NEW SOUTH WALES

Gloucester DUI Lawyers

In shortBoorman Lawyers are experienced, dedicated drink driving, drug driving and DUI lawyers who regularly appear at Gloucester Local Court and represent clients facing alcohol, drug and serious traffic charges at this courthouse. Gloucester Local Court on Church Street sits only on the second Wednesday of each even-numbered month, with its post handled by the Raymond Terrace registry. We assist clients at Gloucester 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: Gloucester Local Court, Church Street, Gloucester NSW 2422. Phone 1300 679 272. Open the 2nd Wednesday of each even month; registry 9.30am–1pm and 2pm–3.30pm.
Post: C/- PO Box 596, Raymond Terrace NSW 2324.
Law: conviction means automatic disqualification (Road Transport Act 2013 s 205); no work licence in NSW.

New South Wales law · law checked 20 Oct 2026

Call 1300 941 900 Make an enquiry about legal representation

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What's on this page

Why does timing matter so much at Gloucester?

Because the court opens only six days a year. The official Local Court list says Gloucester sits on the second Wednesday of each even month. Counting forward, that points to 9 December 2026, then 10 February and 14 April 2027. Miss a date or ask for an adjournment, and the next chance can be two months away. Meanwhile a suspension, if you have one, keeps running.

So each option below is shown with its effect on timing as well as on your licence. All of it is under the Road Transport Act 2013 (NSW).

What options do you have, side by side?

Option	What it involves	When it may suit	Licence effect	Gloucester timing
A. Accept a penalty notice	Pay the fine; 3-month suspension; no court, no conviction	First novice, special, low range or drug presence, if police offered one	3 months off from the notice date	No court date needed
B. Plead guilty at the first sitting	Sentence on the day, if material is ready	You accept the facts and have your references, record and program certificate	Automatic disqualification if convicted (s 205)	Dealt with in one sitting
C. Ask for a section 10	Plead guilty, ask for dismissal or conditional release without conviction	Good record, lower reading, strong subjective case	No disqualification if granted	Needs full material on the day
D. Plead not guilty	Hearing on the evidence	Real dispute about driving, testing or the 2-hour rule	Licence position stays as it is until the hearing	Hearing may be months away
E. Appeal an immediate suspension (s 268)	Ask the Local Court to lift a police suspension	Exceptional circumstances only	Suspension lifted only if the court agrees	Ask the registry how to file between sittings
F. Seek an interlock exemption	Ask the court not to make the mandatory interlock order	No vehicle access, a medical condition, or other narrow grounds	Longer disqualification instead	Evidence must be ready at sentence

Each row is explained below.

Should you accept a penalty notice (option A)?

Police, not the court, decide whether to offer one. It is available for a first novice range (any alcohol under 0.02 for L, P and unlicensed drivers), special range (0.02 to under 0.05 for heavy vehicle, bus, taxi and dangerous goods drivers), low range (0.05 to under 0.08) or drug presence offence. You can usually elect to go to court instead, for example if you want to argue for a section 10 or dispute the reading. Paying it means it still counts as a previous offence for 5 years (s 9). The amount is on the TfNSW drink and drug driving penalties page.

When does a guilty plea at the first sitting make sense (option B)?

When you accept the facts and your material is ready. With only six sittings a year, arriving without references or a program certificate can mean a two-month adjournment. For a first offence, a conviction brings:

Charge	Disqualification	Interlock	Maximum
Novice, special, low	6 months (court may reduce to 3)	No	$2,200
Mid range	3–6 months	At least 12 months	$2,200 and/or 9 months' jail
High range, DUI, refusal	6–9 months	At least 24 months	$3,300 and/or 18 months' jail
Illicit drug present	6 months (court may reduce to 3)	No	$2,200

There is no work licence in NSW. See our penalty explainer for NSW for repeat offences.

How realistic is a section 10 (option C)?

It depends on your record, the reading, how you were driving and your circumstances. Under Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 s 10, the magistrate may dismiss the charge or make a conditional release order without conviction, which means no disqualification and no interlock. Section 203 of the Road Transport Act bars it if you have had a section 10 for a major offence within the previous 5 years. Bring:

a Traffic Offenders Program certificate;
references from people who know about the charge;
your NSW driving record;
a letter about farm, timber, tourism or other work that depends on driving around the Barrington Tops and Bucketts Way.

More on the factors at conviction-free outcomes in NSW.

When is a not guilty plea worth it (option D)?

When there is a genuine issue. A breath analysis generally has to happen within 2 hours of the driving, and police must follow the Schedule 3 procedures. Whether you were driving at all, or how a drug sample was taken and tested, can matter. A drug presence charge under s 111 does not need proof of impairment. Our NSW drink driving defence guide and NSW drug driving penalties page explain. Hearings take longer to list, especially at a court sitting this rarely.

Can you get an immediate suspension lifted (option E)?

Police can suspend your licence on the spot under s 224 for mid range, high range, DUI or refusal. It lasts until the case is decided. With Gloucester sitting six times a year, that can be many weeks. An appeal under s 268 succeeds only in exceptional circumstances, and the appeal must be dealt with before the charge. Time already served is usually taken into account at sentence.

Can you avoid the interlock (option F)?

Only by an exemption order. For a first mid range, high range, DUI or refusal conviction, the interlock order is mandatory. The court may exempt you on narrow grounds, such as having no access to a vehicle or a medical condition preventing use of the device. An exemption brings a longer disqualification. A second offence within 5 years brings an interlock for every drink driving range. Read how the NSW interlock order works.

How do the options change for a second offence?

They narrow. If you have had a drink or drug driving offence in the past 5 years, including one dealt with by penalty notice, the new charge is a second or subsequent offence under s 9. That changes the grid in four ways. First, option A disappears: a penalty notice is for first offences only. Second, option C is harder, and impossible if your earlier matter ended in a section 10 within 5 years, because s 203 then bars another. Third, option F matters more, because a second offence brings a mandatory interlock order for every drink driving range, even novice and low range. Fourth, maximum penalties rise, and you must pass the Driver Knowledge Test before you can be relicensed. For example, a second high range offence carries a minimum of 9 months off the road and then at least 48 months on an interlock. If you are in this position, preparing early for the one sitting you will get is even more important.

How do you get to Church Street if you cannot drive?

Plan it before the Wednesday. If you are suspended or already disqualified, driving yourself to court is a further offence, and police do check. Gloucester has limited public transport, so most people arrange a lift from family, a friend or a workmate. Those coming from Stroud, Barrington, Craven or properties further out should allow for the drive and for parking in the town centre. Arrive by the time on your notice, check in with the court officer, and expect to wait while other matters are called. If you live a long way away or have a medical reason you cannot attend, phone the registry well before the date to ask about the options, including whether an appearance by audio visual link is possible.

Where is Gloucester Local Court and how do you contact it?

The official list gives Church Street, Gloucester NSW 2422. Post goes to C/- PO Box 596, Raymond Terrace NSW 2324. Phone 1300 679 272 (8.30am to 4.30pm); fax (02) 6537 2703. On sitting days the registry is open 9.30am to 1pm and 2pm to 3.30pm. Our NSW DUI court walkthrough explains what happens once you arrive.

Which courts are near Gloucester?

Taree Local Court – about 75 km east.
Forster drink driving charges – about 90 km south-east.
Maitland DUI matters – about 110 km south.

The complete list is on NSW courts we attend.

What clients say

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Gloucester drink driving FAQs

When does Gloucester Local Court sit?

On the second Wednesday of each even month, according to the official Local Court list. Check your notice and confirm with the registry on 1300 679 272.

Why is the postal address in Raymond Terrace?

The official list gives Gloucester's postal address as C/- PO Box 596, Raymond Terrace NSW 2324. Send documents there unless told otherwise.

Can I keep driving until the court date?

If police did not suspend you, usually yes. If you received an immediate suspension notice, no.

Is there a work licence while disqualified?

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

What happens if I miss the sitting?

The court may deal with the matter in your absence or issue a warrant, and the next sitting may be two months away. Contact the registry before the date if you cannot attend.

Does a penalty notice count against me?

Yes. It counts as a previous offence for 5 years.

Sources and date checked

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

Local Court of NSW – Court locations G (Gloucester) — checked 19 Oct 2026
Road Transport Act 2013 (NSW) – ss 9, 110–112, 203, 205, 209–212, 224, 268 — checked 20 Oct 2026
Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) – s 10 — 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.

Gloucester Local Court — court details

Gloucester Local Court

Street: Church Street, Gloucester NSW 2422
Postal: C/- PO Box 596, Raymond Terrace NSW 2324
Phone: 1300 679 272
Registry hours: Registry 9.30am – 1.00pm and 2.00pm – 3.30pm; telephone 8.30am – 4.30pm
Days open: Second Wednesday of each even month

➜ Get directions

Local Court of NSW, Court locations – G (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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