QUEENSLAND

Charters Towers DUI Lawyers

In shortBoorman Lawyers are experienced, dedicated drink driving, drug driving and DUI lawyers who regularly appear at Charters Towers Magistrates Court and represent clients facing alcohol, drug and serious traffic charges at this courthouse. Charters Towers Magistrates Court, at 26-30 Hodgkinson Street, is a Townsville circuit court. Arrests, remands, the general callover and s 87 work licence applications are listed at 9.30am on set Mondays; the remaining 2026 dates are 9 and 23 November and 7 December. We assist clients at Charters Towers 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: Charters Towers Magistrates Court, 26-30 Hodgkinson Street, Charters Towers Qld 4820. Phone (07) 4754 7620.
  • Callover (2026 calendar): arrests, remands, general callover and s 87 applications, 9.30am on listed Mondays (9, 23 Nov; 7 Dec).
  • Licence: disqualification on every conviction (TORUM s 86); interlock from 0.10 (s 91I).

Queensland law · law checked 20 Oct 2026

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

How does a drink driving charge at Charters Towers actually play out?

The easiest way to explain the process at Charters Towers Magistrates Court is to follow one person through it. The example below is invented. "Kel" is not a client, and the details are only there to show how the Queensland rules apply at each step. The law comes from the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995 (TORUM). The court dates come from the court's 2026 calendar, checked on 20 October 2026.

Kel is 34, holds an open Queensland car licence, and works as a station hand on a cattle property off the Gregory Developmental Road, about 60 km from town. He has no traffic history apart from one speeding fine eight years ago.

Day 1 – what happens at the roadside?

Saturday, late October, 7.40pm. Kel leaves a mate's barbecue in Millchester and is stopped at a random breath test on Gill Street. The roadside test is positive, so he is taken for an evidentiary breath test. The certificate shows 0.087.

The rule: police may require a roadside breath test and then an evidentiary test, which must follow the procedure in TORUM s 80. A reading of 0.05 to under 0.10 is the general alcohol limit offence under s 79(2). Kel is given a Notice to Appear naming Charters Towers Magistrates Court and a Monday at 9.30am.

What it means for anyone in Kel's position: keep every piece of paper. The certificate and the notice are the starting point for any advice.

Day 1 – can Kel drive home or to work next week?

Saturday night. Police tell Kel his licence is suspended for 24 hours.

The rule: under TORUM s 79B, a driver on an open licence charged with a reading under 0.10, who has no other drink or drug driving charge pending, gets a 24-hour suspension and may drive again until the case is decided. If Kel had blown 0.10 or more, refused a specimen, been charged with under the influence, or had another charge outstanding, his licence would have been suspended until the case was finished.

What it means: Kel can drive back to the station on Monday. Someone on a learner, P plate or probationary licence would be in a different position and should read their notice carefully.

Week 1 – what is the worst and best Kel can expect on the licence?

Wednesday. Kel rings the station manager and looks up the law.

The rule: TORUM s 86 says a conviction must be followed by a disqualification. For a first offence on an open licence between 0.05 and under 0.10 the range is 2 to 9 months. Other categories are different:

If Kel had been… Range
at 0.10 to under 0.15 on an open licence 3 to 12 months
on a learner, P plate or probationary licence 3 to 9 months
driving a truck or other zero-limit vehicle 1 to 9 months
at 0.15 or more, under the influence, or refusing a specimen at least 6 months

Section 86(2A) tells the magistrate to fix the period by looking at the reading and the real or potential danger to the public. Kel's reading, the time of evening and the light traffic on Gill Street all go into that. A fine is imposed too. The penalty guide for Queensland drink driving sets out fines and repeat periods.

What it means: Kel will lose his licence for at least two months if convicted. The question is how long, and whether he can keep working.

Weeks 1 to 3 – can Kel get a work licence for the station?

The following fortnight. The property is an hour's drive from town on a road with no bus. Kel moves cattle, checks waters and carts supplies in his own ute and the station's vehicles.

The rule: a restricted (work) licence under TORUM s 87 is only open if all the eligibility tests are met at the time of the offence. Kel's facts are run against them:

  • Open Queensland licence? Yes.
  • Under 0.15, and not an under the influence or refusal charge? Yes, 0.087.
  • Not driving a truck, bus or other specified vehicle, and not driving in the course of his work at the time? Yes. He was driving home from a barbecue in his own car. If police had stopped him in the station ute on a supply run, he would fail here.
  • No drink driving conviction, and no licence suspension, cancellation or disqualification, in the five years before? Yes. The speeding fine was eight years ago and did not lead to a suspension.

Because Kel passes, he can apply. He must then prove by affidavit that refusing the licence would cause extreme hardship to him or his family by depriving him of his means of earning a living, and that he is a fit and proper person to drive. His affidavit explains the distance, the absence of transport, and why the job cannot be done without driving. The station manager swears an affidavit confirming the duties, hours and that no one else can drive him.

What it means: the application has to be decided before Kel is disqualified, so it must be ready by his court date. Charters Towers lists "S87/Applications" in the same 9.30am Monday callover. If Kel's reading had been 0.10 or more, any work licence would carry an interlock condition (s 91K). The work licence guide and the Queensland Government's restricted licence information set out the paperwork. A special hardship order is a different thing, used for TMR suspensions such as demerit points, and would not help Kel.

Week 3 – should Kel plead guilty?

Before the callover. Kel gets the QP9, the police summary of facts.

The rule: police must prove Kel was driving and that the reading was lawfully obtained. Points to check include the time between driving and the test, whether the evidentiary breath test followed TORUM s 80, and whether the summary describes the driving accurately. Defending a drink driving charge and the list of Queensland drink driving offences set out the elements.

What it means: in Kel's case the QP9 wrongly says he was "weaving across lanes". He did not dispute the reading but wanted that line removed before pleading, because it goes to the danger to the public under s 86(2A). If the facts cannot be agreed, a hearing date is set; the calendar lists hearings at 10am on set Tuesdays.

Week 3 – what else does Kel prepare for sentence?

In the days before court. Kel collects two signed references, the station manager's letter, and a certificate from a traffic offender course he completed.

The rule: besides the length of the disqualification and the fine, the magistrate can decide not to record a conviction under s 12 of the Penalties and Sentences Act 1992. Section 12 looks at the nature of the offence, the person's character and age, and the impact a conviction would have on their economic or social wellbeing and their job prospects. A no-conviction order leaves the disqualification in place. See drink driving without a recorded conviction and traffic offender courses.

What it means: material that shows the real effect of the penalty is more useful than general statements of regret.

Court day – what happens at Hodgkinson Street on the Monday?

Monday 23 November, 9.15am. Kel gets a lift to 26-30 Hodgkinson Street.

The rule: the calendar lists the arrests, remands, general callover and s 87 applications at 9.30am. Its practice note sets the order matters are called: people in custody first, then represented adjournments, duty lawyer adjournments, represented pleas and bail applications, duty lawyer pleas, and last, self-represented adjournments and pleas. The remaining 2026 callover dates are 9 and 23 November and 7 December.

What it means: a self-represented driver may wait until late in the list. When Kel's matter is called, the prosecutor reads the facts, the work licence application is heard, and the magistrate sentences. The disqualification starts that day, so Kel has arranged his lift home. The DUI court process guide covers the steps.

After court – does Kel need an interlock?

When the disqualification ends. Kel applies to TMR for a new licence.

The rule: an interlock is required under s 91I after a conviction for a reading of 0.10 or more (first offence included), under the influence, refusing a specimen, or a second drink driving offence within five years. When it applies, the person can only drive a vehicle fitted with an approved device for 12 months after relicensing. Failed or missed tests can extend that period (s 91N), and the time only runs while the person is licensed.

What it means: at 0.087 on a first offence, Kel does not need an interlock. Had he blown 0.10, he would, and he would need to arrange fitting and servicing, possibly in Townsville. The Queensland Government's ignition interlock page and our interlock summary explain exemptions and providers.

Would a drug driving charge follow the same path?

Largely, yes. The callover, the compulsory disqualification and the s 87 tests are the same. Two things differ. A saliva sample goes to a lab, so the notice usually arrives weeks after the stop. And driving with a relevant drug present (THC, methylamphetamine or MDMA) needs no proof of impairment, while driving under the influence of a drug does and starts at 6 months. The licence position while the result is pending depends on the facts. See drug driving penalties, and if there was a crash, dangerous driving charges.

Which courts are near Charters Towers?

The court sits as part of the Townsville circuit. Townsville is about 135 km east, Ayr about 160 km and Bowen about 260 km. The court named on your notice is the one you attend. Broader material is on the Queensland traffic law hub and in the traffic law FAQs.

Charters Towers Magistrates Court details

Street address 26-30 Hodgkinson Street, Charters Towers Qld 4820
Postal address PO Box 176, Charters Towers Qld 4820
Phone (07) 4754 7620
Email courthouse.charterstowers@justice.qld.gov.au
Registry hours 8.30am to 4.30pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 8.30am to 4pm Wednesday
Callover 9.30am on listed Mondays (9 and 23 November, 7 December 2026)

Taken from the Queensland Courts Magistrates Courts directory (checked 19 October 2026) and the Charters Towers 2026 calendar (checked 20 October 2026).

To discuss a Charters Towers matter, call 1300 941 900 or make an enquiry about legal representation.

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.

Charters Towers drink driving FAQs

Is the court open for traffic every Monday?

No. The callover runs on listed Mondays, about twice a month. The remaining 2026 dates are 9 and 23 November and 7 December.

Are work licence applications heard at the callover?

Yes. The calendar lists s 87 applications in the 9.30am callover.

Does a first low-range offence mean losing my licence?

On conviction, yes. Between 0.05 and under 0.10 on an open licence the range is 2 to 9 months.

Could I get a work licence if I was driving a work vehicle when stopped?

No. Section 87 excludes anyone driving in the course of their work at the time.

When is an interlock required?

From 0.10 on a first offence, and for under the influence, refusals and repeat offences.

How do I contact the court?

Phone (07) 4754 7620 or email courthouse.charterstowers@justice.qld.gov.au.

Charters Towers Magistrates Court — court details

Charters Towers Magistrates Court

Street
26-30 Hodgkinson Street, Charters Towers QLD 4820
Postal
PO Box 176, Charters Towers Qld 4820
Phone
(07) 4754 7620
Email
courthouse.charterstowers@justice.qld.gov.au
Registry hours
8.30am – 4.30pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 8.30am – 4pm Wednesday
Days open
Townsville circuit: arrests, remands, general callover and s 87 applications 9.30am on listed Mondays (remaining 2026: 9 Nov, 23 Nov, 7 Dec); hearings 10am on listed Tuesdays
Facilities
See the Queensland Courts directory
➜ Get directions

Queensland Courts, Magistrates Courts directory (saved 19 Oct 2026) and Charters Towers Magistrates Court 2026 calendar (downloaded 20 Oct 2026; file name mc-charterstowers-2026.pdf). These are the court registry's details, not Boorman Lawyers office details. Check your court papers for your listing time and courtroom.

Enquire about legal representation

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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