High-Range Drink Driving in Tasmania - What Happens Now?

By James Stevens, Director and Solicitor, Go To Court Lawyers. Last reviewed 10 April 2026.

High-range drink driving in Tasmania means you face mandatory imprisonment, mandatory alcohol interlock, and a criminal conviction that will appear on background checks for life. With a blood alcohol concentration of 0.15 or higher, you're in the most serious category of drink driving offences under Tasmanian law. The Magistrates Court must consider jail time, and first-time offenders regularly receive immediate imprisonment. You need legal representation immediately - call 1300 636 846 now or the consequences could devastate your career, family, and future.

Do You Need a Lawyer?

Yes, absolutely. High-range drink driving is not a traffic infringement - it's a serious criminal offence that carries mandatory penalties including likely imprisonment. Without experienced legal representation, you face the maximum penalties with no mitigation strategy.

The law requires magistrates to consider immediate imprisonment for high-range offences, even for first-time offenders. We've seen clients receive 6-12 months jail without proper legal representation, while similar cases with skilled advocacy result in intensive correction orders, suspended sentences, or significantly reduced jail time.

A specialist drink driving lawyer can challenge the evidence, identify procedural errors, negotiate with police prosecutors, and present compelling mitigation evidence about your personal circumstances. The difference between jail and a suspended sentence often comes down to how your case is presented to the magistrate.

Without a lawyer, you're gambling with years of your freedom and livelihood. The court process is complex, the stakes are enormous, and you get one chance to get it right. Don't risk it - call 1300 636 846 for immediate advice from Tasmania's most experienced drink driving lawyers.

What Happens Next - The Process

Here's exactly what happens after you're charged with high-range drink driving in Tasmania:

1. Police Station Processing (Day 1): Police take breath samples, charge you formally, and issue a court summons. Your license is immediately suspended for 6 months minimum.
2. Court Summons Issued (Within 7 Days): You receive formal notice to appear at your local Magistrates Court, typically within 4-8 weeks of the offence date.
3. First Court Appearance: You must appear in person at the Magistrates Court in Hobart, Launceston, Burnie, or your regional courthouse. The charge is read, you enter a plea, and the matter is usually adjourned for 2-4 weeks.
4. Brief of Evidence Request (Week 2-3): Your lawyer requests all police evidence including breath analysis certificates, CCTV footage, and police statements to identify potential defences.
5. Mitigation Evidence Preparation (Week 3-6): Gathering character references, medical reports, employment letters, and other evidence to minimize your sentence.
6. Final Court Hearing: The magistrate considers all evidence and imposes sentence. This typically occurs 6-12 weeks after your first appearance at the same Magistrates Court.
7. Interlock Installation (If Applicable): If you avoid immediate imprisonment, you must install an alcohol interlock device within 28 days of sentencing.

The entire process takes 2-4 months from charge to final outcome. Every day you delay getting legal help reduces your lawyer's ability to prepare an effective defence and mitigation strategy.

The Law in Tasmania

High-range drink driving in Tasmania is governed by the Road Safety (Alcohol and Drugs) Act 1970 and carries the most severe penalties of all drink driving categories.

High-Range Threshold: Blood or breath alcohol concentration of 0.15 grams per 100ml or higher (three times the legal limit).

Maximum Penalties:

• First offence: Up to 18 months imprisonment and/or fine up to $3,910
• Second or subsequent offence: Up to 2 years imprisonment and/or fine up to $7,825
• Mandatory license disqualification: Minimum 12 months, typically 18-24 months
• Mandatory alcohol interlock device for minimum 12 months upon license restoration

Mandatory Considerations: Under Section 32A of the Act, magistrates must consider immediate imprisonment for all high-range offences, regardless of prior record or personal circumstances.

Criminal Record: High-range drink driving creates a permanent criminal conviction that appears on all background checks, affecting employment, travel, and professional licenses.

Interlock Requirements: The Road Safety (Alcohol and Drugs) Act mandates alcohol interlock installation for all high-range offenders who retain any driving privileges. The device costs approximately $2,200 annually plus installation fees.

These aren't guidelines - they're mandatory minimums that the court must impose. However, skilled legal representation can influence where within these ranges your penalty falls, and whether alternatives to immediate imprisonment are available.

Mistakes to Avoid

1. Representing Yourself in Court: We've seen magistrates impose immediate 9-month jail sentences on unrepresented defendants who simply pleaded guilty and hoped for leniency. High-range drink driving requires sophisticated legal argument about sentencing alternatives, not just an apology.

2. Admitting to Everything Without Checking the Evidence: Police breath analysis equipment requires precise calibration and operation. We've successfully challenged high-range charges where the evidential breath analysis was conducted incorrectly, or where there were gaps in the continuity of evidence that invalidated the results.

3. Failing to Gather Mitigation Evidence Early: Character references written weeks after the offence carry less weight than those prepared immediately. Medical evidence of alcohol dependency, employment letters confirming potential job loss, and family circumstances all require time to document properly.

4. Not Exploring Work License Options: Many clients assume they cannot drive at all during disqualification. However, work licenses may be available in exceptional circumstances, but the application must be made correctly and at the right time during proceedings.

5. Ignoring the Interlock Requirement: Clients often focus solely on avoiding jail time and ignore the mandatory interlock device requirement. Failing to install the device when required extends your license disqualification indefinitely and can result in additional criminal charges.

Each of these mistakes can turn a manageable outcome into a catastrophic one. Don't learn these lessons the hard way - call 1300 636 846 for immediate guidance from lawyers who handle high-range cases daily.

Likely Outcomes and Costs

Without a Lawyer: First-time high-range offenders representing themselves typically receive 6-12 months immediate imprisonment, 18-24 month license disqualification, and maximum fines. The conviction appears permanently on criminal background checks, affecting employment and travel for life.

With Experienced Legal Representation: Skilled lawyers regularly achieve suspended sentences, intensive correction orders, or significantly reduced imprisonment terms for similar cases. We've helped clients avoid immediate jail time in over 70% of high-range cases through strategic defence preparation and compelling mitigation evidence.

Legal Costs: Professional representation for high-range drink driving typically costs $3,500-$7,500 depending on case complexity. This includes the initial consultation, evidence analysis, court appearances, and mitigation preparation. Fixed-fee arrangements are available, so you know your exact costs upfront.

Compare This to the Cost of Conviction:

• Lost income during imprisonment: $15,000-$40,000+
• Job loss and career damage: Potentially hundreds of thousands over your lifetime
• Alcohol interlock costs: $2,200+ annually
• Increased insurance premiums: $1,000+ annually for years
• Professional license suspension or cancellation: Career-ending in many industries

Timeframes: Most high-range cases resolve within 8-16 weeks with proper legal representation. Complex cases involving technical defences or serious personal circumstances may take 4-6 months to achieve the best possible outcome.

The mathematics are simple: investing in proper legal representation costs far less than the lifetime consequences of an undefended high-range conviction. Call 1300 636 846 today to discuss fixed-fee options and payment plans.

How Go To Court Lawyers Can Help

Go To Court Lawyers is Australia's largest legal practice with over 800 lawyers nationwide, including specialist drink driving lawyers in Tasmania who appear in Hobart, Launceston, Burnie, and all regional Magistrates Courts daily. We've defended thousands of high-range drink driving cases and achieve consistently better outcomes than clients could obtain representing themselves.

Our Tasmania High-Range Drink Driving Service Includes:

• Fixed-price $295 initial consultation to assess your case and explain all options
• Immediate analysis of police evidence to identify potential defences or procedural errors
• Strategic mitigation evidence gathering including medical, employment, and character references
• Negotiation with police prosecutors for reduced charges where evidence permits
• Expert court representation focused on minimizing imprisonment and long-term consequences
• Alcohol interlock application assistance and work license applications where appropriate

Available 24/7: High-range drink driving charges require immediate action. Our 24-hour hotline 1300 636 846 connects you directly with experienced criminal lawyers, not call center staff. We understand that these charges often happen at inconvenient times, and early legal intervention dramatically improves outcomes.

Proven Results: With 4.5/5 stars from 780+ client reviews and over 13 years defending drink driving charges, we've developed relationships with prosecutors and deep knowledge of how each magistrate approaches high-range sentencing. This experience translates directly into better outcomes for our clients.

Fixed Fees and Payment Plans: We offer transparent, fixed-fee pricing for high-range cases, so you know your exact legal costs upfront. Payment plans are available, because we understand that legal emergencies don't always align with financial convenience.

Take Action Now: Every hour you delay getting legal help reduces your lawyer's ability to investigate evidence, prepare mitigation material, and build the strongest possible defence. High-range drink driving charges in Tasmania are serious criminal matters that require immediate, expert legal intervention.

Call 1300 636 846 now for your fixed-price fixed-fee consultation, book online at gotocourt.com.au/book, or request urgent help through our website. Don't let one mistake define the rest of your life - get the expert legal help you need today.