On 1 July 2026 the value of a Queensland penalty unit rose from $166.90 to $172.70. Most fines in Queensland are not written into the law as dollar amounts. They are written as a number of “penalty units”, and a single regulation fixes the general value of one unit. So when the penalty unit value went up, the dollar figure attached to a very large number of offences went up with it, from careless driving to drink driving, without a word of any offence being changed.
The rise is small per unit, $5.80, but it reaches most Queensland fines, because so many of them are set in penalty units. If you have been fined, charged, or you simply want to understand a penalty you have read in an Act or on a court notice, it helps to know how the system works.
This guide explains what a penalty unit is, what the new penalty unit value means in practice, and what some common driving offences can now cost at the maximum. The figures below are Queensland court maximums, not what a first offender would usually pay.
What a penalty unit is
A penalty unit is the standard building block Queensland uses to express most fines. Rather than set a dollar figure for each offence, Parliament sets the maximum penalty as a number of penalty units, and one regulation sets the general value of a unit. The mechanism sits in the Penalties and Sentences Act 1992 (Qld). Under section 5, where an Act expresses a penalty as a number of penalty units, the dollar value is simply the number of units multiplied by the value of one unit.
There are a few exceptions. Section 5 sets different, lower values for some categories, such as fines under local government local laws and certain workplace and electrical safety laws, so the $172.70 figure is the general State value rather than a single value for every penalty in Queensland. For the everyday fines most people meet, including traffic and driving penalties, it is the general value that applies.
An example makes it concrete. Careless driving that does not cause death or grievous bodily harm carries a maximum of 40 penalty units. At a unit value of $172.70, that maximum is $6,908. Change the value of the unit and every one of those penalties shifts, all at once, without the offence being touched. That is exactly what happened on 1 July 2026.
The same value is used for on-the-spot infringement notices and for fines imposed by a court, so a change flows through to both a speeding ticket in the letterbox and a penalty handed down in the Magistrates Court.
What changed on 1 July 2026
Only one thing changed: the value of the unit. Until 30 June 2026 a penalty unit was worth $166.90. From 1 July 2026 it is worth $172.70, as prescribed by the Penalties and Sentences Regulation 2025 (Qld). The number of penalty units carried by each offence did not change. The multiplier did.
These rises are controlled by statute. Section 5A of the Penalties and Sentences Act 1992 (Qld) allows the value to be increased by regulation no more than once each financial year, and caps any increase at a percentage the Treasurer publishes by 31 March, or otherwise at 3.5%, rounded down to the nearest 5 cents. The move from $166.90 to $172.70 is an increase of $5.80, within that cap. You can read the current value in the regulation on the Queensland legislation website.
The Act permits these increases rather than requiring them, but in practice the value has been lifted regularly in recent years. A dollar figure you saw quoted a year or two ago is often a little out of date, so it is worth checking the current value rather than relying on an older number.
Maximum court fines for common driving offences
The table below shows the maximum fine a court can impose for several common driving charges, expressed first as the number of penalty units set in the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995 (Qld), then converted at the old and new unit values so you can see the effect of the 1 July 2026 change. The old value applied to 30 June 2026 and the new value from 1 July 2026. Every figure is a maximum, imprisonment is an alternative for most of these offences, and for the drink and drug driving offences these are the maximums for a first offence.
| Offence | Section | Max penalty units | Max fine to 30 June 2026 (unit $166.90) | Max fine from 1 July 2026 (unit $172.70) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driving over the general alcohol limit (low range) | s 79(2) | 14 | $2,336.60 | $2,417.80 |
| Driving with a relevant drug present in blood or saliva | s 79(2AA) | 14 | $2,336.60 | $2,417.80 |
| Driving over the middle alcohol limit | s 79(1F) | 20 | $3,338.00 | $3,454.00 |
| Driving under the influence of liquor or a drug (includes high range) | s 79(1) | 28 | $4,673.20 | $4,835.60 |
| Careless driving, not causing death or grievous bodily harm | s 83(1)(c) | 40 | $6,676.00 | $6,908.00 |
| Driving without a driver licence | s 78(1)(b) | 40 | $6,676.00 | $6,908.00 |
| Driving while disqualified by a court order | s 78(1)(a) | 60 | $10,014.00 | $10,362.00 |
A few points matter when you read this table. These are maximums, and a court rarely imposes the maximum, especially on a first appearance. For the drink and drug driving offences, higher maximums apply to a driver convicted of a similar offence within the previous five years. Careless driving works differently again: the 40 penalty unit figure is for the ordinary case, and it rises to 80 penalty units if the driving causes death or grievous bodily harm, or 160 penalty units where the driver was also unlicensed. Finally, the fine is often the smaller part of the outcome, because several of these offences also carry a licence disqualification, demerit points, or a possible recorded conviction, dealt with separately from the dollar figure.
On-the-spot fines went up too
Not every fine comes from a court. The everyday penalties most drivers meet, speeding, using a mobile phone while driving, or not wearing a seatbelt, arrive as infringement notices, the on-the-spot fines issued by police and cameras. These are also fixed as a set number of penalty units at the general value, so they rose on 1 July 2026 in the same way court fines did.
There is one wrinkle for infringement notices. Under the Penalties and Sentences Act 1992 (Qld), an infringement amount that does not land on a whole dollar is rounded down to the nearest dollar, so ticket figures are usually round numbers rather than exact multiples of $172.70. The number of penalty units for each offence is set in the road rules and related regulations, not chosen by the officer who issues the ticket.
Because infringement amounts move with the unit value, the safest course is to check the current figure at the time rather than rely on an amount you remember. The Queensland Government publishes current amounts through its fines and enforcement information.
Fines are only part of the picture
It is easy to focus on the dollar figure, but for driving offences the fine is frequently the least of it. Drink driving and drug driving carry a mandatory licence disqualification, and driving while disqualified by a court carries a further disqualification of its own. Driving without a licence can also lead to disqualification, but only in the circumstances the Act sets out, not in every case.
A disqualification stops you driving for its full length, subject to limited exceptions such as a restricted, or work, licence, which a court can grant for some lower range drink or drug driving disqualifications and only in narrow circumstances. Demerit points, a possible criminal record, insurance consequences and, for some offences, an interlock condition can all follow a driving charge as well. If you are weighing up whether to simply pay a fine or to contest a charge, the licence and record consequences usually deserve more attention than the size of the fine. Our guide on getting your licence back after disqualification explains how the licensing side works once a disqualification is in place.
What the change means if you have been charged or fined
For most people the practical effect of the 1 July 2026 rise is modest in dollar terms, but it is worth understanding. A penalty quoted in an older article or pamphlet may now understate the current figure. And the value that applies to a charge generally depends on when the offence was committed, not when a court deals with it, because an increase in a penalty applies only to offences committed after it takes effect.
So an offence committed on or after 1 July 2026 is measured against the new value, while an earlier offence is generally dealt with using the value that applied at the time. None of that changes the more important questions on a driving charge: what exactly you are charged with, whether the elements can be made out, and what disqualification or record will follow. Those turn on the facts and the specific provision, not on the value of a penalty unit. If you are unsure where you stand, it is worth getting advice before a court date rather than after.
Published 27 July 2026.
Where this leaves you
The 1 July 2026 increase is a routine piece of indexation, but it is a useful reminder of how Queensland fines actually work. Almost every penalty you will meet is a number of penalty units behind the scenes, and that number, multiplied by the current unit value, is the real figure. Knowing that lets you read a penalty accurately and focus your attention where it counts, on the charge itself and its consequences for your licence and record.
Related reading
- How Fraser Lawyers helps with traffic and driving charges
- Drink driving charges in Queensland
- Getting your licence back after disqualification
- Contact Fraser Lawyers
Need advice? A traffic or driving charge can carry a fine, demerit points and a licence disqualification, and the right response depends on the exact charge and your history. If you are facing one, contact Fraser Lawyers to understand the law and where you stand, with no obligation. |
This article is general information only and is not legal advice. Queensland law and the figures referred to can change, and every situation turns on its own facts. Contact Fraser Lawyers for advice specific to your circumstances.
If you would like to discuss your matter, you can book a consultation or call (07) 5554 6116.
