QUEENSLAND

Chinchilla DUI Lawyers

In shortBoorman Lawyers are experienced, dedicated drink driving, drug driving and DUI lawyers who regularly appear at Chinchilla Magistrates Court and represent clients facing alcohol, drug and serious traffic charges at this courthouse. Chinchilla Magistrates Court on Heeney Street is a circuit court of Dalby. Traffic matters are called at 9am on set Thursdays, about once a fortnight, and enquiries and filing go through the Dalby registry. We assist clients at Chinchilla 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: Chinchilla Magistrates Court, Heeney Street, Chinchilla Qld 4413. Hub registry: Dalby, (07) 4596 9000.
  • Traffic (2026 calendar): general callover, traffic and remands 9am on set Thursdays – remaining dates 29 October, 12 and 26 November, 10 December.
  • Licence: disqualification on every conviction; interlock from 0.10.

Queensland law · law checked 20 Oct 2026

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

What do people get wrong about a Chinchilla drink driving charge?

A drink driving charge on the Western Downs comes with plenty of advice from friends, workmates and the internet. Some of it is right. A lot of it is not. Below are the beliefs that cause the most trouble, each checked against the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995 (TORUM) and the 2026 court calendar.

Myth: "If I need my licence for work, the magistrate won't take it off me."

Fact: a disqualification is compulsory. TORUM s 86 requires the court to disqualify every person convicted of drink driving, even on a first offence and even if no conviction is recorded. Your job, your shifts and the distance to the gas field cannot reduce the period below the minimum.

What your work circumstances can do is help the magistrate decide where in the range you fall, and, if you are eligible, support an application for a restricted licence. For a first offence the ranges are:

Limit exceeded Minimum Maximum
No alcohol limit 3 months (1 month for some vehicles) 9 months
General alcohol limit (0.05 to under 0.10) 2 months 9 months
Middle alcohol limit (0.10 to under 0.15) 3 months 12 months
High alcohol limit (0.15 or more), under the influence, or failing to provide a specimen 6 months At the court's discretion

Fines and repeat-offence periods are on the drink driving penalties page.

Myth: "Everyone can get a work licence."

Fact: only some drivers qualify, and the rules are strict. A s 87 restricted licence is only open to someone who:

  • held an open Queensland licence on the day (learner, provisional and probationary licences do not count);
  • blew under 0.15;
  • was not driving for work, or driving a truck, bus or similar vehicle, at the time; and
  • has a clean five years: no licence suspension, cancellation or disqualification, and no relevant drink driving conviction.

Pass those tests and you still have to prove that refusing the licence would cause extreme hardship by taking away your means of earning a living, and that you are a fit and proper person to drive. At 0.10 or more, the restricted licence comes with an interlock condition (s 87 note and s 91K). The application is made after the guilty plea and before the disqualification is ordered.

The restricted work licence guide explains the affidavits. Ask the registry whether a restricted licence application for a Chinchilla charge is heard at Chinchilla or listed at Dalby, which has its own Tuesday afternoon restricted licence list.

Myth: "A special hardship licence will cover me instead."

Fact: a special hardship licence is a different order. It is used for some suspensions, such as a demerit point suspension. It does not cover a disqualification ordered by a court for drink driving. If your problem is a drink driving charge, the s 87 restricted licence is the relevant option.

Myth: "Gas-field and mine drivers are judged on the same limit as everyone else."

Fact: it depends on what you were driving and the licence you hold. Drivers of heavy vehicles, buses and some other vehicles must have a zero reading: the no alcohol limit. Learner, provisional and probationary drivers are on the same zero limit. Most open licence holders driving a private car are on the general limit of 0.05.

And if you were driving a work vehicle in the course of your job when caught, the s 87 restricted licence is off the table, whatever your reading. The disqualification also applies to every class of licence you hold, so a heavy combination licence holder loses the car licence too.

Myth: "I blew under 0.10, so I can't drive until court."

Fact: usually the opposite. Under TORUM s 79B, a reading under 0.10, with no other drink driving charge pending, brings a 24-hour suspension. After that you can normally drive until the court date.

The longer suspension applies if your reading was 0.10 or more, you failed to provide a specimen, or you already had a drink driving charge pending. Then your licence is suspended until the court decides the charge. A s 79E order may be available to some drivers in limited circumstances, but it is not automatic.

Myth: "Chinchilla court is open for cases whenever I can get there."

Fact: Chinchilla is a circuit court of Dalby and sits on set days. Under the 2026 calendar, the General Callover, Traffic and Remands list is at 9am on set Thursdays, roughly once a fortnight. Reading the calendar's columns, the remaining 2026 traffic dates are:

  • Thursday 29 October
  • Thursdays 12 and 26 November
  • Thursday 10 December

Children's, domestic violence, child protection, civil, QCAT and special hardship matters are listed on set Wednesdays instead. Your Notice to Appear gives your date; you cannot simply choose another one. If you need an adjournment, ask the court on the day or contact the registry well beforehand.

The full calendar is on the Queensland Courts calendars page.

Myth: "I'll call the Chinchilla courthouse and sort it out."

Fact: the calendar names Dalby Magistrates Court as the hub for enquiries and filing, and describes Chinchilla as a "location of court listings only". For questions about your listing, or to file documents such as a restricted licence application, contact Dalby:

Courtroom Heeney Street, Chinchilla Qld 4413
Hub registry (enquiries and filing) Dalby Magistrates Court, corner Cunningham and Drayton Streets, Dalby Qld 4405
Dalby phone (07) 4596 9000
Chinchilla phone (directory) (07) 4672 4650
Email courthouse.chinchilla@justice.qld.gov.au or courthouse.dalby@justice.qld.gov.au
Chinchilla hours 8.30am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 9.30am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm Wednesday

Sources: Queensland Courts Magistrates Courts directory, checked 19 October 2026, and the 2026 Chinchilla calendar. The two official sources give different phone numbers and postal boxes for Chinchilla, so the Dalby hub is the safer first call.

Myth: "Pleading guilty means I just turn up and it's over in five minutes."

Fact: you can be sentenced at the first Thursday callover, but only if you are ready. If you want the magistrate to see a program certificate, references or an employer's letter, they need to be organised beforehand. If you are applying for a restricted licence, the affidavits must be filed before the court day.

On a guilty plea, the police prosecutor reads a short summary and your traffic history. You or your lawyer then explain your circumstances, and the magistrate sets the fine and disqualification. The disqualification starts in the courtroom, so you cannot drive home. The court process guide walks through the day.

If you have doubts about the test, the stop or the procedure, the drink driving defences page explains the issues worth checking before entering any plea.

Myth: "A traffic course is a waste of time if the disqualification is compulsory."

Fact: completing the Traffic Offenders Program or a similar course cannot take the period below the minimum, but it is one of the things a magistrate can consider when deciding where in the range to set it. A certificate, references and evidence of practical changes (planned lifts home, a designated driver arrangement for camp or site trips) give the court a fuller picture of you than the reading alone.

Myth: "Drug driving is only a problem if I was stoned."

Fact: Queensland has an offence of driving with a relevant drug present, such as THC, methylamphetamine or MDMA. It does not require proof that you were affected. Driving under the influence of a drug is a separate, more serious charge. The drug driving offences and penalties page explains both and their penalties.

Myth: "Refusing the breath test is better than blowing over."

Fact: failing to provide a specimen of breath or blood when lawfully required is an offence in its own right, and TORUM treats it as seriously as the high alcohol limit. It carries a minimum disqualification of six months for a first offence, a suspension from the charge until court, and a 12-month interlock afterwards. It also rules out a s 87 restricted licence, because there is no reading under 0.15 to rely on.

Refusing does not stop police from charging you. It swaps one serious charge for another, without the chance of a lower reading.

Myth: "If I sleep it off, the morning reading won't count."

Fact: a reading is a reading, whatever time it is taken. Workers heading out at 4am for a shift on the gas fields or to a feedlot after a late night can still be over the general limit, or over zero if they hold a provisional licence or are driving a heavy vehicle. The body clears alcohol at a fairly slow, steady rate, and sleep does not speed it up.

If you were stopped the morning after, the offence and the penalty ranges are exactly the same as for a night-time stop. The timing may be part of the explanation you give the magistrate, but it is not a defence.

Myth: "My mate's charge was dealt with in Miles, so mine will be too."

Fact: police choose where to list the matter, and the court on your Notice to Appear is the one you must attend. Western Downs charges can be listed at Chinchilla, Dalby or another court depending on where the stop happened and how police file the charge. Don't rely on what happened in someone else's case. Read your notice, check the date against the calendar, and contact the Dalby hub if anything is unclear.

Missing a court date is a problem in its own right. The magistrate can deal with the charge in your absence or issue a warrant, and in either case you lose the chance to put your side.

Myth: "Holding an interstate licence means a Queensland disqualification won't touch me."

Fact: a Queensland court disqualifies you from holding or obtaining a Queensland licence and from driving in Queensland. The disqualification is also recorded and is generally recognised by other states' licensing authorities under national arrangements. Contractors who come to the Western Downs from interstate for work on gas or construction projects should expect their home licence to be affected, and should not drive in Queensland until the disqualification ends. A s 87 restricted licence is not available to anyone who does not hold an open Queensland licence.

Myth: "When the disqualification ends, my licence comes back."

Fact: you must apply to the Department of Transport and Main Roads for a new licence. Expect a probationary licence for at least a year, with the no alcohol limit. If your reading was 0.10 or more, or you were convicted of driving under the influence, failing to provide a specimen or a repeat offence, you will also need an interlock for 12 months (TORUM ss 91I and 91N).

The alcohol interlock page covers fitting, costs and exemptions, and the TMR alcohol ignition interlocks page sets out the official rules. Allow time for a trip to an approved installer.

Myth: "If no conviction is recorded, it's as if it never happened."

Fact: the magistrate can decide not to record a conviction, but that does not remove the disqualification, which is still compulsory under s 86. The offence also stays on your Queensland traffic history. It counts as a previous offence if you are charged again within five years, which means longer minimum periods, and it counts against the five-year condition for any future restricted licence. Whether a conviction is recorded mainly affects your criminal history for things like some job and travel checks.

Ask about it at court by all means, but plan on the assumption that the licence consequences will follow either way.

Myth: "Low range, mid range and high range are the legal categories."

Fact: those are informal labels. TORUM uses the general, middle and high alcohol limits, plus the no alcohol limit. The drink driving offences guide explains each.

Which other courts might be on your notice?

Approximate straight-line distances from Chinchilla: Dalby about 80 km south-east (the hub registry), Kingaroy about 122 km north-east, Roma further west along the Warrego Highway, and Toowoomba about 160 km south-east. The court on your notice is the one you attend. More guides are on the QLD traffic law hub.

To talk about your Chinchilla 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.

Chinchilla drink driving FAQs

Which day does Chinchilla hear traffic matters?

Set Thursdays at 9am, about once a fortnight, under the 2026 calendar. The remaining 2026 dates read from the calendar are 29 October, 12 and 26 November and 10 December.

Who do I contact about my Chinchilla listing?

The Dalby registry, which the calendar names as the hub for enquiries and filing: (07) 4596 9000.

Can I keep driving for work if I am convicted?

Only with a s 87 restricted licence, if you meet every eligibility condition and prove extreme hardship. There is no way to avoid the disqualification itself.

I was driving a work ute on a gas lease. Can I get a work licence?

No, if you were driving in the course of your work when caught. That rules out a s 87 restricted licence regardless of your reading.

Is a 0.06 reading treated the same as a 0.12?

No. A 0.06 is over the general alcohol limit; a 0.12 is over the middle alcohol limit, with a longer disqualification range, a suspension until court and an interlock afterwards.

Does the interlock apply to a first offence?

Yes, if your reading was 0.10 or more, or you were convicted of driving under the influence or failing to provide a specimen.

Chinchilla Magistrates Court — court details

Chinchilla Magistrates Court

Street
Heeney Street, Chinchilla QLD 4413
Postal
PO Box 277, Chinchilla Qld 4413 (directory); calendar gives Dalby hub PO Box 277, Dalby Qld 4405
Phone
(07) 4672 4650
Email
courthouse.chinchilla@justice.qld.gov.au
Registry hours
8.30am – 1.00pm and 2.00pm – 4.00pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday · 9.30am – 1.00pm and 2.00pm – 4.00pm Wednesday
Days open
General callover, traffic and remands 9am on set Thursdays (about fortnightly); children's, DV, child protection, civil/QCAT and special hardship on set Wednesdays
➜ Get directions

Queensland Courts, Magistrates Courts directory (saved 19 Oct 2026) and Chinchilla Magistrates Court (Dalby Circuit) 2026 calendar (checked 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.

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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