1. What is an Alcohol and Drug Awareness Course?

An Alcohol and Drug Awareness Course (ADAC) is a course, approved by the Road Transport Authority (RTA), that raises awareness about the effects of alcohol and drugs, including their effects on driving and health.

Approved courses are listed in the following notifiable instrument: Road Transport (Driver Licensing) Alcohol and Drug Awareness Course Approval 2018 (No 1).

2. Who is required to complete an alcohol and drug awareness course?

In order to retain your driver licence or to obtain a restricted or probationary licence, you will be required to complete an alcohol and drug awareness course, if you have been convicted (or found guilty) of one or more of the following offences:

You will not be required to complete the same course if you have already completed an alcohol and drug awareness course in the 12 months prior to your conviction or finding of guilt. To find out which course you must complete, contact Access Canberra on 13 22 81.

3. If the alcohol and drug awareness course applies to me, what do I need to do now?

If you were not disqualified from driving by the Court, in order to retain your driver licence:

1. You must complete an Alcohol and Drug Awareness Course and provide the course completion certificate to Access Canberra, within six months after your court conviction date. This can be submitted either via email to LARA@act.gov.au or post, addressed to Licence and Registration Administration Team, GPO Box 158, Canberra City  ACT  2601.

Failure to do so will result in your licence being suspended.

If you were disqualified from driving by the Court and granted a restricted licence:

1. You must complete an Alcohol and Drug Awareness Course and provide evidence of course completion to Access Canberra;
2. After providing evidence, you are eligible to be issued with a restricted licence;
3. Access Canberra will issue you with a restricted licence, which will expire at the end of your disqualification period;
4. At the end of your disqualification period, your restricted licence will expire and you must attend an Access Canberra Service Centre to be issued with a probationary licence so that you may continue driving.

If you were disqualified from driving by the Court and not granted a restricted licence, and you wish to be issued with a probationary licence:

1. You must complete an alcohol and drug awareness course and provide evidence of course completion to Access Canberra;
2. After providing evidence, you are eligible to be issued with a probationary licence after serving at least half of the disqualification perod;
3. You must attend an Access Canberra Service Centre, to be issued with a probationary licence so that you can begin driving.

4. How many different types of courses are there?

To ensure that the educational and therapeutic needs of different offenders are accommodated, there are two types of courses available:

• Standard Course: Educational awareness course
• Extended Course: Therapeutic and educational awareness course

5. Which course should I attend?

You must attend the type of course that corresponds with your offence.

You are only eligible to attend the standard course if:

1. you were convicted or found guilty of driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) below 0.08; and
2. it is the first time that you have been convicted or found guilty of a disqualifying offence under the Road Transport (Alcohol and Drugs) Act 1977.

If you do not fulfil the above criteria, you must attend the extended course.

The table below can be used as a guide to the course you are required to attend:

*'First Offender' and 'Repeat Offender' are defined in section 4F of the Road Transport (Alcohol and Drugs) Act 1977.

6. How do I enrol in the Standard Course?

Courses are provided at a variety of locations, times, and dates so that you can attend the course that best suits you.

You can enrol by contacting the course provider:

7. How do I enrol in the Extended Course?

Courses are provided at a variety of locations, times, and dates so that you can attend the course that best suits you.

Contact details of course providers are below. It is your choice which provider to enrol with:

8. How long will I have to complete a course and provide evidence of completion to Access Canberra?

If you have tried to enrol in a course before the end of your disqualification period, but have not been able to do so, Access Canberra may exempt you from completing the course before the end of your disqualification period and issue you with a probationary licence at the end of your disqualification period.

To be eligible to be issued with a probationary licence at the end of your disqualification period and permitted to complete an Alcohol and Drug Awareness Course after your disqualification period, you must:

1. write to Access Canberra either via email to LARA@act.gov.au or post, addressed to Licence and Registration Administration Team, GPO Box 158, Canberra City  ACT  2601, before the end of your disqualification period, requesting to be issued with a probationary licence and be exempt from the requirement to complete a course before the end of your disqualification period;
2. demonstrate that you have made genuine attempts to enrol in the course before the end of the period of disqualification but have not been able to do so; AND
3. provide evidence that you are enrolled in a course that will be completed on a stated date after the end of the period of disqualification.

Access Canberra will suspend your probationary licence if written evidence of course completion is not received within 7 days, after the day of the alcohol and drug awareness course mentioned in your written notice (and will only end the suspension if it receives written evidence that you have completed an alcohol and drug awareness course).

9. How can I get my licence back faster?

You do not need to wait until you are convicted or found guilty of the drink or drug driving offence which you have been charged with to complete an alcohol and drug awareness course. You can complete a course at any time prior to being convicted or found guilty.

Completing a course before you are convicted or found guilty of an offence may reduce the time it takes to be issued with a restricted or probationary licence, so that you can start driving again.

For example, if you are charged with a disqualifying drink or drug driving offence and complete a course before you appear in court, you may be permitted to have a restricted licence issued to you on the same day of your court appearance, if the Court grants your request for one. To be eligible, the request must be submitted prior to your court appearance. If you do not complete a course before you are convicted or found guilty, you will remain unlicensed and unable to drive until you enrol in a course, complete the course and provide evidence of completion to Access Canberra.

10. Can I choose not to complete an alcohol and drug awareness course?

Completion of an alcohol and drug awareness course is a mandatory licensing requirement to retain or regain a driver licence for all drink drivers and drug drivers who commit a disqualifying offence.

11. What happens if I do not complete an alcohol and drug awareness course?

If you do not complete an Alcohol and Drug Awareness Course and provide Access Canberra with evidence of completion within the time limit, your driver licence will be suspended or you will remain unlicensed and unable to drive.

It is an offence under section 31 of the Road Transport (Driver Licensing) Act 1999 to drive a motor vehicle while unlicensed. If you drive or ride a motor vehicle while unlicenced, you may be fined up to $8,000 and imprisoned for up to 6 months or both.

It is also an offence under section 31A of the Road Transport (Driver Licensing) Act 1999 to drive a motor vehicle while your licence is suspended. If you drive or ride a motor vehicle while your licence is suspended you will be fined up to $3,200 in addition to the penalty for driving unlicenced.

12. I hold an interstate licence and have been charged with drink or drug driving in the ACT, what does this mean for me?

Several other Australian jurisdictions operate mandatory alcohol and drug awareness courses for drink and drug drivers. If you have been charged with one of the eligible drink-driving offences in the ACT which requires you to complete a mandatory alcohol and drug awareness course, but you live in another state, then the decision as to whether you must complete a mandatory alcohol and drug awareness course will depend on the relevant driver licencing laws in your state or territory.

If you wish to obtain an ACT driver licence at any time in the future, you will be required to complete an approved alcohol and drug awareness course and provide Access Canberra written evidence of course completion.

13. What are the costs?

Course providers offer courses at different prices, it is advisable to check the course costs before enrolling.

14. Are any discounts available?

Yes. All course providers offer payment solutions for low income earners.

Some course providers offer flexible repayment options. Other course providers offer reduced course fees. Course providers offer different types of payment solutions, so check with the course provider before enrolling, to see what payment solutions are available and what eligibility criteria applies.

15. Are any exemptions available?

Yes. You may be eligible for an exemption from completing an Alcohol and Drug Awareness Course under different circumstances.

If you are required to participate in the Interlock program and will also be required to undergo pre-sentencing assessments by the Court Alcohol and Drug Service to determine therapeutic treatments or programs that may be suitable for the offender, which the court may order.

Factors that Access Canberra may take into account when determining whether exceptional circumstances exist for granting an exemption include, but are not limited to:

• the merits of the application;
• fairness as between the applicant and other persons in a similar position;
• any rehabilitation or remedial action undertaken, or to be undertaken, by the person;
• the likelihood that the person, or anyone else affected by the outcome of the application, would suffer or incur any inconvenience or loss that would be unreasonable if the person was required to attend the course; or
• if it would be unreasonable to require the person to attend the course.

Please note that your inability to attend a particular course, at a particular location or at a particular time will not be considered as an exceptional circumstance, as courses are offered at a wide variety of locations, dates and times.

To apply for an exemption you must:

• write to Access Canberra requesting an exemption from the requirement to complete a course;
• outline your reasons for requesting an exemption; and
• provide Access Canberra with additional information and documents it requires to determine your application.

Access Canberra will refuse to grant an exemption if it is satisfied on reasonable grounds that exceptional circumstances do not exist for granting the exemption.

Applications for exemption should be addressed to:

Access Canberra

Licence and Registration Administration Team GPO Box 158, Canberra City  ACT 2601

16. Do other Australian jurisdictions have alcohol or drug awareness courses?

Yes. Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania and the Northern Territory have alcohol or drug awareness courses for people convicted of drink or drug driving.

17. Photo ID requirement

Important: Clients will not be given evidence of completion of the Alcohol and Drug Awareness Course without photo identification. Clients who have been court cancelled and are surrendering their licence at an Access Canberra Service Centre should obtain a Proof of Identity Card at this time, if they do not have another form of photo ID.

18. I have more questions. Who do I talk to?

For enquiries regarding Alcohol and Drug Awareness Courses generally, please contact Access Canberra on 13 22 81.

For enquiries regarding the details of a particular Alcohol and Drug Awareness Course, please contact the course provider.

19. How to submit your course certificate and apply for your probationary licence

You can submit your Alcohol and Drug Awareness course certificate to the Licence and Registration Administration team at any time, via either email or post listed below.  If, as a result of your offence, you have been disqualified, you will need to attend an Access Canberra Service Centre in person to apply for your probationary licence. Depending on your licence type and circumstances, other requirements may apply. For further information specific to your licence, please contact Access Canberra on 13 22 81.

Access Canberra Service Centre Locations

Licence and Registration Administration Team
GPO Box 158, Canberra City ACT  2601
02 6207 7002
LARA@act.gov.au