Please upgrade your web browser as Internet Explorer 6 is no longer supported. Upgrade to IE8 or Install Firefox.

Common Driving Offences | Drink Driving, Speeding Fines, Licence Appeals
Common Driving Offences | Drink Driving, Speeding Fines, Licence Appeals

Website designed and optimised by

mini_logo.png, 6.8kB

Drive while cancelled

Common Driving Offences | Drink Driving, Speeding Fines, Licence Appeals

Contact Armstrong Legal:
Sydney: 02 9261 4555
Canberra: 02 6288 1100

Lionel Rattenbury | Traffic Lawyer | Armstrong Legal
Nicholas Breen | Traffic Lawyer | Armstrong Legal
Sebastian De Brennan | Traffic Lawyer | Armstrong Legal
Richard Mayo | Traffic Lawyer | Armstrong Legal
Andrew Tiedt | Traffic Lawyer | Armstrong Legal
John Sutton | Traffic Lawyer | Armstrong Legal
Lisa-Claire Hutchinson | Traffic Lawyer | Armstrong Legal
John Meadley | Traffic Lawyer | Armstrong Legal
Justin Wong | Traffic Lawyer | Armstrong Legal

The offence of drive whilst cancelled is committed by a person who drives a motor vehicle on a public road after their licence has been cancelled by the RTA.

Regardless of how bad your traffic record is, the court has a discretion whether to record a conviction against you for the offence. If the court decides not to record a conviction, you will not be disqualified from driving. Section 10 of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act allows a court that finds a person guilty of an offence the discretion not to impose a conviction against them.

If the court decides to convict you for the offence, the court must disqualify you from driving for the mantatory period set by the law or any additional period as the court may order. The mandatory period of disqualification is the minimum period of disqualification that the court can impose if it convicts you of the offence.

Likely penalties for a cancelled driving charge

The following statistics for a cancelled driving charge have been obtained from the Judicial Commission and were accurate as at August 2010. The statistics show sentencing trends and are to be used as a guide only. 

No# of Cases 762
Section 10 Dismissal 108
Section 10 Bond 126
Section 10A 18
Fine 396
Good Behaviour Bond 81
Suspend Sentence 7
Community Service Order 20
Periodic Detention 1
Gaol Including Home Detention 5

Penalties the court can impose for a cancelled driver charge

The following penalties apply once the court decides that it intends to record a conviction against you for the offence:

1st Offence - drive whilst cancelled

  • A maximum fine of $3,300.00
  • An unlimited maximum disqualification period 
  • A mandatory disqualification period of 12 months

2nd or subsequent offence within 5 years 

  • A maximum fine of $5,500.00
  • An unlimited maximum disqualification period 
  • A mandatory disqualification period of 2 years

Possible defences - drive whilst cancelled

The most common defence  is the defence of honest and reasonable mistake of fact. You must give evidence that you were unaware at the time of driving that you were either cancelled or suspended because you were not notified by the RTA. In order to successfully raise the defence you have to prove that your belief that you were not cancelled or suspended was both honest and reasonably held.

It is normally easy to prove that you were not notified by the RTA that your licence was cancelled or suspended. However, your belief that you were not cancelled or suspended must be reasonable. Knowing that you had exceeded your demerit points or that you had outstanding fines may prove that your belief was not reasonable.

This defence is often successful as the courts regularly find errors made by the RTA.


Common Driving Offences | Drink Driving, Speeding Fines, Licence Appeals

Contact Armstrong Legal:
Sydney: 02 9261 4555
Canberra: 02 6288 1100

Feedback Form