NEW SOUTH WALES

Glen Innes DUI Lawyers

In shortBoorman Lawyers are experienced, dedicated drink driving, drug driving and DUI lawyers who regularly appear at Glen Innes Local Court and represent clients facing alcohol, drug and serious traffic charges at this courthouse. Glen Innes Local Court in Grey Street does not sit every week. It opens on Tuesday and Wednesday in week 2 and on Wednesday in week 4. Its mail goes through Armidale. NSW drink and drug driving law applies in full, and a first mid range charge means a mandatory interlock order on conviction, as the example shows. We assist clients at Glen Innes 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: Glen Innes Local Court, Grey Street, Glen Innes NSW 2370. Phone (02) 6759 2357 or 1300 679 272. Open week 2 (Tuesday and Wednesday) and week 4 (Wednesday).
Post: c/- PO Box 91, Armidale NSW 2350. Registry 9.00am – 1.00pm and 2.00pm – 3.30pm on open days.
Law: NSW Road Transport Act 2013. Mid range and above means an interlock order unless the court deals with the charge without conviction.

New South Wales law · law checked 20 Oct 2026

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What's on this page

What does a charge mean for life around Glen Innes?

Glen Innes sits where the New England and Gwydir Highways meet, with Inverell about 61 km west, Tenterfield about 81 km north and Armidale about 85 km south (approximate straight-line distances). Locals rely on cars to reach farms, Emmaville, Deepwater and Glencoe, and the town draws visitors for the Celtic Festival, the Standing Stones and gem fossicking. Public transport between these towns is limited, so a disqualification can cut you off from work, school and medical appointments.

Situations that can lead to a charge include highway random breath testing, driving home from events and functions, cold early starts the morning after, and mobile drug testing. Before court, write down your work, family and travel needs and how you would manage them without a licence; the magistrate can only weigh hardship that is supported by evidence.

What happens on the day at Grey Street?

Arrive early. On a sitting day, several matters are listed together, and you may have to wait until your name is called. Bring hard copies of your references, employer letter and program certificate, with spares. If you have a lawyer, they will hand up the material and make submissions. If you are unrepresented, you will be asked to enter a plea and say anything you want the magistrate to consider. A disqualification begins on the day of conviction unless the court orders a later start (RTA s 207A), so do not drive home. Arrange a lift before you go in.

After sentence, Transport for NSW records the disqualification. Where an interlock order is made, you apply for an interlock licence when the disqualification period ends and the device has been fitted. Until then, you cannot drive.

Which courts are near Glen Innes?

Glen Innes is administered with a postal address in Armidale. The nearest courts on this site are Inverell (about 61 km), Tenterfield (about 81 km), Armidale (about 85 km) and Grafton (about 116 km). Attend the court named on your notice. For statewide information, see NSW traffic law.

How does a Glen Innes drink driving case unfold? A worked example

This is a hypothetical example to explain the process. It is not a real client or case. Every case turns on its own facts.

The stop. Alex, 34, a fencing contractor living out towards Emmaville, is pulled over at a random breath test on the New England Highway on the way home from a Saturday barbecue. The roadside test is positive. At the station, about 70 minutes after the stop, the breath analysis reads 0.092. Because the reading was taken within 2 hours, the law treats it as Alex's reading at the time of driving unless Alex proves otherwise (Road Transport Act 2013 Sch 3 cl 31).

The charge. 0.092 falls in the mid range (0.08 to under 0.15). Police give Alex a court attendance notice for Glen Innes Local Court and an immediate suspension notice, so Alex cannot drive from that night (s 224).

The first question: can Alex drive before court? Only by appealing the suspension, and the court can lift it only if exceptional circumstances justify it (s 268). Losing work is serious, but on its own it is unlikely to be enough. Alex arranges lifts to jobs and talks to a lawyer about whether an appeal is realistic. Our licence suspension appeal guide covers the test.

The timing problem. Glen Innes does not sit every week. Its official open days are Tuesday and Wednesday in week 2 and Wednesday in week 4. If Alex arrives unprepared and asks for an adjournment, the suspension keeps running until the next sitting.

What does Alex face at sentence?

For a first mid range offence:

Item	What the law provides
Maximum fine	20 penalty units ($2,200)
Maximum prison	9 months
Licence on conviction	Mandatory interlock order: disqualification of 3 to 6 months, then an interlock licence for at least 12 months
Without conviction	Under CSPA s 10, the court may dismiss the charge or impose a conditional release order without conviction. Then the automatic disqualification and interlock order do not apply
Section 10 bar	Not available if Alex had a section 10 for a similar offence in the past 5 years (RTA s 203)

The court considers section 10 against the factors in the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999: character, record, age, health, the seriousness of the offence and any extenuating circumstances. A mid range reading on a highway makes that harder, but it is still a matter for the court. A guilty plea is taken into account (CSPA s 22). See our no conviction guide.

What does Alex do before the sitting?

Gets the police facts and checks the times, the reading and the description of the driving.
Completes a Traffic Offenders Program, after checking the court accepts the course.
Collects two references from people who know about the charge, plus a letter from the main builder Alex works for. It sets out the travel the job involves and what 3 to 6 months off the road would mean.
Works out the interlock logistics. That means where the device would be fitted, the cost, and how Alex would get to servicing appointments. Living in the country is not a ground for an exemption. See our NSW alcohol interlock guide.
Plans the day. Someone drives Alex to Grey Street with hard copies of every document, and is ready to drive Alex home.

How would it change with different facts?

If the facts were…	The difference
Reading 0.06 (low range)	No interlock. 6 months' automatic disqualification, which the court can reduce to 3. Fine up to $2,200, no prison
Reading 0.16 (high range)	Up to $3,300 and 18 months' prison. Interlock order with 6 to 9 months' disqualification, then at least 24 months on an interlock
Alex is on P-plates	Any reading of 0.02 or more puts a P-plater in at least the special range; under 0.02, the novice range applies. P-platers must not drive with any alcohol
A prior drink driving penalty notice in the last 5 years	Treated as a second offence (s 9(2A)), with higher maximums and longer disqualification
THC detected instead of alcohol	A presence offence under s 111. Impairment does not have to be proved. Same automatic 6 months, reducible to 3

The full penalty scale is in our NSW drink driving penalties guide, the offence categories are in the NSW drink driving offences guide, and the drug offences are in our NSW drug driving guide. Transport for NSW publishes an official penalties summary.

What if Alex disputes the charge?

The example assumes a guilty plea, but that is not always right. Before entering a plea, it is worth checking:

Timing. Police generally cannot require a breath test or analysis more than 2 hours after the driving (Sch 3 cl 2(2)(a)). If the times on the facts and the certificate do not add up, ask why.
Who was driving, and where. Identification and whether the place was a road or road-related area can be live issues.
The certificate. Check that the breath analysis certificate matches the charge.
The drug test. For s 111, the case depends on the laboratory result as well as the roadside screen.

A plea of not guilty means a hearing date, and at a court that sits only a few days a month, that adds time. Any immediate suspension keeps running in the meantime. Get advice early on whether a defence is realistic.

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Glen Innes drink driving FAQs

Where is Glen Innes Local Court and how do I contact it?

In Grey Street, Glen Innes. Phone (02) 6759 2357 or 1300 679 272; telephone hours are 8.30am to 4.30pm. Mail goes c/- PO Box 91, Armidale NSW 2350. The court is open on Tuesday and Wednesday in week 2 and Wednesday in week 4.

Will I lose my licence?

On conviction, every drink and drug driving offence brings a disqualification or an interlock order. The court can reduce the automatic disqualification for low range and drug presence offences, but not below the minimum. A section 10 outcome without conviction avoids the automatic disqualification.

Is there a work licence in NSW?

No. NSW has no work licence or hardship licence for drink or drug driving disqualifications.

Does a guilty plea count?

Yes. The court takes a guilty plea into account (CSPA s 22). An early plea backed by proper material is generally given more weight than one entered late.

What should a character reference say?

It should say how the referee knows you, show they know about the charge, describe your character, and mention what you have done since. Generic praise that ignores the charge carries little weight.

What if I can't make the Glen Innes date?

Contact the registry on (02) 6759 2357 or 1300 679 272, or have your lawyer contact it, before the date and explain why, with a medical certificate or other evidence. If you simply do not appear, the court can deal with the matter in your absence or issue a warrant, and the next sitting may be weeks away.

Sources and date checked

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

Local Court of NSW – Court locations G (Glen Innes) — checked 19 Oct 2026
Road Transport Act 2013 (NSW) – current version (ss 9, 110, 111, 112, 203, 205, 207A, 209–212, 224, 268; Sch 3 cl 31) — checked 20 Oct 2026
Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) – ss 9, 10, 10A, 22 — checked 20 Oct 2026
NSW Government (Transport for NSW) – Drink and drug driving penalties — 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.

Glen Innes Local Court — court details

Glen Innes Local Court

Street: Grey Street, Glen Innes NSW 2370
Postal: c/- PO Box 91, Armidale NSW 2350
Phone: (02) 6759 2357 or 1300 679 272
Registry hours: Registry 9.00am – 1.00pm and 2.00pm – 3.30pm; telephone 8.30am – 4.30pm
Days open: Week 2: Tuesday and Wednesday; week 4: Wednesday

➜ Get directions

Local Court of NSW, Court locations – G (localcourt.nsw.gov.au), saved 19 Oct 2026. Official fax (02) 6759 2358. 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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