QUEENSLAND

Kingaroy DUI Lawyers

In shortBoorman Lawyers are experienced, dedicated drink driving, drug driving and DUI lawyers who regularly appear at Kingaroy Magistrates Court and represent clients facing alcohol, drug and serious traffic charges at this courthouse. Kingaroy Magistrates Court holds its adult callover on a Wednesday about every three weeks, and adult Notices to Appear are issued for 8.30am. We assist clients at Kingaroy 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: Kingaroy Magistrates Court, corner Kingaroy and Alford Streets, Kingaroy Qld 4610. Phone (07) 4189 9600.
  • Adult callover (2026 calendar): 9am Wednesdays, about every three weeks – remaining dates 4 and 25 November and 16 December 2026; adult NTAs issued for 8.30am.
  • Licence: disqualification on every conviction; interlock from 0.10.

Queensland law · law checked 20 Oct 2026

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

What does the journey from charge to licence look like?

From the roadside near Kingaroy, Nanango, Murgon or Wondai to getting your licence back, a South Burnett drink driving charge passes through a series of fixed points. Kingaroy Magistrates Court holds its adult callover about every three weeks, so the calendar shapes how long each part takes.

When What happens Rule or source
The night of the stop Evidentiary breath test, charge, Notice to Appear TORUM s 80
The next 24 hours Licence suspended TORUM s 79B
From day 2 to the callover Drive or not, depending on reading; prepare TORUM s 79B; s 87
Callover morning, 8.30am Arrive, meet duty lawyer or your lawyer 2026 Kingaroy calendar
When your name is called Plea, sentence, any work licence application TORUM ss 86, 87
Months off the road Disqualification runs TORUM s 86
The day it ends Apply for a new licence; interlock if required TORUM ss 91I, 91N

What happens on the night of the stop?

Police can require a roadside breath test anywhere: on the Bunya Highway, the D'Aguilar Highway or a back road between farms. If the roadside test indicates alcohol, you are taken for an evidentiary test on an approved breath analysis instrument, usually at a police station or in a testing vehicle. That reading is the basis of the charge.

The Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995 (TORUM) sets the limits:

  • No alcohol limit for learner, provisional and probationary drivers and for drivers of trucks, buses and some other vehicles.
  • General alcohol limit: 0.05 to under 0.10.
  • Middle alcohol limit: 0.10 to under 0.15.
  • High alcohol limit: 0.15 or more.

Driving under the influence, and failing to provide a specimen when lawfully required, are separate charges. "Low", "mid" and "high range" are informal labels, not TORUM terms. The drink driving offences guide sets out each charge, and the drug driving offences and penalties page covers saliva-test charges.

Before you leave, police give you a Notice to Appear with the court and the date. Keep it with the breath analysis certificate.

What happens over the next 24 hours?

Whatever your reading, you cannot drive away. Under TORUM s 79B your licence is suspended straight away:

  • Under 0.10, with no other drink driving charge pending: for 24 hours.
  • 0.10 or more, a failure to provide a specimen, or another charge already pending: until the court decides the charge.

If someone else cannot collect the car that night, plan how it will get home. The suspension applies to any vehicle, not only your own.

What can you do between the charge and the callover?

This is the longest stretch. With the adult callover held about every three weeks, it may be anywhere from a few days to several weeks, depending on when you were charged.

Your licence. Under 0.10, you can usually drive again after 24 hours, until the court date. At 0.10 or more, you stay off the road until the court rules. A s 79E order may be available to some drivers in limited circumstances.

A work licence. If you want a restricted licence, this is when it has to be prepared. Under TORUM s 87 you must:

  1. hold an open Queensland licence (not learner, provisional or probationary);
  2. have blown under 0.15;
  3. not have been driving for work, or driving a truck, bus or similar vehicle, when caught; and
  4. have had no licence suspension, cancellation or disqualification, and no relevant drink driving conviction, in the past five years.

You then have to show the court that refusing the licence would cause extreme hardship by depriving you or your family of the means of earning a living, and that you are a fit and proper person to drive. At 0.10 or more, the licence comes with an interlock condition (s 87 note and s 91K). The application must be ready by the callover, because it is heard after the plea and before the disqualification is ordered. The restricted work licence guide explains the affidavits. Ask the registry how the application will be listed, as the calendar has no separate licence list.

A special hardship licence is a different order, used for some other suspensions such as demerit point suspensions. It does not cover a court-ordered drink driving disqualification.

Your material. Use the time to:

  • complete the Traffic Offenders Program or a similar course;
  • collect two or three character references from people who know about the charge;
  • get a letter from your employer if your work involves driving between towns, farms, factories or depots; and
  • decide whether you are pleading guilty. If you think the test or procedure was wrong, read the drink driving defences page first.

When is the Kingaroy adult callover?

The 2026 calendar for Kingaroy Magistrates Court lists the adult callover at 9am on Wednesdays, about every three weeks. Reading the calendar's columns, the remaining 2026 dates are:

  • Wednesday 4 November
  • Wednesday 25 November
  • Wednesday 16 December

Domestic violence, child protection and youth justice callovers run on other days. The calendar also lists the public holidays when the court does not sit. The full calendar is on the Queensland Courts website.

What happens at 8.30am on callover day?

The calendar says all adult Notices to Appear are issued for 8.30am, when prosecutors and duty lawyers should be at court. So although the callover starts at 9am, your notice will say 8.30am. Be there by then.

Find the courtroom at the corner of Kingaroy and Alford Streets, tell the court staff you are present, and if you do not have a lawyer, speak to the duty lawyer. Turn off your phone and have your paperwork, references and certificates ready.

What happens when your name is called?

You can plead guilty and be sentenced that morning, ask for an adjournment, or plead not guilty and have the matter set down for a hearing. An adjournment usually means waiting for the next callover, around three weeks later, and at 0.10 or more your suspension continues in the meantime.

On a guilty plea, the police prosecutor reads a short summary of the facts and hands up your traffic history. You or your lawyer then explain your circumstances. If you are applying for a work licence, the application is dealt with at this point, before the disqualification order. The magistrate then imposes a fine and the disqualification. Under TORUM s 86, for a first offence:

Limit exceeded Disqualification
No alcohol limit 3 to 9 months (1 month minimum for some vehicles)
General alcohol limit 2 to 9 months
Middle alcohol limit 3 to 12 months
High alcohol limit, under the influence, or failing to provide a specimen At least 6 months

A disqualification is compulsory, even if the magistrate decides not to record a conviction. It starts the moment it is ordered, so you will need a lift home. The court process guide explains the courtroom, and the drink driving penalties page has fines and repeat-offence periods.

How is the timeline different for a drug driving charge?

The path to the callover runs differently when the charge comes from a roadside saliva test.

At the roadside, a positive saliva test leads to a second sample, which is sent to a laboratory. You may not be charged on the night. Instead, police can issue the Notice to Appear once the laboratory confirms a relevant drug, such as THC, methylamphetamine or MDMA. That can take weeks.

Your licence after a positive roadside drug test is usually suspended for 24 hours. The longer suspension until court that applies to readings of 0.10 or more is an alcohol rule; whether a pending drug charge affects your licence before court depends on the charge and any other matters pending.

At the callover, a charge of driving with a relevant drug present does not depend on proof that you were affected. Driving under the influence of a drug is a separate and more serious charge. Both are heard in the same Wednesday adult callover as alcohol matters, and both carry a compulsory disqualification.

Because the notice can arrive well after the stop, keep any paperwork from the night and note the date and place you were tested. The drug driving page linked above explains the penalties.

What if you cannot make the callover date?

Missing the callover is not a small problem. If you do not appear, the magistrate can deal with the charge in your absence, which may mean a disqualification you do not hear about until later, or issue a warrant for your arrest.

If you know in advance that you cannot attend, for example because of a medical procedure or a work commitment you cannot move, contact the registry on (07) 4189 9600 well before the date and ask how to seek an adjournment. A lawyer can appear for you and ask for one. Have evidence ready, such as a medical certificate. The magistrate decides whether to grant it.

If the problem is travel rather than availability, plan early: from Murgon, Nanango or a property out past Wondai, getting to Kingaroy for 8.30am without a licence takes organising. Line up a lift, or stay in town the night before, rather than risking a late arrival.

Remember that the next adult callover is usually about three weeks away. If your licence is suspended until court, an adjournment keeps you off the road for that extra time.

What if there was a crash, an injury or a passenger?

The reading bands set the disqualification range, but the facts of the driving affect where in that range the magistrate lands, and can lead to further charges.

  • A crash with property damage is an aggravating feature at sentence.
  • Injury to another person can lead to more serious charges, including dangerous operation of a vehicle while adversely affected, which is a criminal offence with much heavier penalties. The dangerous driving page explains those charges.
  • Passengers, particularly children, are treated as an aggravating feature because of the risk to them.

If any of these apply, get advice before the callover. A charge of dangerous operation may not be finalised at the first adult callover, and the court may need more time.

What happens during the months off the road?

For most South Burnett drivers this is the hardest part. Without a licence you cannot drive any vehicle on a road, including a farm ute between properties or a tractor along the road verge. The disqualification covers every class of licence you hold, so a heavy vehicle licence holder loses car driving too.

If you were granted a restricted licence, follow its conditions exactly. Driving outside them, or driving at all while disqualified, is a separate offence with its own mandatory disqualification.

Use the time to plan for the end of the period. If an interlock will be required, research approved installers within reach of Kingaroy and the costs involved.

What happens on the day the disqualification ends?

Your licence does not come back automatically. Apply to the Department of Transport and Main Roads for a new licence. You can expect:

  • A probationary licence for at least one year, with the no alcohol limit.
  • An interlock for 12 months 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 drink driving offence (TORUM ss 91I and 91N).

The alcohol interlock page explains how the device works and what exemptions exist, and TMR's alcohol ignition interlocks page sets out the official requirements.

Which other courts might be on your notice?

Approximate straight-line distances from Kingaroy: Gympie about 91 km north-east, Dalby about 91 km south-west, and Pomona about 103 km east. Your notice names the court to attend. More guides are on the QLD traffic law hub.

Kingaroy Magistrates Court details

Street address Corner Kingaroy and Alford Streets, Kingaroy Qld 4610
Postal address PO Box 777, Kingaroy Qld 4610
Phone (07) 4189 9600
Email courthouse.kingaroy@justice.qld.gov.au
Registry hours 8.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Thursday; 8.30am to 4pm Friday

Source: Queensland Courts Magistrates Courts directory, checked 19 October 2026.

To talk about your Kingaroy 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.

Kingaroy drink driving FAQs

Why does my notice say 8.30am when court starts at 9am?

The 2026 calendar says all adult Notices to Appear are issued for 8.30am, so prosecutors and duty lawyers can speak with people before the callover begins.

How often does Kingaroy hold the adult callover?

About every three weeks, on a Wednesday. The remaining 2026 dates read from the calendar are 4 and 25 November and 16 December.

Can I drive to court if I blew 0.07?

Usually yes, after the 24-hour suspension, if no other drink driving charge is pending. Plan a lift home in case you are disqualified.

When must my work licence application be ready?

By the callover, because it is heard after your guilty plea and before the disqualification is ordered. Once the disqualification is made, it is too late. File the affidavits and any employer evidence early enough for the registry and the police prosecutor to have them before the morning of the callover.

My notice was issued weeks after a saliva test. Is that normal?

It can be. A drug driving charge often waits for laboratory confirmation of the second sample, so the Notice to Appear may be issued some time after the stop.

Will I need an interlock?

Yes, for 12 months, 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.

Kingaroy Magistrates Court — court details

Kingaroy Magistrates Court

Street
Cnr Kingaroy and Alford Streets, Kingaroy QLD 4610
Postal
PO Box 777, Kingaroy Qld 4610
Phone
(07) 4189 9600
Email
courthouse.kingaroy@justice.qld.gov.au
Registry hours
8.30am – 4.30pm Monday to Thursday · 8.30am – 4.00pm Friday
Days open
Adult callover 9am on Wednesdays about every three weeks (adult NTAs issued for 8.30am); DV, child protection and youth justice callovers on other days
➜ Get directions

Queensland Courts, Magistrates Courts directory (saved 19 Oct 2026) and Kingaroy 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.

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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