Yes, but Queensland has no formal review step for speeding fines. For a camera fine, you can send the Queensland Revenue Office (QRO) an email enquiry through its online form if you disagree. If someone else was driving, transfer the fine to them within 28 days of the issue date. Within 28 days you can also elect to have it decided in the Magistrates Court. QRO says it can’t offer leniency for a good driving record or financial hardship. For a police-issued fine, contact the issuing agency before the due date.
Last checked 7 November 2026 against the State Penalties Enforcement Act 1999 (Qld), reprint current as at 31 August 2026, and the official Queensland pages listed under Sources.
Queensland speeding fines at a glance
| Type of fine | Who to contact | How | Deadline | Court election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speed camera fine | Queensland Revenue Office | Email enquiry through QRO’s online form. Transfer to the driver online or by statutory declaration. | 28 days from the issue date (transfer, payment plan and court) | Election for Court at www.qld.gov.au/contestfine, or form F5111, within 28 days. Do not pay. |
| Police-issued speeding fine | The issuing agency (Queensland Police Service) | Contact the agency, using the details on the notice. | Before the due date on the notice | Same route, within 28 days of the date of the notice. |
Camera fine or police fine: what is different
A camera-detected speeding fine is managed by the Queensland Revenue Office; a fine handed to you by a police officer is dealt with by the issuing agency. Both follow the same State Penalties Enforcement Act 1999 rules and the same court route.
Camera fines: the Queensland Revenue Office
QRO manages “camera-detected offences (e.g. red light, speed, seatbelt and mobile phone)”. Within 28 days of the issue date you can:
- pay in full;
- set up a payment plan, for fines of $200 or more;
- transfer the fine to the person responsible;
- dispute it in court.
QRO says: “If you disagree with your camera-detected fine, you can send us an email enquiry” through its online form, and if you are still dissatisfied, you can dispute it in court. Fines that are not finalised “may be referred to the State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER) for collection”.
Police-issued fines: the issuing agency
The Queensland Government says to “Contact the agency who issued the infringement notice”, before the due date, by email or by phone, and that “There is no fee to dispute a fine.” The court route for fines “issued by a police officer” is the same as for camera fines.
Both: the 28-day rule
Under s 22 of the Act, within 28 days after the date of the infringement notice you must pay the fine in full, elect to have the matter decided in a Magistrates Court, or, if relevant, give a declaration about who was using the vehicle. If you pay or apply to pay by instalments, you may not elect court (s 26).
Ready to put it in writing?
Answer 3 quick questions to check you have the details your document needs, and see your next step.
1. Who is this about?
2. How much is at stake?
3. Do you have it in writing?
Your result is ready. Want a copy by email? (optional)
Not the driver? Nominate the driver
If someone else was driving when a camera caught the car, transfer (nominate) the fine to that person within 28 days of the issue date on the notice. The Queensland Government says: “You must transfer a fine within 28 days of the issue date on the notice.”
- Why it matters. When a notice is served on the owner, “the owner is taken to have committed the offence even though the actual offender may have been someone else” (s 17). That stops applying if, within 28 days after the date of the notice or service of a summons, the owner gives an illegal user, known user, unknown user or sold vehicle declaration.
- How. Online, using your Queensland licence or customer reference number. Or by statutory declaration (the one sent with the notice, or the “Nominate the driver (statutory declaration) form”), witnessed, for example by a Justice of the Peace, and posted to QRO.
- Which fines. Only camera-detected offences can be transferred: red light, speeding, mobile phone, seatbelt, unregistered, uninsured, and dangerous goods in tunnels. The fine must be unpaid.
- If you miss the deadline. SPER may take action, and demerit points may be recorded against the person the fine was issued to.
- If you don’t know who was driving. An unknown user declaration must state the inquiries you made to find the driver. A court will not act on it unless satisfied the inquiries “were reasonable in the circumstances” and “carried out with appropriate diligence” (s 21).
Never nominate someone who was not driving. The transfer service is not for you if you “were driving the vehicle at the time of the offence”. On false statements the Queensland Government is blunt: “It’s a criminal offence. It can result in a police investigation, fines and imprisonment.”
Grounds for review or withdrawal in Queensland
Queensland sets no list of review grounds for speeding fines: the issuing authority “may withdraw an infringement notice at any time before the fine is satisfied in full” (s 28), and the formal way to contest a fine is in the Magistrates Court. Read these limits first.
What will not work for a camera fine. QRO says: “We can’t offer leniency on a camera-detected fine based on a good driving record or because of financial hardship.”
More than 40 km/h over. A Queensland licence is suspended for 6 months once you are convicted, which happens by paying the fine, being dealt with by a court, or the fine being referred to SPER. Legal Aid Queensland says you “cannot choose a good behaviour licence” for a high-speed suspension.
What you can raise, and the route the official sources give for it:
| Your situation | Route | What to show |
|---|---|---|
| Someone else was driving (camera fine) | Transfer the fine to the driver within 28 days of the issue date | The driver’s name, address and licence details, given truthfully |
| The car was stolen or used illegally | Illegal user declaration, within 28 days of the date of the notice (s 17) | A police report or other record of the theft or misuse |
| You had sold the car | Sold vehicle declaration, within 28 days of the date of the notice (s 17) | The sale date and buyer’s details, transfer papers |
| You do not know who was driving | Unknown user declaration stating the inquiries you made (ss 17, 21) | A record of each inquiry: who you asked and when |
| You disagree with the camera fine (for example the reading or the details on the notice) | Email enquiry to QRO through its online form; if still dissatisfied, court within 28 days | Exactly what you say is wrong, with photos, dashcam or records |
| You disagree with a police-issued fine | Contact the issuing agency before the due date; court within 28 days | Your account of what happened and any evidence |
| A good driving record, or financial hardship (camera fine) | Not a basis for leniency at QRO | For hardship, ask about a payment plan instead |
Two points from the Act to keep in mind. A withdrawn notice does not always end things: after withdrawal “a proceeding for the offence may be taken against any person (including the alleged offender) as if the notice had not been served” (s 28). And “No compensation is payable” if the authority refuses to withdraw.
Demerit points and your licence in Queensland
A Queensland speeding offence carries 1 to 8 demerit points and a fine of $345 to $1,986, depending on how far over the limit you were. These are the amounts from 1 July 2026, when the Queensland Government says “our fines and penalties increased by 3.5%”.
| Over the limit | Demerit points | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 11 km/h | 1 | $345 |
| 11 to 20 km/h | 3 | $518 |
| More than 20 to 30 km/h | 4 | $777 |
| More than 30 to 40 km/h | 6 | $1,295 |
| More than 40 km/h | 8 | $1,986 |
- Double demerit points “apply all year round” for certain repeat speeding offences committed within 1 year of the previous offence.
- When points count. Points apply from the offence date, but show on your traffic history only once the fine is paid or referred to SPER, a court convicts you, or an interstate order is issued.
- Open licence. “If you get 12 or more demerit points within a 3 year period”, you get a notice to choose a suspension or to “agree to continue driving under a period of good driving behaviour for 1 year”. Suspension: 12 to 15 points, 3 months; 16 to 19 points, 4 months; 20 or more, 5 months. If you do not choose by the due date, the licence is suspended automatically. Two or more points during the good behaviour period means the licence “will be suspended for double the suspension period that would have applied.”
- Provisional licence. 4 or more points “within a continuous 1 year period” means a choice of a 3-month suspension or a 1-year good driving behaviour period. Two or more points in that period brings a 6-month suspension. A single speeding offence of more than 20 km/h over carries 4 points or more.
- Learner licence. 4 or more points triggers a sanction, and a learner must serve a 3-month suspension “even if you have already upgraded to a provisional licence”.
- Points carry over. “Your points do not reset when you progress from one licence type to another.”
- High-speed suspension. More than 40 km/h over: the “Queensland licence is suspended for 6 months”, and a non-Queensland licence authority is suspended for the same period. It runs “From the date stated in this notice”.
Special hardship order
“A special hardship order is a court order that allows a driver with a suspended Queensland provisional or open licence” to keep driving under restrictions. It is available only where the suspension is for 2 or more points during a good driving behaviour period, or for “a high speed driving offence (more than 40km/h over the speed limit)”. It is not available for a learner licence or a non-Queensland licence. You must show “extreme hardship” (for example losing your means of earning a living) or “severe and unusual hardship”. You apply to the Magistrates Court where you live “after your suspension has started”, and give TMR (Queensland’s transport department) a court-stamped copy “at least 7 days” before the hearing. On the order “a zero-demerit point limit applies”, and a breach can bring “a fine of more than $3,300” and disqualification.
Clean record: can you ask for a caution or leniency?
Not for a camera fine: the Queensland Revenue Office says it “can’t offer leniency on a camera-detected fine based on a good driving record or because of financial hardship”. A clean record can still sit in your letter as background, but it is not a ground QRO will act on.
For a police-issued fine, this guide does not describe a police leniency or caution process, because we could not verify one from official sources. You can still ask the issuing agency to withdraw the fine; the decision is theirs under s 28.
Taking it to court: how, deadline, risks
To contest a camera or police speeding fine in court, submit an Election for Court within 28 days of the date of the infringement notice, and do not pay the fine.
- How. Online at www.qld.gov.au/contestfine. Or on paper with form F5111 (individuals) or F5112 (companies), emailed to courtelections@treasury.qld.gov.au or posted to Queensland Revenue Office, GPO Box 1447, Brisbane QLD 4001.
- Deadline. “You must dispute a fine within 28 days of the date of the infringement notice.” If you don’t, SPER may take enforcement action and demerit points will be added. Legal Aid Queensland warns that missing it means “you may lose your right to have the matter heard in court”.
- Do not pay. The official advice is “Do not pay the fine and keep a copy for your records.” Paying or applying for instalments removes the right to elect court (s 26).
- What happens next. A complaint summons with the court date is mailed to your last known address. The proceeding runs under the Justices Act 1886 (s 27).
- The risks. Legal Aid Queensland says that if you are found guilty “you will be charged the offender levy, on top of any fine, summons cost and witness expenses.” The offender levy applies to adults sentenced in court “whether or not a conviction is recorded”. A conviction by a court also records the demerit points, and for more than 40 km/h over it triggers the 6-month suspension.
Court is not a free second try.
How to contest a speeding fine in Queensland: 4 steps
Step 1: Read the notice and diary the deadlines
Check whether it is a camera or police fine, the speed recorded and the limit, the place and time, the amount, the demerit points, the issue date and the due date. Diary the date 28 days from the issue date: transfer, payment plans and court elections all run from it. Do not pay if you may want to go to court.
Step 2: Decide which route fits
If someone else was driving a camera-detected vehicle, transfer the fine to them. If the car had been sold or used without permission, give the right declaration. If you were driving and disagree with the fine, write to QRO (camera) or the issuing agency (police) with your reasons and evidence. Do not rely on a good record or hardship for a camera fine.
Step 3: Send it, with evidence
Set out the notice details, what you say is wrong, and your evidence: dashcam footage, photos of the signs, records that show where the car was. Our document is either a nomination of the actual driver or a request for withdrawal, drafted in the terms Queensland law uses, for you to check and send.
Step 4: If it is refused
Your options are to pay, to set up a payment plan (camera fines of $200 or more), or to elect to have the matter decided in the Magistrates Court within 28 days of the date of the notice, with the costs and risks above. If you cannot pay, see our hardship and payment plan request. Do not let the fine go to enforcement by doing nothing.
Questions people ask
How do I contest a speeding fine in Queensland?
Ask the agency to withdraw it, or elect to have it decided in the Magistrates Court within 28 days of the date of the notice. For a camera fine, send QRO an email enquiry through its online form; for a police fine, contact the issuing agency before the due date. Court elections go through www.qld.gov.au/contestfine or form F5111. Do not pay if you want a court hearing.
Can I get a speeding fine withdrawn with a clean record?
Not a camera fine. The Queensland Revenue Office says it “can’t offer leniency on a camera-detected fine based on a good driving record or because of financial hardship.” For a police-issued fine, this guide does not describe a leniency process because we could not verify one from official sources. Any withdrawal is at the agency’s discretion under s 28 of the State Penalties Enforcement Act.
I wasn’t driving – what do I do?
Transfer the fine to the person who was driving, within 28 days of the issue date on the notice. You can do it online with your Queensland licence or customer reference number, or by a witnessed statutory declaration posted to QRO. Only camera-detected fines can be transferred, and the fine must be unpaid. Never name someone who was not driving: a false statement is a criminal offence.
How long do I have to nominate the driver?
28 days from the issue date on the notice. The Queensland Government says “You must transfer a fine within 28 days of the issue date on the notice.” If you miss it, SPER may take action and demerit points may be recorded against the person the fine was issued to. Do it as soon as you know who was driving.
What happens if I make a false nomination?
You commit a criminal offence. The Queensland Government’s transfer page says of false statements: “It’s a criminal offence. It can result in a police investigation, fines and imprisonment.” The transfer service is not for you if you were driving the vehicle at the time. Only ever name the person who was actually driving, using their real details.
Is it worth taking a speeding fine to court?
Only you can weigh it, and court is not free. If found guilty, Legal Aid Queensland says you pay the offender levy on top of any fine, summons cost and witness expenses, and a court conviction still records the demerit points. You must elect within 28 days of the date of the notice and must not pay first. For a serious case, get advice from Legal Aid Queensland or a lawyer.
Can I avoid demerit points?
Not if you were driving and the fine stands. Points are recorded once the fine is paid or referred to SPER, or a court convicts you. If someone else was driving a camera-detected vehicle, transferring the fine moves it to them. QRO gives no leniency on camera fines for a good record. Points apply from the offence date and do not reset when you move to a new licence type.
What if I am on P plates?
On a provisional licence, 4 or more demerit points within a continuous 1-year period means a choice of a 3-month suspension or a 1-year good driving behaviour period. Two or more points during that period brings a 6-month suspension. A single speeding offence of more than 20 km/h over carries 4 points or more, so one fine can be enough.
The speed camera was wrong – can I challenge it?
Yes: send QRO an email enquiry through its online form explaining why you say the fine is wrong, with your evidence. If you are still dissatisfied, the route is to elect to have it decided in the Magistrates Court within 28 days of the date of the notice. Do not pay if you want to go to court, because paying removes that right.
How many demerit points do you get for speeding in Queensland?
From 1 to 8, by how far over the limit you were: less than 11 km/h, 1 point ($345); 11 to 20 km/h, 3 points ($518); more than 20 to 30 km/h, 4 points ($777); more than 30 to 40 km/h, 6 points ($1,295); more than 40 km/h, 8 points ($1,986). Double points apply all year to certain repeat offences within a year.
What happens if I’m caught more than 40 km/h over the limit?
Your Queensland licence is suspended for 6 months once you are convicted, by paying, by a court, or by the fine being referred to SPER. The fine is $1,986 with 8 demerit points. You cannot choose a good behaviour licence instead. On a Queensland provisional or open licence, a special hardship order may be available from the Magistrates Court if you can show extreme or severe and unusual hardship.
Can I pay a speeding fine off by instalments?
Yes, if the camera fine is $200 or more: set up a payment plan within 28 days of the issue date. The Act lets you apply to pay by instalments within 28 days of the date of the notice (s 23). Applying to pay by instalments means you can no longer elect to go to court (s 26), so decide on court first.
I can’t afford the fine – can QRO waive it for hardship?
No. QRO says it can’t offer leniency on a camera-detected fine “because of financial hardship”. What is available is a payment plan for fines of $200 or more. If the fine has become a SPER debt, a work and development order may be possible through an approved hardship partner, for people experiencing financial hardship and other listed circumstances.
What happens if I ignore a speeding fine?
It gets worse. Unfinalised camera fines “may be referred to the State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER) for collection”, and an enforcement order adds a registration fee of $83.60. Doing nothing within 28 days lets a court proceeding be started (s 27), and the demerit points are recorded once the fine goes to SPER. Act before the deadline.
Related guides
- How to dispute a parking fine in Queensland
- Contesting a speeding fine in every state and territory
- How to write a fine review request, state by state
- Fine hardship and payment plan request ($29)
- Toll notice dispute ($29)
- Review request for other government fines
Claim Done is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. This page is general information about the official Queensland process, and the decision on any fine belongs to the agency or the court.
Sources
- State Penalties Enforcement Act 1999 (Qld), reprint current as at 31 August 2026 (ss 17 to 28 and sch 2), checked 7 November 2026
- Queensland Revenue Office: fines and infringements, checked 7 November 2026
- Queensland Revenue Office: about fines, checked 7 November 2026
- Queensland Government: how to transfer a fine, checked 7 November 2026
- Queensland Government: contest a fine in court, checked 7 November 2026
- Queensland Government: dispute a fine, checked 7 November 2026
- Queensland Government: infringement notices, checked 7 November 2026
- Queensland Government: work and development order, checked 7 November 2026
- Queensland Government: demerit points schedule, checked 7 November 2026
- Queensland Government: about demerit points, checked 7 November 2026
- Queensland Government: demerit points on an open licence, checked 7 November 2026
- Queensland Government: demerit points on a provisional licence, checked 7 November 2026
- Queensland Government: high-speed driving suspension, checked 7 November 2026
- Queensland Government: special hardship order, checked 7 November 2026
- Legal Aid Queensland: traffic offences, checked 7 November 2026
What happens when you put it in writing — properly
Same problem. What a prepared case looks like.
Getting it drafted
Can I have a Speeding Fine Review (QLD) drafted for me instead of writing it myself?
Yes. Claim Done (claimdone.com.au) drafts a Speeding Fine Review (QLD) from the answers you give about your situation for a flat $49 AUD. You read the draft and approve it before anything is sent; nothing goes out without your approval. Start at claimdone.com.au/begin/?service=speeding-fine-dispute-qld. Claim Done is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.
How much does a Speeding Fine Review (QLD) cost, and how long does it take?
$49 AUD flat, shown before you pay, with no subscription. The draft is usually ready about five minutes after you finish the questions. It covers every Australian state and territory.
Do I need a lawyer to send a Speeding Fine Review (QLD) in Australia?
No. There is no legal requirement to use a solicitor to write or send a Speeding Fine Review (QLD); many people send their own. Claim Done drafts it for you and you approve it before it is sent.