QUEENSLAND

Bundaberg DUI Lawyers

In shortBoorman Lawyers are experienced, dedicated drink driving, drug driving and DUI lawyers who regularly appear at Bundaberg Magistrates Court and represent clients facing alcohol, drug and serious traffic charges at this courthouse. Bundaberg Magistrates Court, at 44 Quay Street, hears traffic matters, including special hardship applications, at 9am every Monday and Friday in Court 1. Police Notices to Appear are listed for a Monday. We assist clients at Bundaberg Magistrates Court by appearing at court mentions, guilty pleas and sentencing hearings, preparing comprehensive sentencing submissions and character reference material, advising on compulsory licence disqualification periods and mandatory alcohol interlock rules under Queensland law, and preparing section 87 restricted work licence and special hardship order applications.

  • Court: Bundaberg Magistrates Court, 44 Quay Street, Bundaberg Qld 4670. Phone (07) 4326 3800.
  • Traffic (2026 calendar): 9am every Monday and Friday, Court 1 (except public holidays); police Notices to Appear listed for a Monday.
  • Licence: disqualification on every conviction (TORUM s 86); interlock from 0.10 (s 91I).

Queensland law · law checked 20 Oct 2026

Bundaberg Magistrates Court building, Queensland, with the Boorman Lawyers logo and phone number 1300 941 900
What's on this page

What are the key facts if you are due at Bundaberg Magistrates Court?

In short: Bundaberg hears traffic matters at 9am every Monday and Friday in Court 1, at 44 Quay Street. If you are convicted of a drink or drug driving offence, a licence disqualification is compulsory. A reading of 0.10 or more also means an interlock when you drive again, even on a first offence.

The court's 2026 calendar lists "Traffic Matters (including special hardship applications)" every Monday and Friday, except public holidays. Its practice note says police complaints, summonses and Notices to Appear are listed for a Monday. The law comes from the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995 (TORUM). Section 86 requires the magistrate to disqualify anyone convicted. Section 91I sets when an interlock follows. Below are the questions people ask most after a Bundaberg charge, each with a short answer first.

Will I lose my licence before my court date?

In short: It depends on your reading and licence. Under 0.10 on an open licence with nothing else pending, you get a 24-hour suspension and can then drive until court. At 0.10 or above, after a refusal, or with another charge pending, you cannot drive until the case ends.

TORUM s 79B sets this out. Novice drivers (learner, P plate or probationary) should read the notice police gave them carefully, as different rules can apply. If you are suspended until court, plan how you will get to Quay Street from Bargara, Burnett Heads, Childers or Gin Gin without driving. Driving while suspended is a separate offence and makes the drink driving charge harder to deal with.

How long will I be disqualified?

In short: A first offence on an open licence between 0.05 and 0.10 means 2 to 9 months. From 0.10 to under 0.15 it is 3 to 12 months. Higher readings, under the influence and refusals start at 6 months. Novice and zero-limit drivers have their own ranges.

The first-offence ranges in s 86 are:

Category Disqualification range
Open licence, 0.05 to under 0.10 2 to 9 months
Open licence, 0.10 to under 0.15 3 to 12 months
Learner, P plate, probationary or unlicensed, over zero 3 to 9 months
Truck, bus, taxi or other zero-limit open licence driver, over zero 1 to 9 months
0.15 or over, under the influence, or failing to supply a specimen At least 6 months

A second offence within five years means longer periods. A fine is also imposed. Section 86(2A) points the magistrate to the reading and the real or potential danger to the public when choosing a period within the range. For fines and repeat periods, see the drink driving penalties page.

Can I get a work licence in Bundaberg?

In short: Only if you clear every eligibility test in s 87, and then prove extreme hardship and that you are fit to drive. Many people are excluded from the start, for example anyone on a P plate, anyone at 0.15 or above, and anyone driving for work when caught.

Read the section as a gate with four bars, all judged at the time of the offence. You needed an open Queensland licence. Your reading had to be under 0.15, and the charge cannot be under the influence or a failure to supply a specimen. You cannot have been driving a truck, bus or other specified vehicle, or driving in the course of your job. And you cannot have had a drink driving conviction, or any suspension, cancellation or disqualification of your licence, in the five years before.

Clearing the gate only lets you apply. The application then needs affidavits showing that refusing it would cause extreme hardship to you or your family by depriving you of your means of earning a living, and that you are a fit and proper person to drive. In the Bundaberg area that might mean showing that a cane harvest roster starts before any bus runs, that a farm labourer moves between properties around Gin Gin with no other transport, or that a nurse's night shifts at a hospital end when there are no buses home to Bargara. Employer statements make that evidence stronger. If your reading was 0.10 or more, the work licence will have an interlock condition attached (s 91K).

The application must be decided before you are disqualified, so file it early. Our restricted work licence guide and TMR's restricted licence page explain the steps. The Bundaberg calendar mentions special hardship applications in the traffic list. A special hardship licence is for other suspensions, such as demerit points, not for a court-ordered drink driving disqualification.

When does the interlock apply, and for how long?

In short: If your reading was 0.10 or more, or you were convicted of under the influence, a specimen refusal, or a repeat offence within five years. You serve the disqualification first, then drive only an interlocked vehicle for 12 months after relicensing.

The interlock is an approved breath-testing device wired into the ignition. It is not part of the disqualification; it starts when you get a new licence from TMR (s 91I). The 12-month period must be completed with the device fitted, and failed or missed tests can extend it (s 91N). If you never drive or fit a device, the obligation does not simply expire; it waits until you complete it. Exemptions exist in narrow cases, such as living in a remote area or a medical condition. TMR's interlock page and our alcohol interlock page cover approved providers and costs.

Should I plead guilty?

In short: Only after you have checked the police facts and the evidence. If you dispute the driving, the reading or how the test was done, a not guilty plea may be appropriate. If you plead guilty, preparation focuses on the parts of the penalty the court controls.

Questions worth asking include whether police can prove you were driving or in charge of the vehicle, and whether the breath test complied with TORUM s 80. Our drink driving defences page and drink driving offences guide explain what has to be proved. The Bundaberg calendar lists long pleas on Thursdays and hearings in Court 2, so a contested matter will be given a later date.

What should I prepare for sentence?

In short: Your traffic history, signed references, an employer letter, any course certificate, and a plan for managing without a licence. If a recorded conviction would harm your job or visa, explain why. These go to the length of the disqualification, the fine and whether a conviction is recorded.

The magistrate cannot avoid the disqualification, but can choose its length within the range, set the fine, and decide whether to record a conviction under s 12 of the Penalties and Sentences Act 1992. Section 12 asks about the nature of the offence, your character and age, and the effect a conviction would have on your economic or social wellbeing and your chances of finding work. A no-conviction order leaves the disqualification in place. See the no conviction drink driving page and the Traffic Offenders Program page.

Check the police facts (the QP9) for anything wrong before you plead, because correcting them afterwards is harder.

What happens on a Monday or Friday morning at Quay Street?

In short: Arrive well before 9am, pass through security and find Court 1. The traffic list is busy and you may wait. When called, the prosecutor reads the facts, you or your lawyer respond, and the magistrate sentences you. Disqualification usually starts immediately.

The calendar notes that the criminal callover has a cap on the number of matters listed. The registry opens at 8.30am, and closes at 4pm on Tuesdays and 4.30pm on other weekdays. If you have no lawyer, ask court staff for the duty lawyer. Bring copies of everything you want to hand up. Any work licence application is decided before the sentence. Arrange a lift home. The building has videoconferencing and a remote witness room. The court process guide explains what to expect.

What if I was charged with drug driving?

In short: The process is similar, but the notice often arrives weeks later because the saliva sample goes to a lab. A relevant drug present needs no proof of impairment. Under the influence of a drug does, and starts at 6 months. Both mean compulsory disqualification.

The relevant drugs are THC (cannabis), methylamphetamine and MDMA. How your licence stands while a drug charge is pending depends on the facts. See our drug driving offences and penalties page. If the stop followed a crash or dangerous driving, there may be other charges; see the dangerous driving page.

I am a visitor or seasonal worker. Do I have to come back?

In short: You must deal with the notice. Options include a lawyer appearing for you, an adjournment, or asking about appearing another way. If no one appears, the court may proceed without you or issue a warrant.

Backpackers, fruit pickers and holidaymakers on the coast are sometimes charged and then move on. Contact the registry on (07) 4326 3800 before the date, and get advice early so that arrangements can be made.

Which courts are near Bundaberg?

In short: Childers is a Bundaberg circuit court about 50 km south-west. Maryborough and Hervey Bay are further south. Your Notice to Appear names your court.

Approximate straight-line distances: Childers about 47 km, Hervey Bay about 75 km south-east and Maryborough about 95 km south. More guides are on the QLD traffic law hub and in the QLD traffic law FAQs.

Bundaberg Magistrates Court details

Street address 44 Quay Street, Bundaberg Qld 4670
Postal address PO Box 908, Bundaberg Qld 4670
Phone (07) 4326 3800
Email courthouse.bundaberg@justice.qld.gov.au
Registry hours 8.30am to 4.30pm Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; 8.30am to 4pm Tuesday
Facilities Videoconferencing, remote witness room

Source: Queensland Courts Magistrates Courts directory, checked 19 October 2026, and the Bundaberg 2026 calendar, checked 20 October 2026.

To talk about your Bundaberg matter, call 1300 941 900 or make an enquiry about legal representation.

Bundaberg DUI Case Review Videos

Bundaberg DUI Lawyers – Case Review 28 May 2024 This outcome was reported in May 2024. Queensland drink driving penalties changed for offences committed from 31 August 2026, so the penalties discussed here may not reflect current law.
Bundaberg DUI Lawyers – Case Review 26 October 2023 This outcome was reported in October 2023. Queensland drink driving penalties changed for offences committed from 31 August 2026, so the penalties discussed here may not reflect current law.

Queensland penalty changes in 2026: check your offence date (law checked 20 Oct 2026).

Offences on or after 31 August 2026: higher maximum fines apply. They are 20 penalty units ($3,454) for the general alcohol limit and no alcohol limit offences, 28 ($4,835.60) for the middle alcohol limit and 40 ($6,908) for driving under the influence of liquor or a drug. A first general alcohol limit conviction (0.05 to under 0.10) on an open licence now carries 2 to 9 months' disqualification. For offences before 31 August 2026 it was 1 to 9 months. Police can now give an eligible first low-range driver on an open Queensland licence an infringement notice of $1,295 instead of a court charge. Unless the driver elects to go to court, a 2-month disqualification follows. It counts as a conviction, and there is no work licence for that period. Drug driving (a relevant drug present) has not changed yet. The maximum is 14 penalty units ($2,417.80) or 3 months, with 1 to 9 months' disqualification on an open licence and 3 to 9 months for learner, P-plate and unlicensed drivers.

Offences on or after 1 December 2026: minimum fines start for drink and drug driving. For example, the minimum is 7.5 penalty units for low range and for drug driving. The drug driving maximum rises to 28 penalty units, and a first offence on an open licence carries 2 to 9 months' disqualification. A new offence of driving with a relevant drug present while over an alcohol limit adds 1 month to the disqualification range.

An offence committed before a change is generally dealt with under the penalties in force when it happened. Sources: TORUM ss 78E, 79, 79B, 79H–79J and 86, as amended by the Queensland Community Safety Act 2024 and the Transport and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2026. Penalty unit $172.70 from 1 July 2026.

Bundaberg drink driving FAQs

Which days are traffic matters heard in Bundaberg?

Every Monday and Friday at 9am in Court 1, except public holidays. New police Notices to Appear are listed for a Monday.

Is disqualification certain for a first offence?

Yes, if you are convicted. The court must disqualify you, and on an open licence at 0.05 to under 0.10 the range is 2 to 9 months.

Can a P plate driver get a work licence?

No. Section 87 requires an open licence at the time of the offence.

Does the interlock start straight away?

No. It starts after the disqualification, when TMR issues a new licence, and lasts 12 months.

Can the court not record a conviction?

Yes, under s 12 of the Penalties and Sentences Act 1992, but the disqualification still applies.

Who do I call about my court date?

The Bundaberg registry on (07) 4326 3800, open from 8.30am on weekdays.

Bundaberg Magistrates Court — court details

Bundaberg Magistrates Court

Street
44 Quay Street, Bundaberg QLD 4670
Postal
PO Box 908, Bundaberg Qld 4670
Phone
(07) 4326 3800
Email
courthouse.bundaberg@justice.qld.gov.au
Registry hours
8.30am – 4.30pm Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; 8.30am – 4.00pm Tuesday
Days open
Traffic matters (including special hardship applications) 9am every Monday and Friday, Court 1; police complaints, summonses and Notices to Appear listed for a Monday
Facilities
Videoconferencing, remote witness room
➜ Get directions

Queensland Courts, Magistrates Courts directory (saved 19 Oct 2026) and Bundaberg Magistrates Court 2026 calendar (downloaded 20 Oct 2026). These are the court registry's details, not Boorman Lawyers office details. Check your court papers for your listing time and courtroom.

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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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