QUEENSLAND

Julia Creek DUI Lawyers

In shortBoorman Lawyers are experienced, dedicated drink driving, drug driving and DUI lawyers who regularly appear at Julia Creek Magistrates Court and represent clients facing alcohol, drug and serious traffic charges at this courthouse. Julia Creek Magistrates Court is a Mount Isa circuit court that sits three times in 2026, at 10.30am; the last sitting is Monday 16 November. Enquiries and filing go to the Mount Isa registry. We assist clients at Julia Creek 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: Julia Creek Magistrates Court, 14 Burke Street, Julia Creek Qld 4823. Phone (07) 4746 7162.
Sittings (2026 Mount Isa calendar): 10.30am on 25 March, 28 July and Monday 16 November; filing and enquiries through Mount Isa Magistrates Court, (07) 4740 3000.
Licence: disqualification on every conviction; interlock from 0.10.

Queensland law · law checked 20 Oct 2026

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What's on this page

What do you need to do before the Julia Creek sitting?

Julia Creek is one of the smallest courts in Queensland. The magistrate comes from Mount Isa three times a year, and the last 2026 sitting is Monday 16 November at 10.30am. If you are not ready on the day, the next chance may be months away. This page is a checklist, in order, of what to do from the day of the charge to the sitting and beyond. Each step reflects the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995 (TORUM) and the Mount Isa 2026 court calendar.

In the first days after the charge, what should you check?

Read the Notice to Appear. It names the court and the date. If it says Julia Creek, check the date against the 2026 sittings (25 March, 28 July, 16 November). If it names Cloncurry or Mount Isa instead, go to that court.
Work out your licence position. TORUM s 79B suspends your licence when you are charged. Under 0.10, with no other drink driving charge pending, the suspension lasts 24 hours. At 0.10 or more, after a refusal to give a specimen, or with another charge pending, it lasts until the court decides your case. A s 79E order may help some drivers in limited situations.
Identify the charge. TORUM measures readings against the no alcohol limit (learner, provisional and probationary drivers and heavy vehicle drivers), the general alcohol limit (0.05 to under 0.10), the middle alcohol limit (0.10 to under 0.15) and the high alcohol limit (0.15 or above). Driving under the influence and refusing a specimen are separate charges. "Low range", "mid range" and "high range" are informal terms. The drink driving offences guide explains each one.
Keep every document: the notice, the breath analysis certificate and anything else police gave you.
Note who to contact. Enquiries and filing for Julia Creek go to the Mount Isa Magistrates Court registry on (07) 4740 3000, according to the calendar. The Burke Street courthouse counter opens Tuesday to Thursday only.

How do you know what penalty you face?

Accept that you will be disqualified if convicted. TORUM s 86 requires it on every drink driving conviction. The magistrate sets the length within these limits for a first offence:

Charge	Range the court works within
Above zero, for a no alcohol limit driver	3 to 9 months; for some vehicles the minimum is 1 month
General alcohol limit	2 to 9 months
Middle alcohol limit	3 to 12 months
High alcohol limit, driving under the influence, or failing to supply a specimen	6 months or more

Know that no conviction still means disqualification. If the magistrate does not record a conviction, the disqualification still applies. The no conviction drink driving page explains the difference.
Check your traffic history. A prior drink driving offence within five years means a much longer disqualification. Our drink driving penalties page sets out fines and repeat periods.

Should you apply for a work licence?

Test your eligibility against TORUM s 87. You can apply only if, at the time of the offence, all of these applied: - you held an open Queensland licence (not learner, provisional or probationary); - your reading was under 0.15, and you were not charged with driving under the influence or refusing a specimen; - you were not driving for work or driving a truck, bus or other specified vehicle; and - you had no disqualification, suspension or cancellation, and no drink driving conviction, in the previous five years.
Gather the hardship evidence. The magistrate has to accept two things: that without the licence you or your family would lose the means of earning a living (extreme hardship), and that you are a fit and proper person to hold it. For station, contracting or council work around McKinlay Shire, the evidence should describe the exact driving the job requires.
Plan for an interlock condition if your reading was 0.10 or more (s 87 note; s 91K).
File before the sitting. Once the magistrate orders the disqualification it is too late to ask. Ask the Mount Isa registry whether it can be heard at Julia Creek. Our restricted work licence guide explains the affidavits.
Do not count on a special hardship licence. A special hardship licence covers certain other licence suspensions (a demerit point suspension, for example). A magistrate's drink driving disqualification sits outside it.

What material should you collect for sentence?

References from people who know about the charge, such as an employer, station manager or someone from the community.
An employment letter explaining your role and what losing your licence means for the job.
Evidence of distance and need. Julia Creek is a long way from Cloncurry, Mount Isa and Townsville, where hospitals, schools and larger shops are. A short written explanation of who relies on your driving helps the court understand the effect of the disqualification.
A traffic education course certificate, if you complete one. The Traffic Offenders Program page explains the options. A course can show insight; it does not avoid the disqualification.
Evidence of any help you have sought for alcohol or drug use.
A short statement of what happened, checked against the police facts, so you can tell the magistrate or your lawyer if the facts are wrong.

Is a drug driving charge prepared differently?

Expect a delay. After a positive roadside saliva test, the second sample is sent to a laboratory, and the Notice to Appear may arrive weeks later. Police need not prove you were impaired to convict you of driving with a relevant drug present. Being under the influence of a drug is a different and heavier charge. Either one, on conviction, means a disqualification the magistrate cannot avoid. What happens to your licence while a drug charge waits for court turns on the circumstances. Read the drug driving offences and penalties page.
Write down the details of the test: date, time, place and anything said.

What should you organise for the day itself?

Transport there and home. The disqualification starts in court, so you cannot drive home if you are convicted. Arrange a lift or other transport to and from Burke Street.
Arrive before 10.30am and tell the court staff you are there. Have your notice and all of your material with you.
Decide your plea. You can plead guilty and be sentenced, ask for an adjournment, or plead not guilty and have the matter set for a hearing. With three sittings a year, an adjournment can be a long one, and at 0.10 or more your suspension continues meanwhile.
Make sure someone appears. If you cannot attend, contact the Mount Isa registry well before the date, or arrange legal representation on the day. A no-show risks a decision in your absence or an arrest warrant. Our guide to the court process walks through the courtroom.

What comes after the disqualification?

Apply for a new licence. Nothing is restored automatically when the period runs out. Lodge an application with Transport and Main Roads; what you get back is a probationary licence, held for a minimum of one year, at zero alcohol.
Fit an interlock if required. TORUM ss 91I and 91N impose a 12-month interlock period on anyone who blew 0.10 or higher, and on anyone convicted of being under the influence, of refusing a specimen or of a second offence. Find out early where the nearest approved provider is. The interlock guide covers exemptions; TMR publishes the official interlock rules.

Which other courts are near Julia Creek?

Approximate straight-line distances: Cloncurry about 128 km west, Mount Isa about 234 km west, and Winton about 234 km south. Your notice names the court. More guides are on the QLD traffic law hub.

Julia Creek Magistrates Court details


Street address	14 Burke Street, Julia Creek Qld 4823
Postal address	PO Box 6, Julia Creek Qld 4823
Phone	(07) 4746 7162
Email	courthouse.juliacreek@justice.qld.gov.au
Office hours	9am to 12.30pm and 1.15pm to 4pm, Tuesday to Thursday
Enquiries and filing	Mount Isa Magistrates Court, 7A Isa Street, Mount Isa – (07) 4740 3000

Source: Queensland Courts Magistrates Courts directory, checked 19 October 2026, and the Mount Isa 2026 calendar.

To talk about your Julia Creek 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.

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Julia Creek drink driving FAQs

When is the next Julia Creek court sitting?

Monday 16 November 2026 at 10.30am. The earlier 2026 sittings were 25 March and 28 July.

Where do I file documents for a Julia Creek matter?

With the Mount Isa Magistrates Court registry. The calendar says enquiries and filing for the Julia Creek circuit go to Mount Isa.

Do I need a lawyer?

You do not have to have one. Every drink driving conviction carries a compulsory disqualification, so what matters is the length, any work licence and how your circumstances are presented.

I blew 0.11. Can I drive until 16 November?

No. At 0.10 or above your licence stays suspended until the court decides your charge, unless a s 79E order is made.

Can I get a work licence for station work?

Possibly, if you meet every s 87 condition. You cannot if you were driving for work or in a truck or other specified vehicle at the time, or if your reading was 0.15 or above.

Will I need an interlock?

At 0.10 or higher, yes: a year with the device fitted. The same applies after an under-the-influence or refusal conviction, or a second offence.

Sources and date checked

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

Queensland Courts – Magistrates Courts directory (Julia Creek) — checked 19 Oct 2026
Queensland Courts – Mount Isa Magistrates Court 2026 calendar, including the Julia Creek circuit (PDF) — checked 20 Oct 2026
Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995 (Qld) – reprint current from 21 September 2026 (ss 79, 79B, 80, 86, 87, 91I, 91K, 91N) — checked 20 Oct 2026
Queensland Government (TMR) – Restricted (work) licence — checked 20 Oct 2026
Queensland Government (TMR) – Alcohol ignition interlocks — 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.

Julia Creek Magistrates Court — court details

Julia Creek Magistrates Court

Street: 14 Burke Street, Julia Creek QLD 4823
Postal: PO Box 6, Julia Creek Qld 4823
Phone: (07) 4746 7162
Email: courthouse.juliacreek@justice.qld.gov.au
Registry hours: 9.00am – 12.30pm and 1.15pm – 4.00pm Tuesday to Thursday
Days open: Circuit sittings at 10.30am (Mount Isa circuit): 25 March, 28 July, 16 November 2026; enquiries and filing through Mount Isa Magistrates Court

➜ Get directions

Queensland Courts, Magistrates Courts directory (saved 19 Oct 2026) and Mount Isa Magistrates Court 2026 calendar, which covers the Julia Creek circuit (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.

QLD Traffic Law

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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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