List no. 01 · Room 1 · Testing
Roadside drug testing, state by state
Police in every state and territory can test a driver’s saliva (oral fluid) at the roadside for a short list of drugs. Which drugs, what happens after a positive result, and how long you are kept off the road all differ by state, so each one is set out below from its own official page.
General information
This page explains the law in general terms. It is not legal advice, and it cannot tell you what to do in your own matter. For your state’s current rules, check the police or transport department page linked beside each entry.
What the roadside test is looking for
The saliva test checks whether a drug is present, not whether you are affected by it. Victoria’s Transport Accident Commission explains that a positive oral fluid result indicates recent drug use, and that drug concentrations can only be determined through a blood sample.
That is why the offence the test supports is usually framed around presence. South Australia’s Legal Services Commission notes that, unlike drink driving, there is no minimum amount of drug that has to be present for a driver to be guilty. Queensland calls it zero tolerance: any trace of a relevant drug can be penalised.
The stop, step by step
The sequence below follows the New South Wales and Victorian descriptions, which match closely. Other states differ in detail, noted where their pages say so.
The stop and the breath test
In New South Wales you are stopped, asked for your licence and breath tested for alcohol first, as at a random breath test. In South Australia a drug screening test can be required once an alcotest or breath analysis has been done.
The screening swab
In New South Wales you wipe a test stick down your tongue and the result takes a few minutes. In Victoria a small absorbent pad is placed on the tongue for a few seconds and analysed at the roadside in about three minutes. Queensland says its saliva test takes 3 to 5 minutes.
A second test if the first is positive
A positive screen leads to a second oral fluid test in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. In the ACT a driver whose screen indicates a drug may be taken into custody for further analysis, usually at a police station.
Off the road for a time
New South Wales: you may receive a 24-hour driving prohibition if the second test is positive. Queensland: a positive test means your licence is suspended for 24 hours. Western Australia: a positive test, or a refusal, brings a prohibition notice banning you from driving for 24 hours. Victoria: a positive THC result means an order not to drive for at least 12 hours. South Australia: if no on-the-spot disqualification is issued, police may ask you to stop driving until the drug is no longer detectable, which may be up to 24 hours or longer.
The laboratory
The sample goes to a laboratory. In New South Wales drivers are only charged if the laboratory confirms an illegal drug; in Victoria the laboratory result is the basis for any charge. South Australia notes that this process can take several weeks.
A notice, a fine or a court date
What arrives next depends on the state and on your record. In New South Wales most drink and drug driving charges go to court, though a first or less serious offence may be dealt with by a penalty notice and an immediate licence suspension. The penalties sheet sets out each state.
Which drugs each state screens for
The lists below are copied from each state’s own page. A drug not on the roadside list can still be found by blood or urine testing, which comes up in the next section.
| State | Drugs the roadside test screens for | Official page |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | Ecstasy (MDMA), cannabis, cocaine and methamphetamine (including speed and ice). | Transport for NSW: Drugs and driving |
| VIC | THC (the active component in cannabis), methamphetamine and MDMA (ecstasy). | TAC: FAQ about drug driving |
| QLD | Methylamphetamine (speed and ice), MDMA, THC and cocaine, listed as relevant drugs under legislation. | Queensland Government: Drugs and driving |
| WA | Cannabis, ecstasy, meth or cocaine. Cocaine testing was announced on 10 September 2026. | Road Safety Commission: Drink and drug driving |
| SA | THC, methylamphetamine, MDMA and cocaine. | Legal Services Commission SA: Drug driving and the law |
| TAS | “Prescribed illicit drugs”, which the law defines by regulation. Police may require an oral fluid test whether or not they suspect a drug is present. | Road Safety (Alcohol and Drugs) Act 1970 |
| ACT | Methamphetamine, MDMA (ecstasy), cocaine and cannabis containing THC. | City Services: Drink and drug driving |
| NT | The NT Government page describes testing by saliva or blood, and when police can direct it: at a breath test, a random saliva test, on belief of an offence, or on suspicion of involvement in a crash. | NT.GOV.AU: Drug driving penalties |
What the saliva test does not cover
Victoria’s TAC says the saliva tests do not detect prescription drugs or common medications such as cold and flu tablets. That does not put those medicines outside the law. If Victorian police believe a driver is impaired, they may ask for a Standard Impairment Test and then a blood test, and driving while impaired is a separate charge.
In New South Wales, a driver suspected of being under the influence is taken to hospital to give blood and urine samples, which can detect a wide range of illegal drugs and medicines. The ACT says its driving under the influence offence covers legal and illegal drugs, naming methadone, morphine, oxycodone, fentanyl, benzodiazepines and heroin. The medicines sheet goes further into this.
Refusing a test
The official pages treat refusing a test as an offence in its own right, and in several states it is punished more heavily than the drug driving charge itself.
- South Australia: refusing a drug screening test, oral fluid analysis or blood test is an offence, and the penalties are more serious than those for a first drug driving offence.
- Queensland: failing to provide a saliva specimen can bring a fine of up to $6,908 or up to 6 months’ imprisonment, as at October 2026.
- Western Australia: drivers who refuse samples receive the highest penalty for the relevant impaired driving offence.
- Victoria: refusing a drug test, or refusing to give a sample of blood, saliva or urine, is charged as a refusal offence. For a first offence, Victoria Legal Aid lists a minimum licence cancellation of 2 years for refusing a drug test, against 6 months for having a drug present.
- ACT: refusing to provide oral fluid or blood is an offence.
How long a drug can be detected
There is no single answer. Victoria’s TAC says the tests work to detect drugs in saliva for several hours after use, and that it is hard to know for sure how long drugs remain, which varies from person to person. Transport for NSW says illegal drugs can be detected in saliva for a significant length of time after use, even if you feel fine, and that the period depends on the drug, the amount, how often it is used and the person. Queensland lists the same kinds of factors, including the time since the drug was taken. Transport for NSW’s own advice is that if you think you may have illegal drugs in your system, the best decision is not to drive.
Tasmania’s law adds a presumption: if a prescribed illicit drug is found in oral fluid or blood within 6 hours of the relevant time, it is presumed to have been there at that time unless the contrary is proved.