NEW SOUTH WALES

Cooma DUI Lawyers

In shortBoorman Lawyers are experienced, dedicated drink driving, drug driving and DUI lawyers who regularly appear at Cooma Local Court and represent clients facing alcohol, drug and serious traffic charges at this courthouse. Cooma Local Court in Vale Street hears drink and drug driving charges from the Snowy Monaro, including the roads to Jindabyne and the snowfields. We assist clients at Cooma 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: Cooma Local Court, Vale Street, Cooma NSW 2630. Phone (02) 6453 4900 or 1300 679 272. Registry Tuesday to Friday in court sitting weeks; Wednesday to Friday in other weeks.
Section 10: the only way to avoid the automatic disqualification.
5 years: any later drink or drug driving offence in that time is a second offence.

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

What does each charge mean, from now until 5 years after court?

Find your charge in the left column, then read across. The columns follow your case in time: before court, at sentence if the magistrate makes a section 10 order, at sentence if a conviction is recorded, and the 5 years after. The grid assumes a first offence; the law is the NSW Road Transport Act 2013 (current version).

Charge	Before court	If a section 10 is made	If convicted	The 5 years after
Novice, special or low range (any alcohol under 0.02 for L/P; 0.02 for special category; 0.05 for others)	Penalty notice possible; if charged, usually still driving	No conviction, no disqualification	Up to $2,200; 6 months' disqualification, can be reduced to 3	Counts as a prior offence
Mid range (0.08 to under 0.15)	Immediate suspension likely	No conviction, no disqualification, no interlock	Up to $2,200 and/or 9 months' prison; interlock order: 3–6 months off, then 12 months or more on an interlock	Interlock period runs; counts as a prior
High range (0.15 or more)	Immediate suspension likely	Available in law, rarely suitable	Up to $3,300 and/or 18 months' prison; interlock order: 6–9 months off, then 24 months or more	Interlock period runs; counts as a prior
DUI or refusing breath analysis	Immediate suspension likely	Available in law, rarely suitable	As for high range	As for high range
Illicit drug present	Penalty notice possible	No conviction, no disqualification	Up to $2,200; 6 months' disqualification, can be reduced to 3	Counts as a prior offence

The columns are explained below.

Column 1: what happens before the Cooma court date?

Two things decide whether you can drive between now and court.

A penalty notice. For a first novice, special or low range offence, or a first drug presence offence, police can choose a penalty notice over a court notice: a fine, plus 3 months without a licence (see the Transport for NSW penalty summary). There is no conviction unless you elect to go to court, where the full court penalty becomes possible.

An immediate suspension. For mid range, high range, DUI and refusal charges, police can suspend your licence on the spot (RTA s 224). It usually lasts until your case is finished. An appeal to the Local Court under s 268 is possible, but the court can only lift it in exceptional circumstances. The time you spend suspended is usually taken into account at sentence.

Use this time well: get your driving record, read the police facts, sign up for a Traffic Offenders Program course, and collect references and work letters.

Column 2: what does a section 10 order mean?

The sentencing Act's section 10 lets the magistrate find the offence proved but dismiss it, or make a conditional release order without recording a conviction. The automatic disqualification and the interlock order then do not apply.

The magistrate weighs your character, record, age and health, how serious the offence was, and any extenuating circumstances. A low reading, a short drive, no crash and a clean record make it more realistic. Anyone given a section 10 for a similar major offence within the previous 5 years cannot receive another (RTA s 203). That is why the grid says it is "available in law, rarely suitable" at higher readings. Read our explainer on avoiding a conviction for drink driving in NSW.

Column 3: what happens if a conviction is recorded?

Disqualification is automatic (RTA s 205). For a first novice, special, low range or drug presence offence, it is 6 months, which the magistrate may reduce to 3 but not below.

For mid range, high range, DUI and refusal, the court must make an interlock order: a short disqualification followed by a minimum period driving only a vehicle with an approved interlock (RTA ss 209–212). An exemption order is possible only on narrow grounds, such as having no vehicle to fit the device to or a medical condition, and in exchange the disqualification gets longer – a year (at least 6 months) for mid range, or 3 years (at least a year) for high range or DUI. The distance from Cooma to work in Jindabyne, Berridale or the resorts is not, on its own, a ground for exemption.

A penalty unit is $110. For high range sentencing, see our high range guideline judgment page. Every figure is on our NSW drink driving penalty tables.

NSW has no work licence that lets you drive during the disqualification. Driving anyway is a separate offence; see driving while disqualified in NSW.

Column 4: what follows you for the next 5 years?

The interlock period. After an interlock order, you apply for an interlock licence once the off-road period ends. For at least 12 months (mid range) or 24 months (high range, DUI, refusal) you may only drive a vehicle with the device fitted. Each test is recorded, and the device stays until you satisfy the program's conditions. If you do not join the program, you remain disqualified for 5 years. In cold Monaro winters, check with your provider how the device performs and where servicing is available. Approved providers are listed by Transport for NSW, and our interlock page explains what the court considers.

The look-back period. For 5 years, a fresh drink or drug driving offence is treated as a repeat (RTA s 9) – even where the first was only a penalty notice. Repeat offending lifts the maximum penalties, makes even a low range charge an interlock offence, rules out another section 10 where one was given in that time, and requires you to pass the Driver Knowledge Test before you are relicensed. A second drug presence offence raises the maximum to $3,300 and the disqualification to 12 months, reducible to 6.

When is Cooma Local Court open?

The official Local Court list gives the street address as Vale Street, Cooma NSW 2630, postal address PO Box 203, Cooma NSW 2630, phone (02) 6453 4900 or 1300 679 272 and fax (02) 6453 4910. Registry hours are 9.00am to 1.00pm and 2.00pm to 4.00pm:

Tuesday to Friday in a court sitting week;
Wednesday to Friday in a non-sitting week, with Tuesday by appointment.

Check your court attendance notice for the date and time, and arrive early. If you live near Bombala, note that Bombala Court in High Street is run through the Bega registry and opens on court sitting days only.

Does snow and alpine driving change anything?

Not the law. The same ranges and penalties apply on Kosciuszko Road as in Sydney. What changes is the setting the magistrate hears about: seasonal resort work, shift patterns, early starts in freezing conditions, and long distances with little public transport. Those matters can go to where the penalty falls within the range, and to whether a section 10 is appropriate, but they cannot take a disqualification below the minimum. Visitors on interstate licences are bound by NSW law in exactly the same way.

What about drug driving in the Snowy Monaro?

Driving with cannabis, methylamphetamine, MDMA or cocaine present (s 111) is an offence even if you felt fine and used the drug some time earlier. Driving under the influence of a drug (s 112) is a separate, more serious charge. See NSW drug driving offences and penalties. If the evidence is genuinely in issue – for example, who was driving, or a breath analysis outside the 2-hour limit in Sch 3 – read how drink driving charges are defended in NSW.

Which courts are near Cooma?

Bombala Local Court – High Street, about 90 km south
Bega drink driving matters – about 110 km east over Brown Mountain
Albury DUI charges – a long drive west via the Alpine Way

Other NSW courts: see the full list. For what happens in the courtroom, see the NSW court process for drink driving.

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Cooma drink driving FAQs

What are the contact details for Cooma Local Court?

The official list gives Vale Street, Cooma NSW 2630; PO Box 203, Cooma NSW 2630; phone (02) 6453 4900 or 1300 679 272; fax (02) 6453 4910. The registry is open Tuesday to Friday in sitting weeks and Wednesday to Friday in other weeks.

I work a ski season. Can I get a licence just for work?

Not in NSW. A drink or drug driving disqualification cannot be swapped for a restricted or work licence. If an interlock order is made, the interlock licence after the off-road months is the route back behind the wheel, including for seasonal work.

Is the interlock automatic for a first mid range offence?

On conviction, yes, unless the court makes an exemption order. A section 10 means no conviction, and so no interlock order.

Will I go to jail?

Prison is available for mid range, high range, DUI and refusal charges, but is generally kept for serious cases, such as very high readings, crashes or a poor record.

Does a penalty notice I paid count later?

Yes. It counts as an earlier offence for 5 years.

Sources and date checked

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

Local Court of NSW – Court locations C (Cooma) — checked 19 Oct 2026
Local Court of NSW – Court locations B (Bombala – c/- Bega) — 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.

Cooma Local Court — court details

Cooma Local Court

Street: Vale Street, Cooma NSW 2630
Postal: PO Box 203, Cooma NSW 2630
Phone: (02) 6453 4900 or 1300 679 272
Registry hours: Registry 9.00am – 1.00pm and 2.00pm – 4.00pm
Days open: Tuesday to Friday in court sitting weeks; Wednesday to Friday in non-sitting weeks (Tuesday by appointment)

➜ 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

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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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