AVL for a mention.
Do not assume AVL will be allowed. For a sentence, plan to attend in person unless the court has told you otherwise. Arrive early on the sitting day: the list may include criminal, traffic and other matters, and you must stay until your case is called.
What does your reading mean if you work a mine roster?
novice range – any alcohol under 0.02, if you are a learner, on P plates or unlicensed;
special range – 0.02 to under 0.05, if you were driving a heavy vehicle, bus, taxi or dangerous goods vehicle;
low range – 0.05 to under 0.08;
mid range – 0.08 to under 0.15;
high range – 0.15 or more.
Shift workers are often caught by alcohol still in their system the morning after. The reading is what matters, not how you felt. A breath analysis generally must be taken within 2 hours of the driving (RTA Sch 3), and that time limit is worth checking against the police facts. Many mine sites also run their own alcohol testing, which is separate from the law but can affect your job if a charge is pending.
What penalties apply at Cobar?
For a first offence:
Charge
Maximum penalty
Licence on conviction
Novice, special or low range
$2,200
Automatic 6 months; can be reduced to 3
Mid range
$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
$3,300 and/or 18 months' prison
Interlock order: 6–9 months off, then at least 24 months
DUI or refusal of breath analysis
$3,300 and/or 18 months' prison
As for high range
Illicit drug present (s 111)
$2,200
Automatic 6 months; can be reduced to 3
A penalty unit is $110. For a first novice, special or low range offence, or a first drug presence offence, police may issue a penalty notice instead – a fine and a 3-month suspension, with no conviction (TfNSW). A second offence within 5 years, including one dealt with by penalty notice, means higher maximums and an interlock order for every drink driving range (RTA s 9). The full figures are on our NSW drink driving penalties page.
Is there any way to keep driving for work?
Not under a disqualification. NSW has no work licence for drink or drug driving. For a station hand or a mine worker who lives an hour from the site, that is often the hardest part of the whole process.
What the law does offer:
A section 10. Under the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999, the court can dismiss the charge or make a conditional release order without conviction. That means no disqualification. The magistrate looks at your record, character, the circumstances of the driving and any extenuating factors. It is not available if you had one for a similar major offence in the last 5 years (RTA s 203). Read no-conviction outcomes for NSW drink driving.
The interlock. After an interlock order, you can drive again with an interlock once the off-road period ends. The order is mandatory for first-offence mid range, high range, DUI and refusal convictions. An exemption is only available on narrow grounds such as no access to a vehicle or a medical condition, and it brings a longer disqualification. Living a long way from town is not, on its own, a ground. If you do not enter the program after an order, you stay disqualified for 5 years.
A shorter period within the range. For a first low range offence, the court can reduce the automatic 6 months to as little as 3.
Plan for the interlock early: check which approved providers can install and service a device in the far west, and how far you would need to travel for servicing. The TfNSW Alcohol Interlock Program page lists providers, and our NSW interlock guide explains the court side.
Can police suspend your licence before the Cobar sitting?
Yes, for a mid range, high range, DUI or refusal charge (RTA s 224). The suspension usually runs until the charge is finished, which in a monthly court can be a while. You can appeal to the Local Court under s 268, but the court lifts a suspension only in exceptional circumstances. Ordinary work hardship, even serious hardship in the far west, is not usually enough without more. The time spent suspended is usually taken into account later when the court sets the disqualification.
What about drug driving in the far west?
Roadside oral fluid testing for cannabis, methylamphetamine, MDMA and cocaine takes place on highways across the region. The presence offence (s 111) does not require proof that you were affected, and a drug can be detected some time after use. Driving under the influence of a drug is a separate, more serious offence (s 112). See our NSW drug driving penalties guide.
What should you bring to Cobar Local Court?
your court attendance notice and any suspension notice;
a letter from your employer or the property owner explaining your role, the distances involved and what a disqualification would mean;
your NSW driving record;
medical, family or counselling documents, if relevant.
The magistrate wants to see responsibility and practical steps, not excuses. If there is a genuine issue with the evidence, our NSW drink driving defences guide sets out the common ones, and the NSW DUI court process guide explains the court steps.
Phone 1300 679 272 (8.30am to 4.30pm). Post goes to C/- Dubbo Court, PO Box 50, Dubbo NSW 2830. The courthouse at 31 Barton Street is open on its sitting days, the Tuesday and Wednesday of week 4.
My court date is weeks away. Can I drive until then?
Only if police did not suspend your licence. For mid range, high range, DUI and refusal charges, an immediate suspension usually lasts until the case is finished.
Will I lose my licence if I am convicted?
Yes. Disqualification is automatic on conviction for every PCA, DUI and drug presence offence. Only a section 10 order avoids it.
Can my case be moved to Dubbo or Bourke?
Your case is heard at the court named on your notice unless the court orders otherwise. Ask the registry if you have a genuine reason to seek a change.
Does a mine site breath test count as a police offence?
No. A workplace test is not a police breath analysis. But a police charge can still affect your employment, and your employer may ask about it.
Can I do the Traffic Offenders Program online?
Some approved programs offer remote options. Check that the program you choose is one the court recognises before you enrol.
Sources and date checked
Sources and references for this page, checked 20 Oct 2026.
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.
