Being charged with serious driving offences and pleading guilty can have numerous consequences, and the disqualification of your drivers licence is often one of them. However, in certain situations you may be able to keep your licence. With the assistance of a lawyer or by yourself, you can apply to the court to have a conditional licence. These are called either a Work Licence.

A work licence (otherwise known as a Restricted Licence) enables you to drive for work purposes, even when your normal licence has been disqualified or cancelled. Certain conditions can be put on this licence by a Magistrate in court, such as only being able to drive between certain hours (e.g. 8am – 5pm Monday – Friday). It is also important that you are in paid employment if you want to apply for a Work Licence.

You may be eligible for a Work Licence in the circumstances that whilst driving a current QLD drivers licence, you were charged with any of the following offences:

• Drink driving (if your blood alcohol concentration was less than 0.15 percent).
• Failure to provide a sample of breath at the roadside.
• Driving with a relevant drug in the blood or saliva.

Furthermore, when charged with the offence it is important you were not:

• Driving to your job.
• Already driving with a work licence.
• Charged with drink driving or similar offences within the past 5 years.
• Subject to having your licence disqualified, suspended or cancelled within the past 5 years.

When completing an application, you must complete an specific form and then an affidavit must be drafted which demonstrates you are a fit and proper person. It is also important that you establish if the application is not granted, you will lose your job and a result of this will cause either yourself or your family to suffer extreme hardship.

Additionally, your employer needs to write an affidavit. Once this is done, all your documents must be filed in court. You need to ensure you are in court on the hearing date provided, where the Magistrate will decide whether or not to grant your application.

If you require any further advice or have any questions or queries in regards to applying for a work licence call our office on (07) 5528 2344 and we will be happy to assist.