NSW Dubbo Local Court List Today

This page publishes the daily Dubbo Local Court list for matters listed at the Dubbo Court House on Brisbane Street. The list covers first mentions, adjourned mentions, defended hearings, sentence matters, bail applications, Apprehended Domestic Violence Order proceedings and civil callovers. If you have received a Court Attendance Notice, a bail acknowledgment, a summons or a Statement of Claim naming Dubbo as the venue, your matter number will appear here on the morning it is listed.

Dubbo is the judicial centre of Western New South Wales. The courthouse serves the Dubbo Regional local government area and a catchment that stretches across the Orana and Far West, taking in Narromine, Gilgandra, Wellington, Dunedoo, Nyngan and surrounding communities. It is also the busiest single Local Court venue west of the Great Dividing Range, and the only location outside Sydney, Parramatta and the Hunter that hosts a Drug Court.

Dubbo Court House at a Glance

• Street address: 137 Brisbane Street, Dubbo NSW 2830
• Postal address: PO Box 50, Dubbo NSW 2830
• Registry telephone: 1300 679 272
• Fax: 6885 7697
• Registry hours: 9:00 am to 4:30 pm
• Telephone hours: 9:00 am to 4:30 pm
• Days open: Monday to Friday
• Audio Visual Link: available in Court 1, Court 2 and Court 3, plus three separate AVL suites
• Co-located jurisdictions: Local Court, District Court, Children's Court, Coroners Court and Drug Court

Three courtrooms plus three dedicated AVL suites is an unusually strong technology footprint for a regional courthouse. It reflects the volume of custody appearances handled from Wellington Correctional Centre and Macquarie Correctional Centre, both of which sit within the Dubbo catchment, and it is the reason many defendants listed at Dubbo appear by video rather than in person.

How Busy Is Dubbo Local Court? The Numbers Behind the List

Statewide workload that shapes every regional list

The Local Court of New South Wales is the busiest court jurisdiction in Australia, and the pressure on regional lists follows directly from that volume. According to the Local Court Annual Review 2024, a total of 388,739 criminal matters commenced in the jurisdiction during 2024, a rise of 3.3 per cent on 2023 and 34.1 per cent higher than the 2014 figure. A further 67,805 civil matters were filed, up 4.5 per cent, and 55,194 Apprehended Violence Order proceedings commenced, up 5.7 per cent on the previous year and 40.7 per cent higher than a decade earlier.

BOCSAR data for the 2024/25 financial year confirms the same trajectory at the finalisation end. New South Wales criminal courts finalised 151,113 defendant appearances, of which 141,616, or roughly 94 per cent, were finalised in the Local Court. That represents a 7.7 per cent increase, an additional 10,168 matters in a single year. Domestic violence related matters made up 27.1 per cent of all Local Court finalisations, up from 26.0 per cent in 2023/24.

Timeliness figures explain why a Dubbo matter can be adjourned several times before it is resolved. The median time from arrest to finalisation for a defended hearing in the Local Court was 263 days in 2024/25. That is 16 days faster than 2023/24, but still 65 days longer than the 2018/19 benchmark. Sentence and plea matters move considerably faster, which is why the bulk of any daily Dubbo list is mentions rather than hearings.

Crime in the Dubbo Regional local government area

The Dubbo Regional LGA had an estimated population of 56,720 in 2024, with a median age of 36 and an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population of 16.6 per cent, or 9,101 people at the 2021 Census. That Indigenous share is roughly five times the New South Wales average of 3.4 per cent, and it is central to why Dubbo hosts more culturally specific court programs than any other regional venue in the state.

Recorded crime rates in the LGA sit well above state benchmarks. Across the 2022 to 2024 period, Dubbo recorded 1,651 break-ins per 100,000 residents against a New South Wales rate of 547, and 2,022 motor vehicle theft incidents per 100,000 against a state rate of 718. Violent crime was recorded at 6,289 incidents per 100,000, compared with 2,383 across New South Wales. Roughly 96 per cent of Australian local government areas had a lower violent crime rate than Dubbo over that window.

The trend is not uniformly negative. Comparing 2022 to 2024 against 2020 to 2022, the violent crime rate in Dubbo fell 14.9 per cent and motor vehicle theft fell 1.5 per cent, while break-ins rose 16.8 per cent. On domestic violence specifically, BOCSAR recorded the Far West and Orana region, which includes Dubbo, as having the highest rate of domestic violence assault in the state in the 12 months to March 2025, at 1,534.4 incidents per 100,000 population, more than three times the New South Wales average.

What Types of Matters Appear on the Dubbo Local Court List

Criminal and traffic matters

The Local Court deals with more than 90 per cent of all criminal matters in New South Wales. It finalises summary offences and hears certain indictable offences summarily under Schedule 1 of the Criminal Procedure Act 1986, commonly called Table offences. It also case manages strictly indictable matters through the Early Appropriate Guilty Plea scheme up to committal to the District or Supreme Court.

Statewide, the ten most common principal offences among proven defendants in 2024/25 were led by traffic and vehicle offences at 45,371, followed by offences against justice procedures and orders at 17,180, acts intended to cause injury at 10,132, drug offences at 9,796, theft at 9,323, domestic violence related assault at 8,743 and non-domestic violence assault at 7,158. A typical Dubbo list mirrors this distribution, with traffic mentions and breach matters occupying the heaviest blocks of court time.

Sentencing power is capped. A Magistrate may impose a maximum of two years imprisonment for a single offence where gaol is available, or an aggregate of up to five years for multiple offences. Across the state in 2024/25, 86 per cent of finalised defendants had at least one proven charge, 8 per cent had all charges withdrawn by the prosecution, and 10.0 per cent of proven defendants received a custodial penalty, up from 9.1 per cent the year before.

Where your matter goes next depends on its seriousness. Committed indictable matters, and criminal appeals from a Magistrate's decision, are heard at Dubbo District Court, which sits in the same Brisbane Street complex. Reportable deaths and inquests are handled separately by the Dubbo Coroners Court. Consumer, tenancy and small civil disputes below the Local Court threshold are often better directed to a NCAT list rather than a civil callover here.

Apprehended Violence Order proceedings

Nearly half of the Local Court's 2024 caseload related to domestic, family and personal violence. Apprehended Domestic Violence Order lodgements reached 47,453 in 2024, with 37,125 final orders made and 50,889 total finalisations. Personal violence order lodgements added a further 7,741 matters. Statewide in 2024, 73 per cent of domestic violence charges finalised in court were proven.

AVO list days at Dubbo are supported by the Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service, which assisted more than 64,000 women across New South Wales in 2023/24, alongside Legal Aid NSW Domestic Violence Duty Service solicitors and Police Domestic Violence Officers.

Civil claims

The Local Court civil jurisdiction hears claims up to $100,000 and is split into two divisions. The Small Claims Division handles claims of $20,000 or less and is conducted with minimal formality. The General Division hears claims between $20,000 and $100,000, except in personal injury or death claims, where the limit is $60,000. From 2025, all Small Claims matters across New South Wales are heard by an Assessor rather than a Magistrate, a change that affects how regional civil callovers at Dubbo are staffed.

Of the 67,491 civil matters finalised statewide in 2024, only 1 per cent were resolved by a court judgment. Default judgment accounted for 30 per cent, dismissal for lack of progress under UCPR 12.9 for 43 per cent, and negotiated settlement for 7 per cent. Most civil listings you see on a Dubbo list will never proceed to a contested hearing.

Specialist Courts and Lists That Sit at Dubbo

Dubbo Drug Court

The Dubbo Drug Court commenced sitting on 20 February 2023, making it the fourth Drug Court in New South Wales after Sydney, Parramatta and Toronto, and the first outside the metropolitan corridor. The New South Wales Government committed $27.9 million over four years to the expansion, on top of a $3.6 million upgrade to the Dubbo courthouse. Funding allows the court to sit two days per week and to carry up to 80 participants at any one time. Since 12 January 2023, every Local Court and District Court in New South Wales has been able to refer eligible drug-dependent offenders to the Drug Court.

Youth Koori Court

A Youth Koori Court commenced at Dubbo Children's Court on 24 March 2023, the third in the state after Parramatta and Surry Hills and the first in regional New South Wales. A BOCSAR evaluation comparing 151 Youth Koori Court participants against 2,883 comparable Aboriginal young people found participants were 40 per cent less likely to receive a custodial sentence at finalisation. Among those who did reoffend, participants were 84 per cent less likely to receive a custodial penalty at reconviction.

Circle Sentencing

Dubbo is one of the long-standing Circle Sentencing locations in New South Wales, alongside Armidale, Bourke, Brewarrina, Broken Hill, Kempsey, Lismore, Mount Druitt, Nambucca, Nowra, Walgett and Wagga Wagga. Circle Sentencing is available to Aboriginal defendants who have pleaded guilty or been found guilty, and involves Elders and respected community members sitting with the Magistrate. The program received $4.2 million in 2022 to expand from 12 to 20 Local Court locations.

Winha-nga-nha List

The Winha-nga-nha List is a dedicated care and protection list for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families at Dubbo Children's Court. Specialist Magistrates are supported by Children's Registrars who run Dispute Resolution Conferences with the aim of improving family participation and narrowing contested issues before hearing.

Diversion and Support Programs Operating at Dubbo

Dubbo is one of the 42 courts served by the Statewide Community and Court Liaison Service, which places a mental health clinician at court to screen defendants and support diversion under sections 14, 19 and 20 of the Mental Health and Cognitive Impairment Forensic Provisions Act 2020. In the 2024 calendar year the service screened 15,645 people appearing before the Local Court, completed 4,210 comprehensive assessments, and diverted 3,396 people, or 82 per cent of those assessed.

The Magistrates Early Referral into Treatment program, a voluntary pre-plea 12-week rehabilitation pathway, was available in 75 of the state's 129 Local Courts as at December 2024. Statewide in 2024, 3,309 defendants were referred to MERIT, 2,180 were accepted, and 1,500 of those accepted completed the program. The Traffic Offender Intervention Program handled 26,468 referrals in 2024, with 22,259 completions. Of TOIP participants, 27.82 per cent were referred for speeding, 24.11 per cent for prescribed concentration of alcohol offences and 18.69 per cent for licence offences.

Circuit Courts Administered Through the Dubbo Registry

Several smaller courthouses in the Orana region are administered through PO Box 50, Dubbo, and share the Dubbo registry telephone line. If your Court Attendance Notice names one of these venues rather than Dubbo, your matter will not appear on the Dubbo list.

• Narromine Local Court: 47 Merilba Street, open on court sitting days only
• Gilgandra Local Court: 10 Myrtle Street, open on court days
• Dunedoo Local Court: 24 Digilah Street, sitting on the first Thursday of the month
• Nyngan Local Court: 77 Cobar Street, sitting on Mondays in the fourth week of the month and Thursdays in even months

Dubbo, Walgett and Wellington Local Courts all have Audio Visual Link facilities on their shared circuit, which allows practitioners and defendants to appear remotely on circuit days without travelling.

How to Read Your Dubbo Local Court Listing

Listings on this page show the party name, the assigned court room where available, and the scheduled time. Names are partially masked for privacy. A listing marked "Unassigned" means a courtroom had not been allocated at the time the list was published, and you should check the daily list displayed at the courthouse foyer on arrival.

Common listing terms

• Mention: a short administrative appearance to enter a plea, seek an adjournment or set a timetable
• Defended hearing: a contested hearing where evidence is called after a not guilty plea
• Sentence: a listing to determine penalty after a plea or finding of guilt
• Committal: case management of an indictable matter before it moves to the District Court
• Callover: a listing to review readiness and allocate hearing dates
• Bail application: an application for release, or to vary existing bail conditions
• AVL: the person is appearing by audio visual link, usually from custody

Attending Dubbo Court House

The registry opens at 9:00 am and most lists are called from 9:30 am. Allow time for security screening on entry. Bring photographic identification, your Court Attendance Notice or summons, and any documents you have been directed to file. If you are unrepresented, ask registry staff to direct you to the Legal Aid NSW duty solicitor or the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) representative attending that day, and do so before your matter is called rather than after.

Interpreters are provided free of charge in criminal proceedings and must be booked in advance through the registry. Multicultural NSW delivered 20,856 interpreting assignments across more than 80 Local Courts in 2024, covering 91 languages. A fee-exempt interpreting pilot has extended free interpreters to Small Claims and General Division civil matters as well.

If your notice names a nearby circuit venue, check that list rather than this one. Matters at Wellington Local Court and Walgett Local Court share the Dubbo circuit and its Audio Visual Link arrangements, so a defendant in custody may still appear from one site while the file sits at another. Sitting days at these smaller courthouses are limited, and an adjournment can move your matter to the next scheduled date weeks away. Confirm the venue before you travel.

Frequently Asked Questions

What time does Dubbo Local Court start?

The registry opens at 9:00 am Monday to Friday and lists are generally called from 9:30 am. Arrive at least 30 minutes early to clear security and locate your courtroom.

Where is Dubbo Court House located?

The courthouse is at 137 Brisbane Street, Dubbo NSW 2830, in the town centre and within walking distance of Dubbo Railway Station. Postal correspondence goes to PO Box 50, Dubbo NSW 2830.

What is the phone number for the Dubbo Local Court registry?

The published registry line is 1300 679 272, available between 9:00 am and 4:30 pm on weekdays. The registry fax is 6885 7697.

Can I appear at Dubbo Local Court by video link?

Audio Visual Link facilities are available in Court 1, Court 2 and Court 3, plus three additional AVL suites. Whether you may appear remotely is a matter for the Magistrate and generally requires an application in advance.

What is the maximum sentence Dubbo Local Court can impose?

A Magistrate may impose up to two years imprisonment for a single offence carrying a term of imprisonment, or an aggregate term of up to five years for multiple offences. More serious matters are committed to the District Court.

What is the civil claim limit at Dubbo Local Court?

The Local Court hears civil claims up to $100,000. The Small Claims Division covers claims of $20,000 or less, and the General Division covers claims between $20,000 and $100,000, with a $60,000 limit on personal injury and death claims. Larger claims go to Dubbo District Court, which hears civil matters generally up to $750,000.

Does Dubbo have a Drug Court?

Yes. The Dubbo Drug Court has been sitting since 20 February 2023 and operates two days per week with capacity for up to 80 participants. Referrals may be made from any Local or District Court in New South Wales where a defendant appears to meet the eligibility criteria.

How long does a Local Court matter usually take to finalise?

It depends on the plea. Matters resolved by a guilty plea often conclude within a few appearances. Defended hearings take substantially longer, with a statewide median of 263 days from arrest to finalisation in 2024/25.

Why is my name not on the Dubbo list?

The most common reasons are that your matter is listed at a circuit venue such as Narromine, Gilgandra, Dunedoo or Nyngan rather than Dubbo, that it is listed in the Children's Court, which is a closed court, or that it has been adjourned to a different date. Confirm your listing with the registry before attending.