NEW SOUTH WALES

Macksville DUI Lawyers

In shortBoorman Lawyers are experienced, dedicated drink driving, drug driving and DUI lawyers who regularly appear at Macksville Local Court and represent clients facing alcohol, drug and serious traffic charges at this courthouse. Macksville Local Court on River Street, Macksville NSW 2447 is the Local Court for the Nambucca Valley, serving Macksville, Nambucca Heads, Bowraville, Scotts Head, Valla Beach and the Pacific Highway corridor between Kempsey and Coffs Harbour. We assist clients at Macksville 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: Macksville Local Court, River Street, Macksville NSW 2447 (PO Box 135, Macksville NSW 2447). Phone (02) 6569 2801 or 1300 679 272. Registry 9.00am–1.00pm and 2.00pm–4.00pm, Tuesday to Friday.
Nambucca Valley & Bellingen: Bellingen Local Court has been non-operational since March 2018; Nambucca Valley charges are commonly listed at Macksville or Coffs Harbour.
Interlock: mandatory order for a first mid range, high range, DUI or refusal conviction unless the court makes an exemption order.

New South Wales law · law checked 23 Oct 2026

Call 1300 941 900 Make an enquiry about legal representation

General image – not this courthouse.

What's on this page

Traffic and drink driving matters in the Nambucca Valley

Macksville Local Court sits on River Street beside the Nambucca River and serves the towns and rural communities of the Nambucca Valley — including Macksville, Nambucca Heads, Valla Beach, Hyland Park, Scotts Head, Bowraville, Taylors Arm, Congarinni, Warrell Creek and Eungai Creek — together with motorists intercepted along the Pacific Highway (M1) and Giinagay Way between Kempsey and Coffs Harbour. Because Bellingen is no longer listed as an active courthouse on the official Local Court of NSW directory, drivers stopped in the southern Bellinger Valley or around Urunga also frequently find their Court Attendance Notice listed at Macksville or at Coffs Harbour Local Court.

Look first at two details on your police paperwork:

Whether you received a Court Attendance Notice (CAN) or a penalty notice. A Court Attendance Notice sets a mandatory mention date at Macksville Local Court (or another nominated court). A penalty notice is an administrative fine and suspension issued by police for certain first-time novice, special or low range PCA offences or first-time oral-fluid drug presence offences.
Whether police handed you an Immediate Licence Suspension Notice. In NSW, police can suspend your authority to drive on the spot for middle range or high range PCA, for refusing a breath analysis, and for repeat or lower-range offences in defined circumstances. If you received an immediate suspension notice, you must not drive to River Street on your court date.

Boorman Lawyers represents motorists on guilty pleas, sentencing hearings, licence appeals and defended traffic matters at Macksville Local Court. Call 1300 941 900 or make an enquiry about legal representation before your first listing date. For statewide coverage, see our NSW traffic law hub.

How local policing and highway operations feed into Macksville Local Court

The Nambucca Valley combines two distinct traffic patterns, and both appear regularly in the Macksville court list:

Local town and rural valley travel along Giinagay Way and River Street. Residents commuting between Bowraville, Macksville, Nambucca Heads, Valla Beach and Scotts Head rely almost entirely on private vehicles. Public transport across the valley is sparse, and trade, agricultural, health-care and hospitality shifts rarely align with bus timetables. Stationary and mobile random breath testing (RBT) and random drug testing (RDT) patrols operate regularly along Giinagay Way (the former Pacific Highway alignment), Cooper Street, Wallace Street and the approaches to Nambucca Heads and Scotts Head.
Through-traffic on the Pacific Highway (M1) bypass. Heavy vehicles, interstate travellers and holiday traffic moving between Sydney, the Mid North Coast, the Northern Rivers and South East Queensland pass the Macksville and Warrell Creek interchanges along the route. Highway Patrol units conduct targeted alcohol, oral-fluid drug and heavy-vehicle compliance intercepts along this corridor. When an interstate or out-of-area driver is charged near Macksville or Nambucca Heads, the Court Attendance Notice is normally made returnable at Macksville Local Court.

If you live outside the Nambucca Valley — for example in Sydney or elsewhere in regional NSW — and were charged while travelling along the M1, early legal advice helps clarify how initial mentions, written pleas or adjournments are managed so you do not make an unnecessary trip for a purely procedural step.

NSW drink and drug driving penalties applied at Macksville Local Court

Every drink driving and drug driving charge heard at Macksville is governed by the Road Transport Act 2013 (NSW) and the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW). The statutory thresholds are identical across New South Wales. See our NSW drink driving offences guide for how each range is defined.

Offence category (first offence)	Blood / breath alcohol range	Maximum court fine	Maximum prison term	Disqualification & interlock structure (on conviction)
Novice, special or low range PCA	0.00+ (novice) / 0.02–0.049 (special) / 0.05–0.079 (low)	20 penalty units ($2,200)	None (fine only for 1st offence)	6 months automatic (3 months minimum). Police often deal with a 1st offence by a $722 penalty notice and 3-month immediate suspension instead of court.
Middle range PCA	0.08 to 0.149	20 penalty units ($2,200)	9 months	Mandatory Alcohol Interlock Order: 3–6 months disqualification + minimum 12 months interlock (or 6 months minimum / 12 months automatic if exempt).
High range PCA	0.150 and above	30 penalty units ($3,300)	18 months	Mandatory Alcohol Interlock Order: 6–9 months disqualification + minimum 24 months interlock (or 12 months minimum / 3 years automatic if exempt).
Drive with illicit drug present in oral fluid, blood or urine (s 111)	Detectable presence of prescribed illicit drug (THC, methylamphetamine, MDMA or cocaine)	20 penalty units ($2,200)	None for 1st s 111 offence	6 months automatic (3 months minimum). A 1st offence may be dealt with by a $722 penalty notice and 3-month suspension unless sent to court.
Drive under the influence of alcohol or a drug (s 112)	Observable impairment	30 penalty units ($3,300)	18 months	Mandatory interlock for alcohol DUI on conviction, or 12 months minimum / 3 years automatic disqualification.

In NSW one penalty unit is $110. Second or subsequent major traffic offences within 5 years attract higher maximum fines, longer imprisonment ceilings, and longer disqualification and interlock periods. Full tables are set out on our NSW drink driving penalties and NSW drug driving offences and penalties pages, and the Transport for NSW drink and drug driving penalties page.

Four NSW legal rules that shape every Macksville sentencing outcome

1. No work licence or restricted licence in NSW

Motorists who travel along the North Coast sometimes assume they can ask the magistrate for a work licence. New South Wales has no work licence, daytime licence or employment-only licence for drink driving or drug driving. If a conviction is recorded, the statutory disqualification (and any interlock period) applies across all driving, and driving during that period is a separate offence — see disqualified driving in NSW.

2. Mandatory Alcohol Interlock Orders

Under the Road Transport Act 2013, a court that convicts a driver of a first middle range PCA, first high range PCA, refusal to provide a breath analysis, or a second or subsequent PCA offence within 5 years must make a Mandatory Alcohol Interlock Order unless the driver establishes a narrow statutory exemption under section 212 (for example, a verified medical condition preventing use of the breath device or lack of access to any vehicle in which a device can be installed). See our guide to NSW alcohol interlock laws and Transport for NSW's Mandatory Alcohol Interlock Program page.

3. Section 10 non-conviction orders and the section 203(4) five-year bar

Under section 10 of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999, a Local Court magistrate has discretion to find an offence proven but dismiss the charge without recording a conviction — usually on a Conditional Release Order (CRO) without conviction for up to 24 months. When a court makes a section 10 order on a drink or drug driving charge, no conviction is recorded and no further court disqualification or interlock order applies. See no conviction drink driving in NSW.

However, section 203(4) of the Road Transport Act 2013 imposes a strict statutory bar: you cannot receive a section 10 non-conviction order for an applicable major traffic offence if you have already received the benefit of section 10 for another applicable traffic offence within the previous 5 years. In high range PCA matters, sentencing must also address the NSW high range drink driving guideline judgment, which states that a section 10 order for a high range offence is rare and requires strong objective and subjective features.

4. Credit for time already spent under immediate police suspension

Under section 206B of the Road Transport Act 2013, when a magistrate at Macksville Local Court imposes a disqualification on sentence, the court must take into account any continuous period your licence has already been suspended by police under section 224 for the same offence. If you are considering challenging an immediate police suspension before sentence, read our guide to NSW licence suspension appeals.

Attending Macksville Local Court on River Street

According to the official Local Court of NSW directory (Court locations – M):

Street address: River Street, Macksville NSW 2447 (on the southern bank of the Nambucca River, close to Wallace Street and Cooper Street in the Macksville town centre).
Postal address: PO Box 135, Macksville NSW 2447.
Days open: Tuesday to Friday (the Macksville registry is closed on Mondays and public holidays).
Registry and telephone hours: 9.00am – 1.00pm and 2.00pm – 4.00pm (closed for lunch between 1.00pm and 2.00pm).
Phone: (02) 6569 2801, or the NSW Courts Service Centre on 1300 679 272; official fax (02) 6569 2809.
Email: local-court-macksville@justice.nsw.gov.au.
Facilities: Audio Visual Link (AVL) facilities are available at this location.
Sitting arrangements:

If your licence is suspended, arrange a lift, taxi, community transport or NSW TrainLink coach/rail connection (Macksville railway station is roughly 1.5 km from River Street) rather than driving yourself. Arrive at least 20 to 30 minutes before the time printed on your Court Attendance Notice, allow time for security screening at the courthouse entrance, and check the daily law list posted near the registry counter.

Before your sentencing date, thorough preparation usually involves:

Reviewing the Police Facts Sheet line by line to check the stated time of driving, the reason for the intercept, the breath analysis or oral-fluid laboratory certificate, and any observations recorded by police (see drink driving defences in NSW).
Enrolling in an approved NSW Traffic Offender Intervention Program (TOIP) course where appropriate so the completion certificate can be handed up before sentence.
Preparing character references addressed to "The Presiding Magistrate, Macksville Local Court" from people who know your history and are explicitly aware of the charge before the court, together with an outline of how disqualification affects your employment, rural travel or family care in the Nambucca Valley. See our NSW DUI court process guide.

Nearby Mid North Coast courts we attend

If your Court Attendance Notice names an adjoining courthouse along the Mid North Coast rather than Macksville, see our dedicated guides for:

Coffs Harbour Local Court DUI Lawyers — 2–16 Beryl Street, Coffs Harbour (approx. 50 km north along the M1).
Kempsey Local Court DUI Lawyers — 2 Sea Street, West Kempsey (approx. 58 km south along the M1).
Port Macquarie Local Court DUI Lawyers — Corner Hay and Murray Streets, Port Macquarie.
Grafton Local Court DUI Lawyers — Victoria Street, Grafton.
NSW Courts We Attend — full directory of NSW Local Courts and our court guides.

What clients say

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Macksville drink driving FAQs

Where is Macksville Local Court and when is the registry open?

Macksville Local Court is on River Street, Macksville NSW 2447, facing the Nambucca River in the town centre (postal address PO Box 135, Macksville NSW 2447). The registry counter and telephone line ((02) 6569 2801 or 1300 679 272) operate Tuesday to Friday from 9.00am to 1.00pm and 2.00pm to 4.00pm, and the registry is closed on Mondays. You can also contact the registry by email at local-court-macksville@justice.nsw.gov.au.

Why was my Bellingen or Nambucca Heads charge listed at Macksville Local Court?

Bellingen Local Court has been non-operational since March 2018. Traffic and drink or drug driving charges arising around Nambucca Heads, Valla Beach, Bowraville, Scotts Head, Urunga and the southern Bellingen Shire are commonly returnable at Macksville Local Court or Coffs Harbour Local Court. Always attend the courthouse and date printed on your Court Attendance Notice.

Can I apply for a work licence at Macksville Local Court?

No. New South Wales law does not allow a work licence, restricted licence or daytime-only licence during a drink driving or drug driving suspension or disqualification. Once a licence is suspended by police or disqualified by the court, driving is prohibited on all public roads until the period finishes and Transport for NSW reissues the licence.

Does a middle range or high range PCA charge at Macksville require an alcohol interlock?

Yes, if a conviction is recorded. Under the Road Transport Act 2013 (NSW), a conviction for middle range PCA, high range PCA, refusal or a repeat low range offence carries a mandatory Alcohol Interlock Order: a court disqualification period followed by at least 12 months (or 24 months for high range) on an interlock licence. An interlock exemption is only available in narrow statutory circumstances, or if the court deals with the offence without recording a conviction under section 10.

What should I bring or prepare before my first court date at Macksville?

Have your Court Attendance Notice, your Police Facts Sheet (if police have served it), any immediate suspension notice, and details of how a licence loss affects your employment, business or family responsibilities in the Nambucca Valley. Enquiring early gives time to check whether the NSW Traffic Offender Intervention Program (TOIP), structured character references and medical or employment material should be prepared before sentencing.

Sources and date checked

Sources and references for this page, checked 23 Oct 2026.

Local Court of NSW – Court locations M (Macksville) — checked 19 Oct 2026
Road Transport Act 2013 (NSW) – current version (ss 9, 110, 111, 112, 203, 205, 206B, 209–212, 224, 268; Sch 3) — checked 23 Oct 2026
Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) – s 10; s 17 (penalty unit $110) — checked 23 Oct 2026
NSW Government (Transport for NSW) – Drink and drug driving penalties — checked 23 Oct 2026
NSW Government (Transport for NSW) – Mandatory Alcohol Interlock Program — checked 23 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.

Macksville Local Court — court details

Macksville Local Court

Street: River Street, Macksville NSW 2447
Postal: PO Box 135, Macksville NSW 2447
Phone: (02) 6569 2801 (or NSW Courts Service Centre 1300 679 272)
Email: local-court-macksville@justice.nsw.gov.au
Registry hours: Registry 9.00am – 1.00pm and 2.00pm – 4.00pm; telephone 9.00am – 1.00pm and 2.00pm – 4.00pm
Days open: Tuesday to Friday
Facilities: Audio Visual Link (AVL) facilities are available at this location

➜ Get directions

Local Court of NSW, Court locations – M (localcourt.nsw.gov.au), saved 19 Oct 2026. Official fax (02) 6569 2809. 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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