A person who is found guilty of drink driving or drug driving in the Northern Territory will generally be required to complete a drink driver education course before they will be permitted to drive again. This course is known as Back on Track and is provided by a range of different service provider in different locations. This page outlines what the course involves and who is required to do it.

Back on Track

The Back on Track course consists of two units of driver education.

Topics covered in the course include the social, emotional and physical impact of alcohol and drugs, the legal issues related to using alcohol and drugs, and strategies for avoiding alcohol and drugs.

Each unit takes one day to complete.

Who must complete the course?

Any person who is found guilty of a drink driving or drug driving offence, with the exception of a low range drink driving offence, must complete the Back on Track program before they can apply for a driver’s licence again.

However, there are different participation requirements depending on the offence that has been committed, the BAC recorded, and whether it was your first offence.

Unit 1

A person who has been found guilty of driving under the influence (DUI) or mid-range drink driving and it is their first offence will be required to complete Unit 1 only of the Back on Track course.

Units 1 and 2

A person who has been found guilty of high-range drink driving, or of refusing to give a breath sample, will be required to complete Units 1 and 2 of the course.

A person who is found guilty of for a second time of any of the following offences must complete both units of the course:

  • medium range drink driving
  • high range drink driving
  • driving under the influence (DUI)
  • refusing to give a breath sample.

Requirements of the course

Participants of the course are breath tested each day of the course and must return a BAC reading of 0.00%.

A person successfully completes the course when they are fully engaged in all activities and show a willingly to bring about positive change.

Once a person has completed the course, they receive a certificate. They can take that certificate to the Motor Vehicle Registry and apply for a driver’s licence.

Cost of the course

A person who needs to complete the course must pay the costs of attending the course. These may vary from one training provider to another and depending on where in the NT you are located.

If you require legal advice or representation in any legal matter, please contact Go To Court Lawyers.