17Penalties for drink-driving offences, &c.

### 17 Penalties for drink-driving offences, &c. > *\[Section 17 Substituted by No. 94 of 1975, s. 14 \]**\[Section 17 Amended by No. 96 of 1976, s. 15 \]**\[Section 17 Amended by No. 13 of 1987, s. 5 \]**\[Section 17 Substituted by No. 44 of 1991, s. 11 \]**\[Section 17 Amended by No. 68 of 1994, s. 3 and Sched. 1 \]* > > > (1)  For the purposes of this section – > > > > > > (a) ***the Table*** means the Table at the end of this section; and > > > > > > > (b) [*\[Section 17 Subsection (1) amended by No. 68 of 2007, s. 10, Applied:19 Dec 2007\]*](/view/html/inforce/2007-12-19/act-2007-068#GS10@EN) [*\[Section 17 Subsection (1) amended by No. 84 of 2009, s. 5, Applied:01 Jan 2010\]*](/view/html/inforce/2010-01-01/act-2009-084#GS5@Hpa@EN) a person is guilty of a subsequent offence if that person has previously been convicted of an offence under [section 4](#GS4@EN) , [section 6](#GS6@EN) , [section 6A(1)](#GS6A@Gs1@EN) or [section 14(5)](#GS14@Gs5@EN) or an offence in respect of a failure to comply with a requirement made under [section 10](#GS10@EN) [(4)](#GS10@Gs4@EN) or [section 10A(1)](#GS10A@Gs1@EN) or [(1A)](#GS10A@Gs1A@EN) . > > > (2)  The application of this section does not extend to an offence committed before the commencement of the [Road Safety (Alcohol and Drugs) Amendment Act 1991](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-9999-999) . > > > (3)  Subject to [subsection (5)](#GS17@Gs5@EN) , a court that convicts a person of an offence specified in [column 1 of the Table](#GS17@Gs5@EN) – > > > > > > (a) must – > > > > > > > > > > (i) impose a fine of an amount not less than the minimum amount shown in the Table and not more than the maximum amount shown in the Table; or > > > > > > > > > > > (ii) impose a term of imprisonment for a term not exceeding the term shown in the Table; or > > > > > > > > > > > (iii) impose both that fine and that term of imprisonment; and > > > > > > > (b) [*\[Section 17 Subsection (3) amended by No. 90 of 1999, Sched. 1, Applied:14 Aug 2000\]*](/view/html/inforce/2000-08-14/act-1999-090#JS1@Ja21@GC5@EN) must, in addition, disqualify the person from driving for a period not less than the minimum period shown in the Table and not more than the maximum period shown in the Table. > > > (3A)  [*\[Section 17 Subsection (3A) inserted by No. 90 of 1999, Sched. 1, Applied:14 Aug 2000\]*](/view/html/inforce/2000-08-14/act-1999-090#JS1@Ja21@GC6@Hpa@EN) When a court imposes a disqualification from driving under this section, it must suspend or cancel any Australian driver licence held by the person against whom the disqualification is imposed as required by section 17 of the [Vehicle and Traffic Act 1999](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-9999-999) . > > > (3B)  [*\[Section 17 Subsection (3B) inserted by No. 38 of 2017, s. 31, Applied:03 Dec 2018\]*](/view/html/inforce/2018-12-03/act-2017-038#GS31@EN) [Section 17(3) of the](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1999-070#GS17@Gs3@EN) [Vehicle and Traffic Act 1999](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1999-070) does not apply to a suspension or cancellation of an Australian driver licence in accordance with [subsection (3A)](#GS17@Gs3A@EN) . > > > (4)  For the purposes of [subsection (3)](#GS17@Gs3@EN) – > > > > > > (a) [*\[Section 17 Subsection (4) amended by No. 28 of 2005, s. 13, Applied:01 Feb 2006\]*](/view/html/inforce/2006-02-01/act-2005-028#GS13@Hpa@EN) the relevant fine, period of disqualification and term of imprisonment for a first offence specified in [column 1 of the Table](#GS17@Gs5@EN) is, in the case of an offence under [section 6](#GS6@EN) , to be ascertained by reference to the concentration of alcohol in the breath or blood of the offender as specified in [column 2 of Part 1 of the Table](#GS17@Gs5@EN) ; and > > > > > > > (b) [*\[Section 17 Subsection (4) amended by No. 28 of 2005, s. 13, Applied:01 Feb 2006\]*](/view/html/inforce/2006-02-01/act-2005-028#GS13@Hpb@EN) the relevant fine, period of disqualification and term of imprisonment for a subsequent offence is to be ascertained by reference to the concentration of alcohol in the breath or blood of the offender as specified in [column 2 of Part 2 of the Table](#GS17@Gs5@EN) . > > > (5)  Notwithstanding [subsection (3)](#GS17@Gs3@EN) , if a person who is convicted of an offence referred to in [column 1 of the Table](#GS17@Gs5@EN) satisfies the court which convicted the person that there are special circumstances why the minimum fine specified in the Table or the minimum period of disqualification specified in the Table should not be imposed, the court may impose a lesser fine or a lesser period of disqualification.[*\[Section 17 Subsection (5) amended by No. 28 of 2005, s. 13, Applied:01 Feb 2006\]*](/view/html/inforce/2006-02-01/act-2005-028#GS13@Hpc@EN) [*\[Section 17 Subsection (5) amended by No. 84 of 2009, s. 5, Applied:01 Jan 2010\]*](/view/html/inforce/2010-01-01/act-2009-084#GS5@Hpb@EN) > > > > > ** > > > > > > > TABLE > > > > > > ** > > > > | | | PART 1 - FIRST OFFENCE | | | > > | Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 | Column 4 | Column 5 | > > | Section of Act or offence | Concentration of alcohol in breath in grams per 210 litres of breath or in blood in grams per 100 millilitres of blood | Fine | Period of disqualification | Term of imprisonment | > > | Section 6 (2) | less than 0·05 | Minimum 2 penalty units Maximum 10 penalty units | Minimum 3 months Maximum 12 months | 3 months | > > | Section 6 | 0·05 or more but less than 0·1 | Minimum 2 penalty units Maximum 10 penalty units | Minimum 3 months Maximum 12 months | 3 months | > > | | 0·1 or more but less than 0·15 | Minimum 4 penalty units Maximum 20 penalty units | Minimum 6 months Maximum 18 months | 6 months | > > | | 0·15 or more | Minimum 5 penalty units Maximum 30 penalty units | Minimum 12 months Maximum 36 months | 12 months | > > | Section 4 or 14 (5) or failure to comply with a requirement made under section 10 (4) or 10A (1) | | Minimum 5 penalty units Maximum 30 penalty units | Minimum 12 months Maximum 36 months | 12 months | > > | Section 6A(1) | Not applicable | Minimum 2 penalty units Maximum 10 penalty units | Minimum 3 months Maximum 12 months | 3 months | > > > > [*\[Section 17 Subsection (5) amended by No. 28 of 2005, s. 13, Applied:01 Feb 2006\]*](/view/html/inforce/2006-02-01/act-2005-028#GS13@Hpd@EN) [*\[Section 17 Subsection (5) amended by No. 84 of 2009, s. 5, Applied:01 Jan 2010\]*](/view/html/inforce/2010-01-01/act-2009-084#GS5@Hpc@EN) > > > > > ** > > > > > > > TABLE > > > > > > ** > > > > | | | PART 2 - SUBSEQUENT OFFENCE | | | > > | Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 | Column 4 | Column 5 | > > | Section of Act or offence | Concentration of alcohol in breath in grams per 210 litres of breath or in blood in grams per 100 millilitres of blood | Fine | Period of disqualification | Term of imprisonment | > > | Section 6 (2) | less than 0·05 | Minimum 4 penalty units Maximum 20 penalty units | Minimum 6 months Maximum 24 months | 6 months | > > | Section 6 | 0·05 or more but less than 0·1 | Minimum 4 penalty units Maximum 20 penalty units | Minimum 6 months Maximum 24 months | 6 months | > > | | 0·1 or more but less than 0·15 | Minimum 8 penalty units Maximum 40 penalty units | Minimum 12 months Maximum 36 months | 12 months | > > | | 0·15 or more | Minimum 10 penalty units Maximum 60 penalty units | Minimum 24 months Maximum 72 months | 24 months | > > | Section 4 or 14 (5) or failure to comply with a requirement made under section 10 (4) or 10A (1) | | Minimum 10 penalty units Maximum 60 penalty units | Minimum 24 months Maximum 72 months | 24 months | > > | Section 6A(1) | Not applicable | Minimum 4 penalty units Maximum 20 penalty units | Minimum 6 months Maximum 24 months | 6 months |