How long does a drink driving charge stay on my record?

A drink driving conviction appears on two official records in Queensland:

1. Traffic History: The conviction and disqualification period is recorded permanently by the Department of Transport and Main Roads on your Traffic History.
2. Criminal History: Because drink driving is technically a criminal offence under the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act, it will be recorded on your Queensland Criminal History.

If the Magistrate records a conviction, the offence will generally become “spent” under the Criminal Law (Rehabilitation of Offenders) Act 1986 after exactly 10 years if you are an adult, provided you are not convicted of an offence during that ten-year rehabilitation period.