NEW SOUTH WALES

Tweed Heads DUI Lawyers

In shortBoorman Lawyers are experienced, dedicated drink driving, drug driving and DUI lawyers who regularly appear at Tweed Heads Local Court and represent clients facing alcohol, drug and serious traffic charges at this courthouse. Tweed Heads Local Court at 50–52 Recreation Street hears drink and drug driving charges from the Tweed Coast and visitors stopped on the NSW side of the border. If police tested you in NSW, NSW law applies, wherever your licence was issued. We assist clients at Tweed Heads 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: Tweed Heads Local Court, 50–52 Recreation Street, Tweed Heads NSW 2485. Phone 1300 679 272. Registry 9am–1pm and 2pm–4pm, Monday to Friday.
Post: PO Box 171, Tweed Heads NSW 2485.
Law: Road Transport Act 2013 (NSW) applies to every driver stopped in NSW; disqualification on conviction is automatic (s 205); no work licence.

New South Wales law · law checked 20 Oct 2026

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General image – not this courthouse.

What's on this page

Does NSW law apply if you were stopped in Tweed Heads?

Yes. If police tested you on the NSW side of the border, the charge is under the Road Transport Act 2013 (NSW) and is heard at Tweed Heads Local Court, whatever state issued your licence and wherever you live. The NSW limits, penalty notices, roadside suspensions and automatic disqualifications all apply. A NSW disqualification means you cannot lawfully drive in NSW for that period; how your home licensing authority treats it is a separate question to raise with us.

Where are Tweed drivers usually tested?

Random breath and mobile drug testing is carried out across the Tweed Shire, with the busiest points on the main routes in and out of town:

The M1 Pacific Motorway through Banora Point, Chinderah and Tweed Heads South, carrying holiday and commuter traffic.
Tweed Valley Way and the old highway between Murwillumbah, Condong and Chinderah.
Coastal roads through Kingscliff, Cabarita Beach, Hastings Point and Pottsville.
Town streets around Wharf Street, Minjungbin and the clubs and venues near the border, where late-night traffic is heavy on weekends.

The reading, not the location, decides the charge. But the location decides which NSW court you are sent to.

How do you get to Recreation Street from your area?

The court is close to the Tweed Heads town centre. If police suspended your licence, you will need another way there. The table gives the usual court and a general travel note for each area.

Where you live or were stopped	Usual court	Without a car
Tweed Heads, Tweed Heads South, Banora Point	Tweed Heads	Local buses run to the town centre; the court is a short walk from the main shopping strip
Kingscliff, Chinderah, Cudgen	Tweed Heads	Buses along the coast road to Tweed Heads; allow at least an hour
Cabarita Beach, Bogangar, Hastings Point, Pottsville	Tweed Heads	Fewer services; arrange a lift the night before
Murwillumbah, Uki, Tumbulgum	Murwillumbah, about 22 km south-west	Check your court attendance notice; Murwillumbah opens Wednesday to Friday
Visiting from interstate	Tweed Heads	Plan travel to arrive by 9.30am; the hearing will not be moved because of distance alone

Do not drive yourself if you are suspended or disqualified. It is a separate offence and people are charged on the way to court; see driving while disqualified.

Can police suspend a visitor's licence at the roadside?

Yes, in NSW. For a reading of 0.08 or higher, driving under the influence or refusing a test, police can give an immediate suspension notice under s 224. For a NSW licence holder it suspends the licence; for an interstate licence holder it removes the right to drive in NSW. The suspension lasts until the court deals with the charge. An appeal is possible under s 268, but only where the court finds exceptional circumstances. See suspension appeals.

What is the limit for your licence type?

It depends on what you hold, not where you are from:

Learner, provisional or unlicensed: zero. Any alcohol is a novice range offence.
Heavy vehicle, bus, taxi or dangerous goods driver: under 0.02 (special range).
Full licence holders: under 0.05. Low range starts at 0.05, mid range at 0.08 and high range at 0.15.

A visitor holding a provisional licence from another state is treated as a novice driver in NSW.

What happens at court?

On a guilty plea, a Tweed Heads magistrate hears the police facts and your record, then sentences, usually on the day. Bring your documents on paper; a visitor's references from home are just as useful as local ones. Once a conviction is entered, s 205 takes away the right to drive in NSW without any separate order. First-time figures, shown as time off the road first:

Time off the road (can be cut to)	Device fitted afterwards	Which charges	Top fine; jail ceiling
Half a year (3 months)	None	Zero-limit and under-0.02 drivers, 0.05–0.079, drug in system	$2,200; none
Half a year (3 months)	12 months or more	0.08–0.149	$2,200; 9 months
A full year (6 months)	24 months or more	0.15 and over, under the influence, refusing	$3,300; 18 months

Any repeat within five years of an earlier major offence counts as a second offence under s 9, which lengthens every period and adds a device requirement even for lower readings. NSW does not issue work licences. Second-offence figures are on our penalties page.

Is the interlock optional for Tweed drivers?

No. Sections 209–211 require the order whenever someone is convicted at 0.08 or over, of driving affected, or of refusing, and on most repeats. The narrow way out is a s 212 exemption, which swaps the device for a longer ban. A visitor who later wants to drive in NSW again must meet the same device requirement. More on the interlock scheme.

Can you avoid a conviction?

Possibly. The magistrate has power under section 10 of the NSW sentencing Act to find the offence proved yet record no conviction, either dismissing it outright or releasing you on conditions. If that happens, s 205 never bites and no device is ordered. The power is a discretion, rarely used for high readings, and s 203 stops it being used twice for a major offence inside five years. Our section 10 guide explains. A finished road safety course, references and evidence of what licence loss would mean for work in the Tweed are the usual supporting material; for someone who works or studies across the state line, that evidence should explain how they will get there.

Do penalty notices apply to visitors?

Yes. When it is someone's first offence at the lower end – a P-plater with any alcohol, a professional driver under 0.05, a full licence holder under 0.08, or a drug detected without impairment – NSW police can choose a fine on the spot over a court date. It carries three months without the right to drive in NSW and no conviction. You can elect to go to court instead, but the court can then convict.

Is drug driving treated differently?

Cannabis, ice, ecstasy and cocaine are the four drugs the roadside saliva test looks for. A detection alone is enough for a s 111 charge in NSW; nobody has to show you were affected. If police allege you were affected, the charge becomes s 112 with the heavier range. Details: NSW drug driving.

Is a plea of not guilty worth considering?

It can be. The two-hour window for a breath analysis, the Schedule 3 procedures, the calibration of the instrument and proof of who was behind the wheel are all things the prosecution must get right. Holiday traffic stops near the border sometimes involve several people in one car, and who was driving is not always as clear as the police facts suggest. Our guide to fighting a PCA and the step-by-step court guide explain what a hearing involves. The elements of each charge are set out under drink driving offences; related charges such as speeding or unlicensed driving are on other traffic offences.

What are Tweed Heads Local Court's details?

Street: 50–52 Recreation Street, Tweed Heads NSW 2485. Mail: PO Box 171, Tweed Heads NSW 2485. Phone 1300 679 272. Fax (07) 5508 5090 – a Queensland area code, as the official list shows. The counter is open 9am–1pm, then 2pm–4pm, and phones are answered 8.30am–4.30pm, weekdays only. Appearances by audio visual link can be arranged.

Which NSW courts are near Tweed Heads?

Murwillumbah Local Court – about 22 km south-west.
Byron Bay drink driving matters – about 50 km south.
Lismore DUI charges – about 95 km south-west.

All NSW locations: NSW courts we attend. Questions: NSW traffic law FAQs. Call 1300 941 900 or make an enquiry about legal representation.

Watch Our Tweed Heads DUI Case Reviews

Tweed Heads DUI Case Review 1

Tweed Heads DUI Case Review 2

Tweed Heads DUI Case Review 3

Tweed Heads DUI Case Review 4

Tweed Heads DUI Case Review 5

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Tweed Heads drink driving FAQs

I have an interstate licence. Does NSW law apply?

Yes, if you were stopped in NSW. The charge is heard at a NSW court under NSW law.

What is the court's phone number?

1300 679 272. Registry 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm, Monday to Friday.

Can I drive home after a roadside suspension?

Not in NSW. The suspension starts immediately.

Is the interlock compulsory for a first mid range offence?

Yes, unless the court makes an exemption order.

Is there a work licence?

No. NSW has no work licence.

Will my matter be moved because I live far away?

Not automatically. Plan to attend, or speak to us about appearing on your behalf.

Sources and date checked

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

Local Court of NSW – Court locations T (Tweed Heads) — 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.

Tweed Heads Local Court — court details

Tweed Heads Local Court

Street: 50–52 Recreation Street, Tweed Heads NSW 2485
Postal: PO Box 171, Tweed Heads NSW 2485
Phone: 1300 679 272
Registry hours: Registry 9.00am – 1.00pm and 2.00pm – 4.00pm; telephone 8.30am – 4.30pm
Days open: Monday to Friday
Facilities: Audio visual link (AVL) facilities available

➜ Get directions

Local Court of NSW, Court locations – T (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

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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