QUEENSLAND

Moranbah DUI Lawyers

In shortBoorman Lawyers are experienced, dedicated drink driving, drug driving and DUI lawyers who regularly appear at Moranbah Magistrates Court and represent clients facing alcohol, drug and serious traffic charges at this courthouse. Moranbah Magistrates Court, at 21 Griffin Street, is an Emerald circuit court. Its general and traffic callover sits at 9am on one Thursday a month, with 12 November and 10 December left in 2026. Emerald handles enquiries and filing. We assist clients at Moranbah 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: Moranbah Magistrates Court, 21 Griffin Street, Moranbah Qld 4744. Phone (07) 4951 8383. Registry for enquiries and filing: Emerald, (07) 4843 9300.
  • General and traffic callover (2026 calendar): 9am, one Thursday a month – remaining 12 November and 10 December 2026.
  • Licence: disqualification on every conviction (TORUM s 86); interlock from 0.10 (s 91I).

Queensland law · law checked 20 Oct 2026

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

What is true about a Moranbah drink driving charge?

On a Bowen Basin roster, advice about drink and drug driving often comes from workmates. Some of it is right. Much of it is half right, and the half that is wrong can cost you a licence, a job or a work licence application. Here are the beliefs we hear most often from Moranbah drivers, each set against what Queensland's Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995 (TORUM) actually says.

The three facts that matter most: a conviction always means disqualification (s 86); a reading of 0.10 or more means an interlock afterwards, even for a first offence (s 91I); and a work licence is only open to drivers who meet every condition in s 87.

"A first offence just gets a fine" – is that right?

What people say: first time, low reading, you will walk out with a fine and keep your licence.

What the law says: there is no such outcome in Queensland. Section 86 obliges the magistrate to disqualify on every drink driving conviction. For an open licence holder on a first offence, the ranges are:

  • 0.05 to under 0.10: at least 2 months, up to 9 months;
  • 0.10 to under 0.15: at least 3 months, up to 12 months;
  • 0.15 or more, under the influence, or a refusal: at least 6 months.

Learner, provisional and probationary drivers face 3 to 9 months for any reading above zero. Drivers of trucks, buses and other zero-limit vehicles on an open licence face 1 to 9 months. Within each range, the magistrate weighs the reading and the actual or potential danger to the public (s 86(2A)), and can hear about your work and family. A fine is imposed as well. The drink driving penalties page lists the fines.

"Mine workers always get a work licence" – do they?

What people say: the court knows everyone in Moranbah needs to drive to site, so a work licence is a formality.

What the law says: many mine workers cannot apply at all. TORUM s 87 requires that, when the offence happened, you:

  • held an open Queensland licence (not L, P or probationary);
  • were under 0.15, and not charged with under the influence or a refusal;
  • were not driving in the course of your work, or driving a truck, bus or other specified vehicle; and
  • had no drink driving conviction and no suspension, cancellation or disqualification in the previous five years.

The third condition catches a lot of Bowen Basin drivers. A contractor stopped in a company ute between sites, or an operator in a light vehicle on the lease, is driving for work – that rules out a work licence. A worker caught in a private car after a night at the pub may still qualify.

Even then, the court must be satisfied, on sworn affidavit, 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 fit and proper to drive. The mine bus may be part of that discussion. If your reading was 0.10 or more, a work licence carries an interlock condition (s 91K). The application must be heard before you are disqualified. See the restricted work licence guide and TMR's restricted licence page.

"If the work licence fails, I'll get a hardship licence" – is that an option?

What people say: there is always the special hardship licence as a back-up.

What the law says: a special hardship licence is for some other suspensions, such as for demerit points or a SPER default. It is not a fallback after a court-ordered drink driving disqualification. For drink driving, s 87 is the only route, and the application must be made before sentence.

"You can drive until court" – always?

What people say: the police only take your licence for a day.

What the law says: only sometimes. Under TORUM s 79B, if you blew between 0.05 and under 0.10 on an open licence, and you have no other charge pending, the suspension lasts 24 hours. If you blew 0.10 or more, refused a test, or had another drink driving charge pending, you are suspended from the roadside until the court decides the charge. With Moranbah sitting monthly, every adjournment can add weeks off the road. A s 79E order may help in limited situations.

"Moranbah court sits every week" – does it?

What people say: court is on whenever you need it.

What the law says: Moranbah Magistrates Court is a circuit court served by the magistrate from Emerald. According to the 2026 calendar, the general callover, which includes traffic, sits at 9am on one Thursday a month. The remaining dates this year are Thursday 12 November and Thursday 10 December. A Wednesday row covers other lists, so check the date and time on your Notice to Appear. The calendar asks anyone on bail to arrive 30 minutes before the callover so the duty lawyer can take instructions.

The courthouse is at 21 Griffin Street, but enquiries and filing go to the Emerald registry on (07) 4843 9300. Work licence affidavits and other documents need to reach Emerald in time. The calendar is on the Queensland Courts website.

"Sleep it off and you're fine in the morning" – true?

What people say: if you have slept, you are under.

What the law says: the offence is about the reading when you drove, not when you stopped drinking. After a big night, alcohol can still be well over 0.05 at a 5am start; the body clears it slowly, and sleep does not speed that up. A morning-after reading is charged exactly like any other, with the same disqualification ranges. Many sites also breath test at the gate, which can mean a separate workplace process on top of the charge.

"No drug charge if you weren't high" – right?

What people say: if you smoked days ago and felt fine, a saliva test cannot be a crime.

What the law says: driving with a relevant drug present (THC, methylamphetamine or MDMA) is an offence without any proof of impairment. A positive roadside saliva test leads to a laboratory analysis, and a Notice to Appear can arrive weeks later. Driving under the influence of a drug is a different and more serious charge that requires proof you were affected. Either brings a compulsory disqualification, and a positive result often triggers site drug and alcohol procedures as well. The licence position while the charge is pending depends on the facts. See the drug driving offences and penalties page.

"Refusing the test is safer than blowing high" – is it?

What people say: if you know you are over, refuse – they cannot prove the reading.

What the law says: refusing a breath or blood specimen is itself an offence carrying at least 6 months' disqualification, the same as the high alcohol limit. It rules out a work licence and triggers the interlock. There can be a defence where someone genuinely could not provide a sample. The drink driving defences page explains the issues, and the drink driving offences guide sets out each charge.

"When the ban ends you just drive again" – true?

What people say: serve the disqualification and pick up where you left off.

What the law says: you must apply to the Department of Transport and Main Roads for a new licence, which will be probationary for at least a year with a zero alcohol limit. If your reading was 0.10 or more, or you were convicted of under the influence, a refusal or a repeat offence, you must also complete 12 months with an interlock (TORUM ss 91I and 91N). That applies on a first offence. The alcohol interlock page has the details, and TMR's interlock page has the official rules.

"A conviction is automatic" – or can it be avoided?

What people say: a guilty plea means a criminal record.

What the law says: under s 12 of the Penalties and Sentences Act 1992, the magistrate may decide not to record a conviction, after considering the nature of the offence, your character and age, and the effect on your economic or social wellbeing and job prospects. It is a discretion, not a right, and it does not change the s 86 disqualification. See the no conviction drink driving page.

What actually helps before your Moranbah date?

  • Read your Notice to Appear and the certificate, and check the date, court and reading.
  • Get your TMR traffic history.
  • Decide early about a work licence, so affidavits can be filed through Emerald.
  • Ask your supervisor for a letter or affidavit about your role and roster.
  • Collect references from people who know about the charge.
  • Consider a course – the Traffic Offenders Program page explains the options.
  • If your roster clashes, contact the registry before the date or arrange a lawyer to appear. Missing court can lead to the matter being decided without you, or a warrant.

The court process guide explains what happens in the courtroom.

Which other courts are near Moranbah?

Approximate straight-line distances: Mackay about 149 km east, Emerald about 170 km south (and the Moranbah registry), and Proserpine about 186 km north. Clermont is another Emerald circuit court. More guides are on the QLD traffic law hub.

Moranbah Magistrates Court details

Street address 21 Griffin Street, Moranbah Qld 4744
Postal address PO Box 41, Moranbah Qld 4744
Phone (07) 4951 8383
Email courthouse.moranbah@justice.qld.gov.au
Enquiries and filing Emerald registry, 51 Egerton Street, Emerald Qld 4720 – (07) 4843 9300

Source: Queensland Courts Magistrates Courts directory, checked 19 October 2026, and the Moranbah 2026 calendar, checked 20 October 2026.

To talk about your Moranbah 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.

Moranbah drink driving FAQs

What is the address of Moranbah court?

21 Griffin Street, Moranbah Qld 4744, according to the Queensland Courts directory and the 2026 calendar.

When does Moranbah hear traffic matters?

At the general callover, 9am on one Thursday a month. The remaining 2026 dates are 12 November and 10 December.

Where do I file a work licence application for Moranbah?

Through the Emerald registry, which handles enquiries and filing for the Moranbah circuit. Call (07) 4843 9300.

I was in a site vehicle. Can I get a work licence?

Not if you were driving in the course of your work or driving a specified vehicle such as a truck or bus.

Will I lose my licence for a first low-range offence?

Yes. On an open licence, the range is 2 to 9 months (TORUM s 86(2)(eb)).

Do I need an interlock after a first offence?

Yes, for 12 months, if your reading was 0.10 or more or the charge was under the influence or a refusal.

Moranbah Magistrates Court — court details

Moranbah Magistrates Court

Street
21 Griffin Street, Moranbah QLD 4744
Postal
PO Box 41, Moranbah Qld 4744
Phone
(07) 4951 8383
Email
courthouse.moranbah@justice.qld.gov.au
Days open
General callover and traffic 9am on one Thursday a month (Emerald circuit); enquiries and filing through the Emerald registry
➜ Get directions

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