QUEENSLAND

Townsville DUI Lawyers

In shortBoorman Lawyers are experienced, dedicated drink driving, drug driving and DUI lawyers who regularly appear at Townsville Magistrates Court and represent clients facing alcohol, drug and serious traffic charges at this courthouse. Townsville Magistrates Court, at 31 Walker Street, runs an arrest court in Court 1 at 9.30am every weekday and separate callovers for special hardship orders, Murri Court and other lists. We assist clients at Townsville 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: Townsville Magistrates Court, 31 Walker Street, Townsville Qld 4810. Phone (07) 4781 8600.
  • Lists (2026 calendar): arrest court Court 1, 9.30am each weekday; special hardship orders monthly (remaining 10 Nov, 9 Dec); Murri Court every second Friday 10am.
  • Licence: disqualification on every conviction (TORUM s 86); interlock from 0.10 (s 91I).

Queensland law · law checked 20 Oct 2026

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

What disqualification could a Townsville court impose?

Every drink or drug driving conviction in Queensland comes with a licence disqualification. Section 86 of the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995 (TORUM) leaves the magistrate no choice about that. What changes is the length, and the biggest single factor after the reading is whether you have another drink or drug driving conviction in the five years before.

Table 1 – no drink or drug driving conviction in the previous five years

Reading or charge Licence type Disqualification
0.05 to under 0.10 Open 2 to 9 months
0.10 to under 0.15 Open 3 to 12 months
Over zero Learner, P plate, probationary or unlicensed 3 to 9 months
Over zero Open licence with a zero limit (for example truck, bus, taxi) 1 to 9 months
0.15 or more, under the influence, or failing to supply a specimen Any At least 6 months

Table 2 – a previous drink or drug driving conviction within five years

The new charge Previous convictions in five years Disqualification
A reading-based or relevant-drug offence One or more lower-level offences 3 to 18 months (s 86(2B))
Under the influence One previous under the influence 1 year (s 86(1A))
Under the influence More than one previous under the influence 2 years (s 86(1B))

The repeat categories mix in other combinations of past offences, so treat Table 2 as a guide and check your own history against the Act. A fine is imposed on top. Imprisonment becomes a real possibility for high readings and repeat offending. The fines and maximum penalties are on our Queensland drink driving penalty page.

How should I read those tables for my own charge?

Work across from left to right.

The reading or charge column. Your reading is on the certificate police gave you after the evidentiary breath test. "Under the influence" is a separate charge that does not depend on a number. Failing to supply a specimen is treated like the most serious category. Drug driving charges for THC, methylamphetamine or MDMA present in saliva or blood sit in the lower rows unless the charge is under the influence of a drug.

The licence column. This is about the licence you held on the night, not the one you hold now. A P plate driver who has since gone onto an open licence is still sentenced as a P plate driver. Heavy vehicle, bus and taxi drivers have a zero limit while they are driving those vehicles.

The period column. Where a range is given, section 86(2A) tells the magistrate to look at the concentration of alcohol (or the presence of the drug) and the real or potential danger to the public. A 0.06 on an empty road at noon and a 0.09 after a near miss on Ross River Road are in the same row, but they will not be treated the same. Where a fixed period is given, the Act imposes it directly.

Will I still be able to drive before my Walker Street court date?

That depends on the same columns. Under TORUM s 79B, an open licence holder at 0.05 to under 0.10, with no other drink or drug charge outstanding, gets a 24-hour suspension and may then drive until the case ends. At 0.10 or more, on an under the influence or failure to supply charge, or with another charge pending, the licence is suspended until the court finishes the case. Novice and zero-limit drivers should read the notice police issued, as their position can differ.

Driving while suspended is a separate offence and complicates the sentence. If you are suspended, work out now how you will get to the CBD from Kirwan, Douglas, Deeragun or Condon on the court morning.

Which Townsville list will my case go into?

The court's 2026 calendar sets out several regular lists. The ones most likely to matter to a driver are:

  • Arrest Court, Court 1, 9.30am each weekday (excluding public holidays). Saturday and public holiday sittings at 8am are for people in custody only.
  • Miscellaneous Callover, 9am monthly, which includes local, state and departmental prosecutions such as transport.
  • Special Hardship Orders, once a month (the calendar row says 11am, the practice note 11.30am). The remaining 2026 dates are Tuesday 10 November and 9 December.
  • Murri Court, every second Friday at 10am (remaining 2026 dates appear to be 23 October, 6 and 20 November, and 4 and 18 December).

The calendar does not name a dedicated traffic list, so check the court and time printed on your Notice to Appear and ring the registry on (07) 4781 8600 if anything is unclear. A contested charge will be adjourned to a hearing date allocated by the magistrate. The registry is open from 8.30am to 4.30pm, closing at 4pm on Tuesdays. The court does not sit during the magistrates' conference (1 to 5 June) or on the Townsville Show holiday (6 July).

Am I eligible to apply for a work licence?

Answer these in order. One "no" means you cannot apply under TORUM s 87.

  • On the night, did you hold an open Queensland licence (not a learner, P plate, probationary or interstate licence)?
  • Was the charge something other than under the influence or failing to supply a specimen, with a reading under 0.15?
  • Were you driving your own car for your own purposes, rather than a truck, bus or other specified vehicle, or driving as part of your job?
  • In the five years before, were you free of any drink driving conviction and of any suspension, cancellation or disqualification of your licence?

If every answer is "yes", the application must then prove two things by affidavit. The first is that refusing the order would cause extreme hardship to you or your family by depriving you of your means of earning a living. The second is that you are a fit and proper person to drive. For a Townsville applicant that could be a maintenance worker at the port starting at 5am, an electrician driving between sites in the Bohle and Garbutt industrial areas in a private vehicle, or a carer working split shifts across the northern beaches. Rosters and an employer letter carry more weight than a general statement.

The order must be made before you are disqualified, so the application is heard with your sentence and has to be filed beforehand. If your reading was 0.10 or more, the licence comes with an interlock condition (s 91K). The restricted work licence guide and the government's work licence page set out the process. The Special Hardship Orders list is for TMR suspensions such as demerit points; a special hardship order does not lift a court-ordered drink driving disqualification.

What happens with the interlock after the disqualification ends?

Picture the period after court as three blocks.

  1. The disqualification. You cannot hold or get a licence. The interlock plays no part yet.
  2. Relicensing. When the period ends you apply to TMR for a new licence. If s 91I applies, it is issued with an interlock condition. That covers a conviction for a reading of 0.10 or more (even a first offence), under the influence, failing to supply a specimen, or a repeat offence within five years.
  3. The interlock period. For 12 months you may drive only a vehicle fitted with an approved device. The months only count while you are licensed under that condition, and failed or missed tests can extend the period (s 91N).

Townsville has approved installers, but ask about the fitting appointment, the calibration visits and the cost before your licence date. A small number of exemptions exist, for example for a medical condition. Details are on the Queensland Government's interlock page and in our interlock rules summary.

Is there any way to avoid a conviction being recorded?

The court has a discretion under section 12 of the Penalties and Sentences Act 1992 not to record a conviction. It considers the nature of the offence, your character and age, and the effect a recorded conviction would have on your economic or social wellbeing and your chances of finding work. For someone in the Australian Defence Force, a security or electrical licence holder, or an overseas worker on a visa, the evidence of real consequences matters. A no-conviction order leaves the disqualification untouched. See no conviction for drink driving and the traffic offender program options.

Should I plead guilty, or test the evidence first?

Read the QP9 (police summary) before you decide. Look at who was driving, where the car was stopped, the time between driving and testing, and whether the breath analysis complied with TORUM s 80. If any of that is disputed, a plea of not guilty and a hearing may be appropriate. If the facts are only partly wrong, they can sometimes be corrected before a guilty plea. Our pages on drink driving defences and Queensland drink driving offences list the elements.

What about drug driving charges in Townsville?

The same tables apply. Driving with a relevant drug present (THC, methylamphetamine or MDMA) sits in the lower rows and needs no proof of impairment. Driving under the influence of a drug needs proof that you were affected, and carries at least 6 months. Because saliva samples are tested in a lab, the Notice to Appear can arrive weeks after the roadside stop, and the licence position while it is pending depends on the facts. See our drug driving penalties page, and if there was also a crash, the page on dangerous driving.

I am posted to Townsville or live interstate. What do I need to know?

A Notice to Appear binds you wherever you now live. If you do not appear, the court may deal with the matter in your absence or issue a warrant. Defence members may also have internal reporting obligations; check them with your chain of command. An interstate licence holder who is disqualified in Queensland should get advice about the effect at home. Contact the registry well before the listed date if you cannot attend.

Which courts are near Townsville?

Ayr is a Townsville circuit court about 85 km south-east, with filing through Walker Street. Charters Towers is about 135 km west and Bowen about 200 km south-east. The court process guide, the Queensland traffic law hub and the traffic law FAQs cover the rest of the process.

Townsville Magistrates Court details

Street address 31 Walker Street, Townsville Qld 4810
Postal address PO Box 985, Townsville Qld 4810
Phone (07) 4781 8600
Email courthouse.townsville@justice.qld.gov.au
Registry hours 8.30am to 4.30pm Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; 8.30am to 4pm Tuesday
Arrest court Court 1, 9.30am each weekday (excluding public holidays)

Checked against the Queensland Courts Magistrates Courts directory on 19 October 2026 and the Townsville 2026 calendar on 20 October 2026.

For help with a Townsville matter, call 1300 941 900 or make an enquiry about legal representation.

Watch Our Townsville DUI Case Review Video

Townsville DUI Lawyers – 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.

Townsville drink driving FAQs

Is a second offence treated differently?

Yes. With a previous drink or drug driving conviction in five years, a reading-based offence carries 3 to 18 months, and repeat under the influence carries a fixed 1 or 2 years.

What time does the arrest court start?

9.30am in Court 1 on weekdays, excluding public holidays.

When are special hardship orders heard?

Once a month. The remaining 2026 dates are 10 November and 9 December; confirm the time with the registry.

Can a P plate driver apply for a work licence?

No. Section 87 needs an open licence at the time of the offence.

Does the interlock replace part of the disqualification?

No. It starts after the disqualification ends and lasts 12 months of licensed driving.

Who do I ask about my listing?

The Townsville registry on (07) 4781 8600, from 8.30am on weekdays.

Townsville Magistrates Court — court details

Townsville Magistrates Court

Street
31 Walker Street, Townsville QLD 4810
Postal
PO Box 985, Townsville Qld 4810
Phone
(07) 4781 8600
Email
courthouse.townsville@justice.qld.gov.au
Registry hours
8.30am – 4.30pm Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; 8.30am – 4pm Tuesday
Days open
Arrest court, Court 1, 9.30am each weekday (excluding public holidays); special hardship orders monthly (remaining 2026: 10 Nov, 9 Dec); Murri Court every second Friday 10am
Facilities
See the Queensland Courts directory
➜ Get directions

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