NEW SOUTH WALES

Narooma DUI Lawyers

In shortBoorman Lawyers are experienced, dedicated drink driving, drug driving and DUI lawyers who regularly appear at Narooma Local Court and represent clients facing alcohol, drug and serious traffic charges at this courthouse. Narooma Local Court on the Princes Highway opens only on court sitting days, and visitors can be charged nearby. NSW law decides the charge wherever your licence was issued. We assist clients at Narooma 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: Narooma Local Court, Princes Highway, Narooma NSW 2546. Phone (02) 6497 2820 or 1300 679 272. Registry 9.30am – 1.00pm and 2.00pm – 3.30pm, sitting days only. AVL available.
Visitors: a NSW suspension notice stops you driving in NSW on any licence, and NSW reports the offence to your home licensing authority.
Law: NSW Road Transport Act 2013. There is no work licence in NSW.

New South Wales law · law checked 20 Oct 2026

Call 1300 941 900 Make an enquiry about legal representation

What's on this page

What does a Narooma charge mean for getting around?

Narooma sits on the Princes Highway on the Eurobodalla coast, with Moruya about 34 km north and Bega about 57 km south (approximate straight-line distances). Dalmeny, Tilba, Central Tilba and Bermagui are reached by road, and there is no passenger rail line on this part of the coast. If your licence is suspended at the roadside, you cannot drive yourself home, to work or to court, so the first job is working out who can drive for you.

Holiday-makers. If you came on holiday by car, someone with a valid licence will need to drive the car, boat trailer or caravan home, or it stays here. A NSW suspension stops you driving in NSW even on an interstate licence (RTA s 224(4)(b)).

Locals. Write down how you would get to work, school and appointments without a car, and how far each trip is. The court can weigh hardship only if it is backed by evidence.

The court. Narooma Local Court on the Princes Highway opens only on sitting days, so check your notice and the court's sitting dates, and plan the trip in advance.

Which courts are near Narooma?

The nearest courts on this site are Moruya (about 34 km), Batemans Bay (about 57 km), Bega (about 57 km) and Cooma (about 90 km). Attend the court named on your notice. Statewide information is on NSW traffic law.

What should you do before the Narooma sitting?

If you were suspended on the spot, decide early whether an appeal is realistic. It needs exceptional circumstances (s 268). See our licence suspension appeal guide.
Complete a Traffic Offenders Program, checking first that the court accepts it.
Collect references and an employer letter. If you live elsewhere, have them sent to you in time.
Book travel so you arrive in good time, and bring a driver for the trip home. A disqualification begins on the day of conviction unless the court orders a later start (s 207A).
Bring paper copies of everything.

Which myths should you ignore?

Narooma's mix of locals, holiday-makers and fishing visitors means people arrive at court with second-hand advice. Some of it is plainly wrong under NSW law. Here are the myths, checked against the Road Transport Act 2013 (NSW).

Myths about where and when the case is heard

"I live interstate, so I'll just deal with it when I get home."

Fact: The charge is heard here, under NSW law. A court attendance notice for Narooma requires you to attend Narooma Local Court on that date unless the court excuses you. If you do nothing, the court can deal with the matter in your absence or issue a warrant. NSW also reports relevant offences to your home licensing authority (s 29(3)). Plan your return trip, or ask early whether another way of appearing is possible. The court has AVL facilities, but using them needs the court's permission.

"The court's hardly ever open, so it'll get moved to Moruya or Bega."

Fact: Narooma opens on court sitting days only, but it is still the court named on your notice. Unless the court orders otherwise, that is where you go. The registry and phone line, (02) 6497 2820 or 1300 679 272, operate only 9.30am to 1.00pm and 2.00pm to 3.30pm, so do not leave questions until the day.

"If it gets adjourned, no harm done."

Fact: If police suspended your licence on the spot (s 224), the suspension runs until the charge is finalised. At a court that sits only on some days, each adjournment can mean weeks more off the road. Bring everything you need to the first date.

Myths about the drive itself

"It was only a couple of kilometres back to the caravan park."

Fact: Distance is not part of the offence. A reading of 0.05 or more is a PCA offence whether you drove 200 metres or 200 kilometres. For L and P platers, any alcohol counts: under 0.02 is the novice range.

"A coffee, a swim and a feed and I'm fine to drive."

Fact: None of those removes alcohol from your blood. Only time does. A breath analysis within 2 hours of driving is presumed to show your reading when you drove unless you prove otherwise (Sch 3 cl 31).

"Cannabis from the weekend doesn't count."

Fact: Under s 111, the offence is having THC present in your oral fluid, blood or urine while driving. Being affected is not required, and THC can be detected after its effects have worn off. See our NSW drug driving guide.

Myths about the result

"A first offence never means an interlock."

Fact: A first mid range offence (0.08 to under 0.15) is a mandatory interlock offence, as are high range, alcohol DUI and refusal. On conviction, the court makes an interlock order: time off the road, then an interlock licence. Living in a coastal town is not a ground for exemption. Read our NSW interlock guide.

"I'm going home anyway, so a NSW disqualification won't matter."

Fact: A NSW disqualification is a NSW court order. Driving in NSW while disqualified is an offence (s 54). NSW also passes the information to your home licensing authority (s 29(3)). What happens to your licence there depends on that state's law, which this page does not cover.

"I'll get a work licence."

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

"Section 10 is automatic for a first offence."

Fact: It is a discretion, not a right. Under section 10 of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999, the court considers character, record, age, health, the seriousness of the offence and any extenuating circumstances. It is barred if you had one for a similar offence in the past 5 years (RTA s 203). See our no conviction guide.

"With my clean record, the magistrate won't take my licence."

Fact: A clean record helps, but it does not switch off the law. Once you are convicted, disqualification follows automatically, or an interlock order for the more serious ranges. Your record matters to whether the court will consider a section 10, and to where in the range it sets the penalty. It does not let the court go below the minimums after a conviction.

So what are the real numbers?

By reading, for a first offence (a penalty unit is $110):

Under 0.05 for L/P or special category drivers, or 0.05 to under 0.08 for everyone else: a fine of up to $2,200. On conviction, you lose your licence for 6 months unless the magistrate cuts it, but not below 3. No jail.
A drug present, with no alcohol: the same, under s 111.
0.08 to under 0.15: up to $2,200, a possible 9 months in jail, and a compulsory interlock order. You are off the road for 3 to 6 months, then drive with the device for at least a year.
0.15 and above, or alcohol DUI: up to $3,300 and 18 months. You are off the road for 6 to 9 months, then drive with the device for at least 2 years.

A repeat within 5 years carries steeper ceilings, and a penalty notice in that period counts as the first strike (s 9(2A)). The full tables are in our NSW drink driving penalties guide. Transport for NSW keeps an official summary, and our NSW drink driving offences guide explains each range.

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Narooma drink driving FAQs

Where is Narooma Local Court?

On the Princes Highway, Narooma NSW 2546. It opens on court sitting days only, 9.30am to 1.00pm and 2.00pm to 3.30pm. Phone (02) 6497 2820 or 1300 679 272. Mail goes to PO Box 548, Narooma NSW 2546.

Can I keep driving until court?

Only if police did not give you an immediate suspension notice. If they did, you cannot drive in NSW until the charge is finalised, unless a suspension appeal succeeds.

Does a penalty notice count as a conviction?

No conviction is recorded, but it counts as a prior offence for 5 years if you are charged again (s 9(2A)).

Can the court reduce the 6-month disqualification?

For novice, special and low range PCA, and for drug presence, yes, to no less than 3 months.

What if both alcohol and drugs were detected?

A mid or high range reading together with an illicit drug can be charged as a combined offence under s 111A. It carries higher maximums and a mandatory interlock order.

I'm towing a boat or caravan. Does a different limit apply?

Not because of the towing itself. The lower 0.02 limit applies to special category drivers, such as drivers of heavy vehicles over 13.9 tonnes GVM, and L and P platers must have no alcohol at all. For a full licence holder in a car towing a trailer, the ordinary 0.05 limit applies.

Sources and date checked

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

Local Court of NSW – Court locations N (Narooma) — checked 19 Oct 2026
Road Transport Act 2013 (NSW) – current version (ss 9, 29, 54, 110, 111, 112, 203, 205, 207A, 209–212, 224, 268; Sch 3) — checked 20 Oct 2026
Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) – ss 9, 10, 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.

Narooma Local Court — court details

Narooma Local Court

Street: Princes Highway, Narooma NSW 2546
Postal: PO Box 548, Narooma NSW 2546
Phone: (02) 6497 2820 or 1300 679 272
Registry hours: Registry and telephone 9.30am – 1.00pm and 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Days open: Court sitting days only
Facilities: Audio visual link (AVL) facilities

➜ Get directions

Local Court of NSW, Court locations – N (localcourt.nsw.gov.au), saved 19 Oct 2026. Official fax (02) 6497 2829. 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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