About the Sober Driver Program
The Sober Driver Program is a therapeutic group program that helps to change the attitudes and behaviours of drivers convicted of a serious or repeat drink driving offence. Find out about the program's objectives, delivery, who should attend, cost, and how to register.
What is the Sober Driver Program?
The Sober Driver Program is an evidence-based program for drivers who have been convicted of a serious or repeat drink driving offence.
The program consists of 20 hours of group therapy to help you:
- understand the consequences of drink driving (for yourself and others)
- understand the events and decisions that led to your offence
- create and use strategies to prevent you from offending again
- develop skills and positive attitudes for safe driving.
Program overview
The Sober Driver Program is for drivers who have been convicted of a serious or repeat drink driving offence and who are supervised by Corrective Services NSW, or who have an interlock exemption order.
The program is educational and therapeutically designed to explore issues such as the:
- consequences of drink driving
- effects of alcohol on driving
- managing drinking situations
- relapse prevention.
It explores behavioural consequences, risk factors relating to drink driving and provides an opportunity for participants to formulate personalised strategies to avoid drink driving in the future.
Programs are delivered by facilitators trained to engage participants to learn from the content and each other, in a supported therapeutic environment.
The program is delivered through 2 pathways: Corrective Services NSW and Managed Training Services.
If you have a court supervisory order with Corrective Services NSW, you will complete the program through them. To register, contact your local Community Corrections Office as soon as you receive your letter from Transport for NSW (TfNSW) notifying you of your requirement to complete the Sober Driver Program.
If you have an interlock exemption order and are not supervised by Corrective Services NSW, you will complete the program with Managed Training Services and must register on their website.
If you are unsure which Sober Driver Program you may be eligible for, refer to program participants for more information.
The Sober Driver Program is a 20-hour program consisting of 18 hours of group work plus 2 hours of take home tasks.
The program is delivered as a:
- 6-hour session per week for 3 weeks, or
- 2-hour session per week for 9 weeks.
Programs are regularly scheduled on weekends or weekday evenings. Experienced facilitators deliver the program to ensure quality and participant engagement.
The average number of participants is between 8 and 12, with a maximum of 16 participants per group. In small and remote locations, groups are permitted to run with a minimum of 6 participants.
The program cost differs depending on your eligibility.
If you have a court order managed by Corrective Services NSW there is no cost to participate in the Sober Driver Program.
If you have an interlock exemption order and are not supervised by Corrective Services NSW, the Sober Driver Program costs $700 to complete.
Financial assistance for the full cost may be available if you are experiencing severe financial hardship. For more information on applying for severe financial hardship assistance, contact Service NSW on 13 77 88.
At the end of the program, you will receive a Certificate of Completion.
If you complete the program with Corrective Services NSW, your program completion will also be recorded electronically on your case history file with Community Corrections.
The court may request an update report on your progress or completion of the program from Community Corrections.
If you have an exemption order from the court and complete the Sober Driver Program via Managed Training Services, you will receive a Certificate of Completion from TfNSW.
You'll need to present this certificate to TfNSW when you apply for your new licence.