Police may immediately suspend and confiscate your licence if you are detected:
- Committing a serious driving offence causing death or grievous bodily harm.
- Speeding in excess of 45 km/h over the speed limit.
- With a middle or high range prescribed concentration of alcohol or committing other serious alcohol-related offences.
Police can suspend and confiscate a licence either on the spot or within 48 hours of the offence being committed. This means that you may have to arrange for your vehicle to be collected by someone else.
Where a person is charged by Police with one of the serious offences, the suspension will remain until the offence is heard by a court. If you are convicted and disqualified by the court, the court may take into account the period you have served under suspension when imposing the disqualification period.
If you are issued a penalty notice for speeding in excess of 45 km/h over the limit, the suspension will apply for a period of six months.
Camera-detected excessive speed offences are not included in the immediate licence suspension scheme. The RTA may apply a suspension following payment of the penalty notice.
Demerit points and fines also apply to speeding offences.
A person has the right to appeal the suspension at a local court. The appeal must be lodged with a court within 28 days of being issued the suspension notice. Unless the court in the meantime orders otherwise, you must not drive unless the court upholds your appeal.
If you are a visiting driver and do not hold a NSW driver licence, your permission to drive in NSW can be withdrawn under the same provisions.
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