Penalties for drink driving
If you’re caught drink driving, you will go to court. A magistrate will decide how much you’ll be fined and how long you will lose your licence for. The fine amount and disqualification will depend on your traffic record, including any previous drink driving offences, and you may also be sentenced to a term of imprisonment.
| Blood/breath alcohol concentration (BAC) level | Penalties |
|---|---|
| Over 0.00, but under 0.05 BAC (learner, probationary or provisional licences, and drivers of particular motor vehicles) | Disqualified from driving between 3 months and 9 months.
Maximum fine of between $1,540 and $6,600, or imprisonment for a maximum term of 3 to 18 months. |
| 0.05 and over, but under 0.10 | Disqualified from driving between 1 month and 12 months.
Maximum fine of between $1,540 and $6,600, or imprisonment for a maximum term of 3 to 18 months. |
| 0.10 and over, but under 0.15 | Disqualified from driving between 6 months and 18 months.
Maximum fine of between $2,200 and $6,600, or imprisonment for a maximum term of 6 to 18 months. |
| 0.15 BAC or higher | Disqualified from driving for 6 months to 2 years.
Maximum fine of between $3,080 and $6,600, and/or imprisonment for a maximum term of 9 months to 18 months. |
If you are subject to a ‘no alcohol’ limit (0.00 BAC) or general alcohol limit (0.05 BAC), and you exceed that limit, your driver licence will automatically be suspended for 24 hours from the time your alcohol level is confirmed. If you are detected with a BAC over the middle alcohol limit (0.10), or if you fail to provide a specimen of breath or blood when requested, your licence will be immediately suspended until the time when your drink driving charge is dealt with in court.
Alcohol ignition interlocks
You may be ordered to use an alcohol ignition interlock if you have been convicted of any of these offences:
- a drink driving offence with a blood/breath alcohol concentration of 0.15 or more, driving under the influence of liquor, or failure to provide a blood/breath specimen for analysis
- dangerous driving while affected by alcohol
- 2 or more drink driving offences of any kind within a 5-year period.
An alcohol ignition interlock is a breath-testing device connected to a vehicle’s ignition to stop it from starting if the driver has been drinking alcohol.
