Traffic Law

Caught without a driver licence? We are here to give you the best result.

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Why am I charged with Unlicensed Driving?

In Queensland, it is an offence to drive without holding a valid driver licence. You may be charged with unlicensed driving due to various reasons:

You have never had a driver licence
Your driver licence expired and you forgot to renew the licence
You are holding an inappropriate class of licence (For example, you are driving a motorcycle without a valid motorcycle licence, you are holding a Learner’s licence and you drove without the supervision of an open licence driver)
You are medically unfit to drive
Your driver licence has been suspended or disqualified
Traffic Law

What are the penalties for Driving without a Licence?

Generally, unlicensed driving may attract a penalty or licence disqualification. For offenders who have not had a prior related offence in the past 5 years, the police have the discretion to issue an infringement notice only.

In the event you are charged with the offence, the court will consider the seriousness of the circumstances when deciding the penalty:

Offence Circumstances Mandatory licence disqualification Maximum Penalty
Unlicensed driving First time offender with no history of licence disqualification or suspension Disqualification is not mandatory 40 Penalty Units or 1 year imprisonment
Never held a driver licence 3 months 40 Penalty Units or 1 year imprisonment
Demerit points suspension 6 months 40 Penalty Units or 1 year imprisonment
High speed (exceed speed limit by more than 40 km/h) suspension 6 months 40 Penalty Units or 1 year imprisonment
SPER suspension 1 – 6 months 40 Penalty Units or 1 year imprisonment
Prior conviction of unlicensed driving in the past 5 years 1 – 6 months 40 Penalty Units or 1 year imprisonment
Disqualified driving Disqualified by court order 2 – 5 years 60 Penalty Units or 1 year imprisonment
Disqualified due to drink driving under s79B 2 – 5 years 40 Penalty Units or 1 year imprisonment

*Please click here to find the current value of the penalty unit.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Your driver licence may be suspended if you:

  • failed to pay a SPER fine
  • have exceeded your demerit point limit
  • have exceeded a speed limit of more than 40km/hour

If you drive a motor vehicle in Queensland while your licence is suspended due to the above reasons, you may be dealt with by a court for unlicensed driving.

Your driver’s licence may be disqualified if you are convicted in one of the following offences:

  • drink driving
  • drug driving
  • dangerous driving
  • A criminal offence involving the driving or using of a motor vehicle

If you drive a motor vehicle in Queensland when your driver licence is disqualified, you will be charged with disqualified driving.

If you are disqualified from driving due to unlicensed driving, you are not eligible for any special licences (work licence or special hardship order).

We firmly believe your driving privileges must be protected.

We sort through the complexity, penalties, and circumstances to give you the best possible option.

We explain everything to you, so you know what will happen from beginning to end, giving you peace of mind.

We make sure your case is heard in court as soon as possible, wasting less of your valuable time.

We give you constant updates, so you can stay informed throughout the entire process.

You can take advantage of our free initial consultation, tell us your story today!

We will contact you as soon as possible, your interests are our top priority.

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Don’t let the unlicensed driving charge
affect your future driving privilege.

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2 years ago
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4 years ago
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