QUEENSLAND

Longreach DUI Lawyers

In shortBoorman Lawyers are experienced, dedicated drink driving, drug driving and DUI lawyers who regularly appear at Longreach Magistrates Court and represent clients facing alcohol, drug and serious traffic charges at this courthouse. Longreach Magistrates Court hears traffic matters at a 9am general callover once a month, when a circuiting magistrate visits from Brisbane. The only remaining 2026 date is Wednesday 25 November. We assist clients at Longreach 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: Longreach Magistrates Court, 91 Galah Street, Longreach Qld 4730. Phone (07) 4568 9300.
  • General and traffic callover (2026 calendar): 9am, monthly – remaining date Wednesday 25 November 2026; no December sitting is listed.
  • Licence: disqualification on every conviction; interlock from 0.10.

Queensland law · law checked 20 Oct 2026

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

When does Longreach court hear drink driving charges?

Answer: once a month, at a 9am general callover, and the only date left in 2026 is Wednesday 25 November.

Longreach does not have a resident magistrate. The 2026 calendar says a magistrate from Brisbane travels to Longreach each month and also sits at Barcaldine, Blackall and Winton during the same trip. Traffic and transport charges go into the 9am general callover alongside arrests and remands. Hearings are set for two days after the callover.

2026 Longreach sittings still to come Time
Domestic violence, child protection and civil list: Tuesday 24 November 2pm
General callover, including traffic: Wednesday 25 November 9am
Hearings and part days: Friday 27 November 9am

No December sitting is listed, so a charge laid late in the year may be given a date in 2027. Your Notice to Appear names the court and the date. Follow the notice, and check with the registry if anything looks wrong. The calendar is on the Queensland Courts website.

Could my notice send me to Winton, Barcaldine or Blackall instead?

Answer: yes, if police listed your charge at one of the circuit courts.

The same circuit magistrate hears matters in each town. The remaining 2026 dates on the Longreach calendar are Blackall on Monday 23 November at 2pm, Barcaldine on Tuesday 24 November at 9am and Winton on Thursday 26 November at 9am. A stop on the Landsborough Highway towards Winton, or on the Capricorn Highway near Barcaldine, may be listed in that town rather than at Galah Street. The law is the same in every one of these courts. What changes is the building, the day and how far you have to travel.

What is the charge, and what are the limits?

Answer: in Queensland the limits are set by the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995 (TORUM), and the charge depends on your reading.

  • No alcohol limit (zero): learner, P1, P2 and probationary drivers, and drivers of trucks, buses, articulated vehicles, tow trucks and some other vehicles.
  • General alcohol limit: a reading from 0.05 up to 0.099.
  • Middle alcohol limit: 0.10 up to 0.149.
  • High alcohol limit: 0.15 and over.

Separate charges cover driving under the influence of alcohol or a drug, and failing to provide a breath, blood or saliva specimen when police lawfully ask. People often say "low range", "mid range" and "high range", but those are informal labels; TORUM uses the limit names above. Our drink driving offences guide explains each charge, and the drink driving defences page covers when a charge can be challenged.

Can I keep driving after I'm charged?

Answer: not that night, and possibly not until court.

TORUM s 79B suspends your licence as soon as you are charged. The length depends on the circumstances:

  1. Under 0.10, and nothing else pending: the suspension ends after 24 hours, and you can drive until the court date.
  2. 0.10 or above, a failure to give a specimen, or a drink driving charge already on foot: you are suspended until the court deals with the charge.

With the Longreach callover monthly and no December sitting, case 2 can mean a long stretch off the road before you ever see a magistrate. In limited circumstances a court can make a s 79E order allowing some drivers to keep driving until the charge is decided. The suspension applies to every vehicle on a road, including a station ute on a public road between paddocks.

Will the magistrate take my licence?

Answer: yes. Section 86 of TORUM makes a disqualification compulsory on every drink driving conviction.

The magistrate decides how long, inside limits fixed by the Act. For a first offence those limits are:

What you were charged with Shortest Longest
Over the no alcohol limit 3 months (1 month for some vehicle classes) 9 months
Over the general alcohol limit 2 months 9 months
Over the middle alcohol limit 3 months 12 months
Over the high alcohol limit, under the influence, or failing to provide a specimen 6 months No fixed upper limit set by the band

A repeat offence within five years raises those periods sharply. A fine is imposed as well, and imprisonment is possible for serious or repeat matters. The disqualification applies even if the magistrate decides not to record a conviction. It also starts in the courtroom, so you need a lift home from Galah Street. Fines and repeat periods are on our drink driving penalties page.

Can I get a work licence for station or contract work?

Answer: only if you meet every condition in TORUM s 87, and only if you apply before the disqualification is ordered.

The conditions are strict. At the time of the offence:

  • you held an open Queensland licence (a learner, provisional or probationary licence rules you out);
  • your reading was under 0.15, and the charge was not driving under the influence or a failure to provide a specimen;
  • you were not driving in the course of your work, and were not driving a truck, bus or other specified vehicle; and
  • in the previous five years you had no licence suspension, cancellation or disqualification, and no other drink driving conviction.

Meeting those conditions only lets you apply. You must also satisfy the magistrate, with sworn evidence, that without the licence you or your family would suffer extreme hardship because you would lose the means of earning your living, and that you are a fit and proper person to keep driving. If your reading was 0.10 or above, the restricted licence carries an interlock condition (s 87 note; s 91K).

For someone living on a property an hour or more from Longreach, the affidavits need to say exactly what driving the job requires, where and when. Our restricted work licence guide explains what to include. Ask the registry how the application will be listed, as the calendar has no separate licence list.

Is a special hardship licence the same thing?

Answer: no. A special hardship licence is a different order, used for some other suspensions, such as demerit point suspensions. It is not available against a court-ordered drink driving disqualification. If you were told otherwise at the roadside or in town, check before you rely on it.

What about a roadside drug test?

Answer: a positive saliva test can lead to a charge weeks later, and it still means a compulsory disqualification.

Police take a second sample, which goes to a laboratory. If the laboratory confirms a relevant drug, such as THC, methylamphetamine or MDMA, a Notice to Appear can follow. Driving with a relevant drug present does not require proof that you were affected. Driving under the influence of a drug is a separate and more serious charge. Your licence position after a positive roadside test, and while a drug charge is pending, depends on the facts. See the drug driving offences and penalties page.

How does the magistrate decide the length of the disqualification?

Answer: by weighing the facts of the offence against your personal circumstances, within the band set by s 86.

Factors the court can take into account include:

  • The reading itself, and where it sits within its band. A reading of 0.14 is closer to the high alcohol limit than one of 0.10.
  • Your traffic and criminal history, including how long you have driven without a relevant offence.
  • The manner of driving and any aggravating features, such as a collision, passengers or the time and place of driving.
  • Your plea. An early guilty plea is a factor the court can take into account.
  • What losing your licence will mean, for your job, your family and your access to services, given the distances involved out here.
  • What you have done since, such as completing an education course or getting help with alcohol use.

The court also has to consider road safety and deterrence, so personal hardship never removes the disqualification. It can affect where in the range the period falls.

Will I need an interlock afterwards?

Answer: 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 drink driving offence (TORUM ss 91I and 91N).

When the disqualification ends, your licence does not come back on its own. You apply to the Department of Transport and Main Roads, and you can expect a probationary licence for at least one year with the no alcohol limit. If the interlock applies, it has to be fitted to any vehicle you drive. Check early where the nearest approved installer and service point are, as distance matters in the Central West. Our alcohol interlock page explains exemptions, and TMR has an official interlocks page.

What should I do before the callover?

Answer: decide early whether you are pleading guilty, then prepare the material the magistrate will see.

If you are pleading guilty, the matter can usually be finalised on the callover day if you are ready. Useful preparation includes:

  • The police material. Read the Notice to Appear, the breath analysis certificate and any facts police provide, and check the time, place and reading.
  • Your traffic history. The prosecutor will hand it up. Know what is on it.
  • References. Character references that show the referee knows about the charge carry more weight.
  • Employment and distance evidence. A letter explaining what driving your work involves, and how far you are from town, medical care or school.
  • A traffic education course. The Traffic Offenders Program page explains what is available. A course can show insight; it does not avoid the compulsory disqualification.
  • The work licence affidavits, if you are eligible.

If you are not ready, you can ask for an adjournment, but with monthly sittings that means another month, and longer over the summer break. If your licence is suspended until court, you stay off the road for that time too. The court process guide explains what happens in the courtroom.

I'm a visitor or I hold an interstate licence. Does this apply to me?

Answer: yes. A drink driving charge in Queensland is dealt with under Queensland law, whatever licence you hold.

A Queensland court can disqualify you from holding or obtaining a Queensland licence. Your home licensing authority may also act on the disqualification. If you are touring and need to leave the region before the callover, think carefully before skipping it. Missing court can lead to the charge being decided in your absence, or to a warrant. A lawyer can appear for you, and you can ask the registry about adjourning or transferring the matter well ahead of the date.

What if there was a crash or a road train involved?

Answer: the facts of the driving can lead to further charges and affect where the penalty sits inside the band.

A collision, injury to someone else, passengers (especially children) or very poor driving are aggravating features. Where someone is hurt, police may charge dangerous operation of a vehicle while adversely affected, which is a criminal offence with much heavier penalties; see the dangerous driving page. If you were driving a heavy vehicle, the zero limit applies and you cannot seek a work licence for that driving under s 87.

Which other courts are near Longreach?

Approximate straight-line distances: Barcaldine about 104 km east, Winton about 162 km north-west, and Emerald further east. Charleville is to the south. Your notice names the court to attend. More guides are on the QLD traffic law hub.

Longreach Magistrates Court details

Street address 91 Galah Street, Longreach Qld 4730
Postal address PO Box 19, Longreach Qld 4730
Phone (07) 4568 9300
Email courthouse.longreach@justice.qld.gov.au
Registry hours 8.30am to 1pm and 2pm to 4.30pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; 8.30am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm Thursday

Source: Queensland Courts Magistrates Courts directory, checked 19 October 2026. The registry closes for lunch from 1pm to 2pm.

To talk about your Longreach matter, call 1300 941 900 or make an enquiry about legal representation.

Longreach DUI Case Review Video

To give clients a practical sense of how outback DUI matters are approached, we have recorded a case review that discusses preparation, what happens at Longreach Magistrates Court and the types of factors that can influence the final outcome.

Further case reviews and legal explainers are available on our dedicated video channel at BoormanLawyers.tv .

Longreach DUI Case Review This outcome was reported before 31 August 2026, when Queensland drink driving penalties changed, 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.

Longreach drink driving FAQs

Is there a Longreach court sitting in December 2026?

No December sitting is listed on the 2026 calendar. The last general callover for the year is Wednesday 25 November.

Do I need a lawyer at Longreach Magistrates Court?

You can appear on your own. The disqualification is compulsory, but its length, any work licence application and how your circumstances are put to the court all depend on preparation.

Can my matter be finished on the first day?

Often it can if you plead guilty and are ready. If you need time for references, a course or a work licence application, an adjournment means waiting for the next monthly sitting.

I blew 0.12 and live on a station. Can I drive until court?

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

Does a first offence at 0.10 mean an interlock?

Yes. An interlock is required for 12 months after the disqualification for a reading of 0.10 or more, even on a first offence.

What should I bring to court?

Your Notice to Appear, the breath analysis certificate, your licence, references, employment and distance evidence, any course certificate and, if you are applying for a work licence, the filed affidavits.

Longreach Magistrates Court — court details

Longreach Magistrates Court

Street
91 Galah Street, Longreach QLD 4730
Postal
PO Box 19, Longreach Qld 4730
Phone
(07) 4568 9300
Email
courthouse.longreach@justice.qld.gov.au
Registry hours
8.30am – 1.00pm and 2.00pm – 4.30pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday · 8.30am – 1.00pm and 2.00pm – 4.00pm Thursday
Days open
Arrests/remands, general callover and traffic 9am monthly (circuit magistrate from Brisbane); hearings two days later; DV, child protection and civil 2pm the day before
➜ Get directions

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

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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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