QUEENSLAND

Cleveland DUI Lawyers

In shortBoorman Lawyers are experienced, dedicated drink driving, drug driving and DUI lawyers who regularly appear at Cleveland Magistrates Court and represent clients facing alcohol, drug and serious traffic charges at this courthouse. Cleveland Magistrates Court at 5 Middle Street hears Redlands traffic arrests and complaints, including Notices to Appear, in Court 1 on Mondays at 9am. We assist clients at Cleveland 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: Cleveland Magistrates Court, 5 Middle Street, Cleveland. Phone (07) 3884 3900.
Traffic list: Court 1, every Monday at 9am. Under the 2026 calendar, the duty lawyer for criminal matters attends only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Law: Queensland Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995. A reading of 0.10 or more means suspension until court and a 12-month interlock.

Queensland law · law checked 20 Oct 2026

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Cleveland Magistrates Court courthouse – Boorman Lawyers

What's on this page

Can you drive before your Cleveland court date?

Short answer: only if your reading was under 0.10. Below 0.10 you are suspended for 24 hours. At 0.10 or more, if you failed to give a specimen for analysis, or if you were charged while another drink driving charge was pending, you cannot drive until the court deals with the charge.

This comes from TORUM and the Transport and Main Roads guidance. A s 79E order allowing limited driving before court exists, but only in narrow circumstances. Our special hardship licence guide explains it.

What penalty could you face?

Short answer: it depends on your alcohol band. Every band carries a compulsory disqualification on a guilty plea, even if no conviction is recorded. For a first offence, the maximums run from 20 to 40 penalty units ($172.70 each), with jail possible.

Charge (first offence)	Disqualification	Maximum
No alcohol limit (L, P, probationary, unlicensed, over 0.00)	3 to 9 months	20 penalty units ($3,454) or 3 months
General alcohol limit (0.05 to under 0.10)	2 to 9 months	20 penalty units ($3,454) or 3 months
Middle alcohol limit (0.10 to under 0.15)	3 to 12 months	28 penalty units ($4,835) or 6 months
Under the influence, 0.15 or more, or failing to provide a specimen	6 months or more	40 penalty units ($6,908) or 9 months

Informal "range" labels are not the legal terms in Queensland; TORUM uses alcohol limits. Repeat offences within 5 years carry more. See our Queensland drink driving offences guide and our QLD drink driving penalties guide.

Can you get a work licence?

Short answer: only if you clear every s 87 hurdle. You need an open Queensland licence and a reading under 0.15. You must not have been driving for work or in a heavy vehicle, and you need a clean 5-year record. Then you must prove extreme hardship and that you are fit and proper.

You must show that losing your licence would cause extreme hardship by depriving you or your family of the way you earn a living (TMR – restricted licence). The excluded vehicles include trucks, tractors and buses. Island residents should explain in their affidavits how ferry and bus times affect their work. Our DUI restricted work licence guide explains the forms.

Will you need an interlock?

Short answer: yes, if you blew 0.10 or more, or were convicted of under the influence, failing to provide a specimen, or a second offence within 5 years. The interlock lasts 12 months after you are relicensed.

The legal basis is TORUM ss 91I and 91N. You also come back on a probationary licence for at least a year. Our QLD alcohol interlock guide explains how it works.

What if it was drugs, not alcohol?

Short answer: a different offence applies. Driving with a relevant drug present does not require impairment.

See our Queensland drug driving guide.

First mention at Cleveland: what's on the list, where to go, what to bring

The list. The Cleveland 2026 calendar lists traffic arrests and complaints, including Notices to Appear, in Court 1 every Monday at 9am, except on public holidays. Special hardship and Queensland transport complaints are heard at 9am in Court 2 on one day a month. The remaining 2026 dates are 16 November and 14 December.

Where to go. Go to 5 Middle Street, Cleveland. The registry is open from 8.30am to 4.30pm, except Tuesdays, when it closes at 4.00pm. The practice notes say the duty lawyer for criminal matters attends on Tuesdays and Thursdays only, so do not count on duty lawyer help at a Monday traffic list. There is no court on Brisbane Show Day (10 August 2026) or during the Magistrates Conference week, 1 to 5 June.

What to bring.

your Notice to Appear;
a Traffic Offenders Program certificate;
signed references that mention the charge;
if eligible, your s 87 application and affidavits;
someone to drive you home, because the disqualification starts at sentence.

Our Queensland DUI court process guide explains the hearing.

Is your matter at a different court?

Bayside and southside charges may be listed at Wynnum (about 14 km), Holland Park (about 20 km), Beenleigh (about 21 km) or Brisbane (about 24 km). For statewide information, see Queensland traffic law.

Practical Video Case Review

Short, no-nonsense insights on what changes outcomes—preparation, timing, materials and realistic expectations. More on BoormanLawyers.tv .

Boorman Lawyers – DUI Case Review (2023) This outcome was reported in 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.

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Cleveland drink driving FAQs

What is the Cleveland court's phone number?

(07) 3884 3900, according to the Queensland Courts directory. The (07) 3383 numbers on older pages are not in the official sources.

When does the registry close?

At 4.30pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and at 4.00pm on Tuesdays.

Is court sitting on Brisbane Show Day?

No. The calendar lists 10 August 2026 (Brisbane Show Day) as a public holiday with no court.

Will the magistrate let me keep my licence because I live on an island?

No. Queensland law requires a disqualification on a guilty plea. Island travel may support a work licence application if you are eligible, but it does not avoid the disqualification.

Is an interlock automatic at 0.10 or more?

Yes. It is a legal consequence under s 91I, applying once you are relicensed. It is not a matter for the magistrate's discretion.

Sources and date checked

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

Queensland Courts – Magistrates Courts directory (Cleveland entry) — checked 19 Oct 2026
Queensland Courts – Cleveland Magistrates Court 2026 calendar (PDF) — checked 20 Oct 2026
Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995 (Qld) – reprint current from 21 September 2026 (ss 79, 79E, 80, 86, 87, 91I, 91N) — checked 20 Oct 2026
Queensland Government (TMR) – Being charged with drink driving — checked 20 Oct 2026
Queensland Government (TMR) – Restricted licence — checked 20 Oct 2026
Queensland Community Safety Act 2024 (Act No. 45), ss 93–104 – TORUM amendments commenced 31 August 2026 — checked 20 Oct 2026
Transport and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2026 (Act No. 23) – assent 21 September 2026; pt 10 div 3 commences 1 December 2026 — checked 20 Oct 2026
TORUM legislative history (commencement of amending Acts) — checked 20 Oct 2026

This page is general information about Queensland law only. It is not legal advice. Every matter turns on its own facts.

Cleveland Magistrates Court — court details

Cleveland Magistrates Court

Street: 5 Middle Street, Cleveland QLD 4163
Postal: PO Box 10, Cleveland Qld 4163
Phone: (07) 3884 3900
Email: courthouse.cleveland@justice.qld.gov.au
Registry hours: 8.30am – 4.30pm Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday · 8.30am – 4.00pm Tuesday
Days open: Traffic arrests and complaints (including NTAs) – Court 1, Mondays 9am · Special hardship / Qld transport complaints – Court 2, 9am monthly (2026 calendar)
Facilities: Videoconferencing

➜ Get directions

Queensland Courts, Magistrates Courts directory (saved 19 Oct 2026) and Cleveland Magistrates Court 2026 calendar (courts.qld.gov.au, 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.

QLD Traffic Law

Choose your QLD traffic law topicQLD

Guides for Queensland traffic law matters.

QLDDrink Driving OffencesRead guide →QLDDrink Driving PenaltiesRead guide →QLDDrink Driving DefencesRead guide →QLDDrug Driving Offences & PenaltiesRead guide →QLDNo Conviction Drink DrivingRead guide →QLDDUI Restricted Work LicenceRead guide →QLDSpecial Hardship LicenceRead guide →QLDAlcohol Interlock LawsRead guide →QLDTraffic Offenders ProgramRead guide →QLDAppeal Immediate DUI Police SuspensionRead guide →QLDDangerous DrivingRead guide →QLDDUI Court Process GuideRead 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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