Traffic
High range drink driving in Queensland
Published · Updated
Where the band starts
Queensland splits drink driving above the general limit into three bands. Our separate guides cover low range and mid range.
High range applies from a blood or breath alcohol concentration of 0.15 upwards. It is charged as driving under the influence of liquor, which is a different offence from the two lower bands rather than a more serious version of the same one.
In practical terms, a reading of 0.15 or more is consistent with drinking across an afternoon or evening rather than having a couple after work. Depending on body weight, sex and the period involved, it might follow a bottle of wine over a long lunch, or eight standard drinks in two to three hours, or a larger volume spread across five hours.
At that level most people are visibly affected. Coordination and balance are impaired, speech is affected, and some people experience memory loss or lose consciousness. From 0.15 it can take eleven hours or more for a reading to return to zero after the last drink, which is why people are still over the limit driving to work the next morning.
Your licence goes immediately
A high range reading results in an immediate suspension. Your licence stays suspended until the charge is withdrawn or the court deals with it, which can take weeks.
On conviction for a first high range offence there is a mandatory minimum disqualification of 6 months. The court can impose considerably longer, and in some circumstances can disqualify a person absolutely.
When the disqualification ends, you do not simply resume driving. High range attracts an alcohol ignition interlock condition, which requires an approved device to be fitted to any vehicle you drive. The device requires a breath sample before the engine starts and at intervals while driving. The interlock period runs for a set time after you become eligible again, and you carry the cost of installation, leasing and removal.
A work licence is not available for a high range offence. Section 87 restricted licences are limited to lower range matters, and our page on work licences sets out the eligibility rules.
Fines and imprisonment
Beyond the licence consequences, a first high range offence carries a maximum of 28 penalty units or 9 months imprisonment.
| Offence | Maximum fine | Maximum imprisonment | Minimum disqualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| First offence | 28 penalty units | 9 months | 6 months |
| Second offence within 5 years | Substantially increased | 18 months | Longer minimum applies |
| Third offence within 5 years | Substantially increased | 18 months | Longer minimum applies |
Penalty units are indexed on 1 July each year, so convert using the current value rather than a dollar figure from an older article.
If it is not your first
A prior drink driving charge changes the picture substantially.
A second high range offence within 5 years carries more than double the fine exposure and lifts the maximum term of imprisonment from 9 months to 18 months.
A third offence within 5 years means the court is required to consider a sentence that includes imprisonment. That does not always mean actual custody, because a term can be wholly or partly suspended or served by way of an intensive correction order, but actual custody is a genuine possibility at that point.
Repeat offending can also lead to vehicle impoundment, longer disqualification periods and an extended interlock condition. Tell your lawyer about any history, including matters that have not yet been heard, because it changes the strategy.
Court is not optional
Every high range charge goes to a Magistrates Court. There is no infringement notice pathway.
Because imprisonment is available, particularly for repeat offences, this is a matter where representation is worth having. A traffic lawyer can advise on the realistic range of outcomes for your reading and history, prepare material directed at reducing the disqualification period, and make submissions about the fine.
There is also a practical benefit. Court is unfamiliar and stressful, and having someone speak for you who knows the magistrate and the process removes a good deal of that.
A conviction will be recorded
Yes. A high range drink driving offence results in a traffic conviction being recorded.
That has consequences beyond the court. It can appear on employment checks, it can affect travel to some countries, and depending on your occupation you may have a disclosure obligation to a professional body or a licensing authority.
If your employment involves driving, or a working with children check, or a professional registration, raise that with your lawyer at the first appointment rather than after sentence.
If you have been charged
Do not provide a statement to police about the circumstances before getting advice.
Get in touch early, because the useful work happens before the court date rather than on it. That includes obtaining the certificate of analysis, checking the testing procedure, assembling material about your driving history and the effect of a disqualification on your employment and family, and identifying whether anything about the manner of driving or the reason for driving is relevant.
Our drink driving charges page covers the framework across all three bands.
Last reviewed 3 August 2026 by the TWC Lawyers team. Queensland penalty units and court fees are indexed on 1 July each year. Check current figures before you rely on them, or ask us.