Online guilty pleas

In Queensland, you can plead guilty online for some minor offences.

This may save you from having to attend court in person.

Eligible offences include public nuisance or minor traffic offences, if you meet the criteria.

Serious offences or cases where a conviction could disqualify your driver’s licence require you to attend court.

Who can plead guilty online

You may plead guilty online if:

  • you’ve received a complaint and summons or a notice to appear from a Queensland police officer, and
  • you’re required to appear in a Queensland Magistrates Court for a minor offence, such as:
    • public nuisance
    • speeding
    • driving uninsured, unregistered, or on an expired licence.

Minor vs serious offences

Minor offences, like speeding and public nuisance, usually result in fines or non-custodial penalties, and can be pleaded guilty to online.

Serious offences, like armed robbery, drug trafficking, fraud or assault, require court attendance and cannot be pleaded guilty to online.

Driver’s licence disqualification

You cannot plead guilty online if the offence could result in your driver’s licence being disqualified (or disqualified for longer). This applies to offences like:

  • drink driving
  • driving without a licence
  • driving while disqualified.

Driver licence disqualifications are serious. You must attend court to ensure all factors are considered.

If you rely on your licence for work or other essential activities, seek legal advice before going to court.

When to plead guilty online

Submit your online guilty plea at least two business days before your court date. If you miss this deadline:

  • your plea may not be processed in time.
  • you may still need to attend court in person.

If you’re close to the deadline, contact the Magistrates Court registry to confirm your plea has been received and check if you need to attend court.

How to plead guilty online

  1. Check that you meet the eligibility criteria above.
  2. Find the details of your alleged offence and court date on your complaint and summons or notice to appear.
  3. Complete and submit your guilty plea.

What happens next

Your guilty plea will be read out in court. The magistrate will decide whether to:

  • finalise the charge without you being there, or
  • require you to attend court and adjourn the matter to another date.

If your plea is accepted

If the magistrate accepts your guilty plea, you’ll receive two letters from the State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER):

  • one outlining the fine you must pay (if a fine is ordered by the court)
  • one detailing the offender levy you owe.

These letters may take up to seven days to arrive.

If you must go to court

If the magistrate requires you to attend court, you’ll be notified of the date and location by email or post.

If you fail to appear, a warrant may be issued for your arrest.

Offender levy

If you’re sentenced, you must pay an ‘offender levy’, a fee that helps cover the costs of law enforcement and court administration in Queensland.

You must pay it even if you don’t attend court or no conviction is recorded.

Read more about the offender levy.

If you intend to plead not guilty

If you plan to plead not guilty, you must attend court on the date listed on your complaint and summons or notice to appear.

The court will then set a date for a hearing where evidence will be presented, and witnesses may be called.

Consider seeking legal advice to prepare your defence.