Traffic Law

If you have been charged with a Traffic offence, you may be at risk of losing your license. In most cases a loss of license will inevitably result in a loss of employment, resulting in significant financial hardship.

I can assist you with the following:

Are you eligible to apply for a Work Licence?

If you have been charged with a drug driving offence or a drink driving offence in Queensland then you may be eligible to apply for a Work License.

You may be eligible if the following apply to you:

• You held a current Queensland open driver licence at the time of the offence;
• You had a blood alcohol concentration level of less than 0.150 percent;
• You weren’t driving for your job or already under a work licence;
• You weren’t driving under a licence that required your blood alcohol concentration to be zero;
• You hold a current Queensland open driver licence when you apply for the work licence;
• You haven’t been convicted anywhere of drink driving or a similar offence in the last five years;
• You haven’t been convicted in Queensland of dangerous driving in the last five years; and
• You haven’t had your licence disqualified, suspended or cancelled in the last five years.

You cannot automatically get a work licence simply because you need your licence for work. There are strict criteria and the magistrate can refuse your application if he/she is not satisfied that you are a fit and proper person to hold a restricted licence. It is therefore so important that your documentation is drafted correctly.

Are you eligible to apply for a Special Hardship Licence?

If you have breached a good behaviour period of have been charged with an excessive speeding offence in Queensland, then you may be eligible to apply for a Special Hardship Licence. A special hardship order is an order that lets you drive under special conditions even though your normal driver licence has been suspended.

You may be eligible if the following apply to you:

• You have been charged with driving more than 40 km over the speed limit;
•  You breached your one demerit point good behaviour period; and
  more than one demerit point is allocated to your traffic history while you were driving during a 12 month good behaviour period or
•  you need your licence to either to do your job, or to get to and from work or study, or for other special circumstances.

Again, you will not automatically be granted a Special Hardship order, there are strict criteria and the magistrate can refuse your application if he/she is not satisfied that you are a fit and proper person.

The material that you submit to Court in support of your Work Licence Application or Special Hardship Order is vital to your case. If you have been charged with a Traffic offence, call Sophie Dagg now to determine if you are eligible to obtain a licence to enable you to continue driving, or to discuss ways to minimize your disqualification period.