QUEENSLAND

Toowoomba DUI Lawyers

In shortBoorman Lawyers are experienced, dedicated drink driving, drug driving and DUI lawyers who regularly appear at Toowoomba Magistrates Court and represent clients facing alcohol, drug and serious traffic charges at this courthouse. Toowoomba Magistrates Court at 159 Hume Street is the main court for the Darling Downs, but smaller towns nearby have their own courts. Toowoomba lists police traffic matters each weekday at 9am, and a drink driving conviction in Queensland always means a disqualification. We assist clients at Toowoomba 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: Toowoomba Magistrates Court, 159 Hume Street, Toowoomba Qld 4350. Phone (07) 4591 4700. Closes at 4pm on Tuesdays.
  • Listings (2026 calendar): QPS traffic Monday to Friday at 9am; special hardship and state transport callover at 2pm on set Thursdays (5 and 19 November, 3 and 17 December 2026).
  • Licence: disqualification on every conviction, and a 12-month interlock from 0.10.

Queensland law · law checked 20 Oct 2026

Toowoomba Courthouse, a two-storey grey and white building behind a granite Toowoomba Courthouse sign with the Queensland coat of arms and a garden bed, with the Boorman Lawyers logo and phone number 1300 941 900
What's on this page

Which Darling Downs court will hear your charge?

The Darling Downs has more than one Magistrates Court. Toowoomba is the largest, but charges from the surrounding towns are often listed closer to where the driving happened. The court named on your Notice to Appear is the one you must attend, even if another court is nearer to your home.

These courts have their own pages on this site. Distances are approximate straight-line figures from Toowoomba:

  • Gatton – about 35 km east, covering the Lockyer Valley along the Warrego Highway.
  • Warwick – about 65 km south, for the Southern Downs and the New England Highway towards Stanthorpe.
  • Dalby – about 75 km north-west, for the Western Downs.
  • Oakey – about 25 km north-west. Oakey has its own Magistrates Court but no separate page here, so matters listed there are covered on this page.

If your notice names a different court from the one you expected, call that court before the date. A wrong assumption about the venue is one of the easiest ways to miss a court date. Interstate drivers coming up from New South Wales are dealt with under Queensland law at whichever Queensland court the notice names.

When does Toowoomba court list traffic matters?

The 2026 calendar for Toowoomba Magistrates Court sets out these lists. Times are AEST:

Toowoomba list Days Time
Arrests and remands Monday to Friday 9am
Government and council, QPS traffic, and peace and good behaviour Monday to Friday 9am
Hearings and long pleas Mondays and Tuesdays, by arrangement with the presiding magistrate 9am
Special hardship applications and state transport callover Set Thursdays – 5 and 19 November, 3 and 17 December 2026 2pm

No matters are listed on public holidays, including the Toowoomba Show holiday on 27 March, or during the magistrates' conference from 1 to 5 June. The Christmas and New Year closure is still "to be advised" in the calendar, so check with the registry before booking anything in late December.

The registry at 159 Hume Street is open from 8.30am to 4.30pm, closing at 4pm on Tuesdays. Check the Toowoomba 2026 calendar for the full listing, and follow your notice if it differs.

What happens at a first appearance in the traffic list?

Most Toowoomba drink driving matters start in the weekday 9am QPS traffic list. At that first appearance you can:

  • Plead guilty and be sentenced on the day, if you are ready and the court has time.
  • Ask for an adjournment to get advice, complete a program or gather references.
  • Plead not guilty, in which case the matter is adjourned and later listed for a hearing, usually on a Monday or Tuesday at Toowoomba.

A longer contested plea is listed in the same way, by arrangement with the presiding magistrate. The court process guide walks through the day in more detail. If you believe the reading or the procedure is wrong, look at the drink driving defences page before you decide how to plead.

How long will you lose your licence for?

Under the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995 (TORUM), every drink driving conviction brings a disqualification, even if no conviction is recorded (s 86). For a first offence, the minimum and maximum periods depend on your reading:

No alcohol limit (learners, provisional and many commercial drivers): at least 3 months, up to 9 months. For some particular vehicles the minimum is 1 month.

General alcohol limit (0.05 to under 0.10): at least 2 months, up to 9 months.

Middle alcohol limit (0.10 to under 0.15): at least 3 months, up to 12 months.

High alcohol limit (0.15 or more), driving under the influence, or failing to provide a specimen: at least 6 months.

"Low", "mid" and "high range" are informal labels used in conversation, not the names TORUM uses. The fine ranges for each limit are on the drink driving penalties page. Drug driving charges, which work differently, are covered on the drug driving offences and penalties page.

Can you keep driving before court?

That depends on your reading and what you were charged with.

If your reading was under 0.10, your licence is usually suspended for 24 hours under TORUM s 79B, and you can drive again after that until the court date. If your reading was 0.10 or more, or you failed to provide a specimen, or you already had a drink driving charge pending, the suspension lasts until the charge is decided.

A s 79E order may be available in limited circumstances. It is not automatic, so get advice before applying. The drink driving offences guide explains each limit and charge.

Could a work licence keep you driving on the Downs?

Distances on the Darling Downs make losing a licence harder than in a city. A restricted (work) licence under TORUM s 87 may let you drive for work during the disqualification. The starting conditions are:

  1. You hold an open Queensland licence, not a learner or provisional licence.
  2. Your reading was under 0.15.
  3. You were not driving for work, or driving a truck, tractor or bus, when you were caught.
  4. You have had no licence sanction or relevant conviction in the past five years.

You must then show that refusing the licence would cause extreme hardship to you or your family, and that you are a fit and proper person to drive. The application is made after the finding of guilt and before the disqualification starts. If your reading was 0.10 or more, a restricted licence carries an interlock condition (s 87 note and s 91K).

The calendar does not say whether Toowoomba hears s 87 applications in the weekday traffic list or at another time, so confirm the listing when you file. The restricted work licence guide covers the affidavit and evidence. A special hardship licence, heard at Toowoomba's 2pm Thursday callover, is a separate order used for demerit and some other suspensions. It is not available for a court-ordered drink driving disqualification.

What happens when the disqualification ends?

You must apply to the Department of Transport and Main Roads for a new licence. Expect two conditions:

  • Probationary licence for at least one year.
  • 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, where to have it fitted and how exemptions operate. Rural drivers sometimes face extra travel to an approved installer, so plan the timing early.

What if you drive trucks, farm machinery or hold an interstate licence?

Many Darling Downs drivers rely on heavy vehicles, tractors or a licence issued in another state. Each raises its own issue.

Heavy vehicle and farm drivers. If you were driving a truck, tractor or bus when you were caught, a s 87 work licence is not available, even if your reading was low. Drivers of those vehicles also face the no alcohol limit, so a reading that would be lawful in a private car can still lead to a charge. The disqualification applies to every class of licence you hold, not only the class you were using.

Provisional and learner drivers. The no alcohol limit applies, and a s 87 licence is not available because you do not hold an open licence. Expect the disqualification to be followed by a new probationary period.

Interstate licence holders. A Queensland court cannot cancel a licence issued by another state, but a Queensland disqualification is recorded and generally recognised by the other state's licensing authority under national licensing arrangements. Drivers from northern New South Wales who are caught on the Downs should expect the Queensland order to affect their home licence. Check with your own licensing authority before driving again.

What should you expect on the day at Hume Street?

Arrive early. The 9am list can include many matters, and you may be waiting for some time before your case is called. Tell the court staff or the prosecutor's officer that you are present, and have your Notice to Appear with you.

Dress neatly, switch off your phone and bring copies of any references, program certificates and employer letters. If you are pleading guilty, the prosecutor reads a short summary of the facts and your traffic history. You or your lawyer then speak about your circumstances before the magistrate decides the penalty.

If the court orders a disqualification, it starts immediately. You will not be able to drive home, so organise transport in advance. If you are applying for a work licence, the magistrate deals with that application before making the disqualification order.

What helps before your Toowoomba court date?

A short checklist that applies whichever Downs court you attend:

  • Check the court, date and time on your Notice to Appear against the calendar.
  • Keep your breath test certificate and any police paperwork together.
  • If you drive for work, ask your employer for a letter explaining why.
  • Gather two or three character references that mention the charge.
  • Complete the Traffic Offenders Program or a similar course and keep the certificate.
  • Arrange a lift home, because a disqualification starts on the day it is ordered.

For more on Queensland traffic charges generally, see the QLD traffic law hub.

To talk about your Toowoomba 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.

Toowoomba drink driving FAQs

I live in Toowoomba but was caught near Gatton. Which court do I go to?

The court on your Notice to Appear. Police list the matter at the court they choose, which is often the one closest to where you were stopped.

What time does the Toowoomba traffic list start?

Under the 2026 calendar, the QPS traffic list starts at 9am, Monday to Friday, except public holidays.

When are special hardship applications heard at Toowoomba?

At the 2pm state transport callover on set Thursdays. The calendar shows 5 and 19 November and 3 and 17 December 2026.

Can I get a work licence if my reading was 0.15 or more?

No. A s 87 restricted licence is only available if your reading was under 0.15 and you meet the other conditions.

Does the interlock apply to a first offence?

Yes, if your reading was 0.10 or more, or you were convicted of driving under the influence or failing to provide a specimen.

Toowoomba Magistrates Court — court details

Toowoomba Magistrates Court

Street
159 Hume Street, Toowoomba QLD 4350
Postal
PO Box 1800, Toowoomba Qld 4350
Phone
(07) 4591 4700
Email
courthouse.toowoomba@justice.qld.gov.au
Registry hours
8.30am – 4.30pm Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday · 8.30am – 4.00pm Tuesday
Days open
QPS traffic, government and council matters 9am Monday to Friday; special hardship and state transport callover 2pm on set Thursdays
➜ Get directions

Queensland Courts, Magistrates Courts directory (saved 19 Oct 2026) and Toowoomba Magistrates Court 2026 calendar (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.

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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