Toronto, Peel, York, Halton, Durham, Hamilton and Barrie
Areas We Serve: DUI Defence Across Toronto and the GTA
Our Toronto DUI lawyers defend impaired driving charges across the GTA, Hamilton and Barrie. Find your city and call 24/7.
Find your city
DUI lawyer for every community in the GTA
Your case is heard where you were stopped. Pick the city where you were charged for local courthouse and police information.
City of Toronto
Cases heard at Ontario Court of Justice, Toronto Courthouse, Toronto
- Toronto DUI LawyerOur office at 500 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4Y 1X9, serving downtown Toronto and the whole city.Toronto DUI defence
- Etobicoke DUI LawyerStopped on the Gardiner, the 427 or the QEW, or on a street in Mimico, Islington or Rexdale? Where you were pulled over decides which police service and courthouse handle your case. We help Etobicoke drivers sort that out and build a defence.Police: Toronto Police ServiceEtobicoke DUI defence
- North York DUI LawyerArrested for impaired driving in Willowdale, Don Mills, Downsview or near the 401 and 400? Your case will be heard downtown at the Toronto courthouse, and our team can guide you from the first phone call to the final court date.Police: Toronto Police ServiceNorth York DUI defence
- Scarborough DUI LawyerScarborough is part of the City of Toronto, so an impaired driving charge laid here is heard at the Toronto courthouse. Our office is in the same city, and we can help from your first call through every court date.Police: Toronto Police ServiceScarborough DUI defence
Peel Region
Cases heard at A. Grenville & William Davis Courthouse, Brampton
- Brampton DUI LawyerArrested for drinking and driving on Highway 410, the 407 or a Brampton side street? Your case will be heard at the Peel courthouse right here in Brampton, and our team can help you prepare for it from day one.Police: Peel Regional PoliceBrampton DUI defence
- Mississauga DUI LawyerCharged with impaired driving in Mississauga? Your case will not stay in Mississauga. It goes to the Peel courthouse in Brampton, and we can guide you through every step from the roadside suspension to the final court date.Police: Peel Regional PoliceMississauga DUI defence
York Region
Cases heard at Newmarket Courthouse, Newmarket
- Aurora DUI LawyerCharged with impaired driving on Yonge Street, Wellington Street or the 404 near Aurora? Your case will be heard at the Newmarket Courthouse, a short drive north. We explain the roadside suspension, the court process and your options in plain language.Police: York Regional PoliceAurora DUI defence
- Markham DUI LawyerA DUI charge can stop a Markham commute overnight. If you were charged on Highway 404, the 407 or a street in Unionville, your case goes to the Newmarket Courthouse, and we can help you protect your licence, your job and your record.Police: York Regional PoliceMarkham DUI defence
- Newmarket DUI LawyerNewmarket is where York Region impaired driving cases go to court. If you were charged on the 404, Davis Drive, Yonge Street or anywhere in the region, our team can defend you at the Newmarket Courthouse and explain every step in plain language.Police: York Regional PoliceNewmarket DUI defence
- Richmond Hill DUI LawyerCharged with impaired driving along Yonge Street, in Oak Ridges or near the 404 and 407? Richmond Hill cases are heard at the Newmarket Courthouse. Learn what happens next and how our team can help you respond.Police: York Regional PoliceRichmond Hill DUI defence
- Thornhill DUI LawyerCharged with impaired driving on Yonge Street, Highway 7 or near Steeles in Thornhill? Cases from both the Vaughan and Markham sides usually go to the Newmarket Courthouse, but a stop south of Steeles is a Toronto case. We work out which applies and defend you.Police: York Regional PoliceThornhill DUI defence
- Vaughan DUI LawyerStopped on Highway 400, the 407 or Highway 7 and charged with impaired driving? Vaughan cases are heard at the Newmarket Courthouse, not in Toronto. Here is what to expect and how we can help you respond.Police: York Regional PoliceVaughan DUI defence
Halton Region
Cases heard at Milton Courthouse, Milton
- Burlington DUI LawyerCharged with impaired driving in Aldershot, Millcroft or on the QEW through Burlington? Most Burlington cases go to the Milton Courthouse, but a stop just over the Hamilton line can change that. We confirm where your case belongs and defend it from the first appearance.Police: Halton Regional Police ServiceBurlington DUI defence
- Milton DUI LawyerCharged with impaired driving on the 401, the 407, Highway 25 or a street in Old Milton, Dempsey or Hawthorne Village? Your case stays in town at the Milton Courthouse, and our team can defend it there while you keep your life on track.Police: Halton Regional Police ServiceMilton DUI defence
- Oakville DUI LawyerCharged with impaired driving on the QEW, the 403 or a street in Glen Abbey, Bronte or Kerr Village? Oakville cases are heard at the Milton Courthouse. We defend Halton Region drivers and help commuters protect their licence and their livelihood.Police: Halton Regional Police ServiceOakville DUI defence
Durham Region
Cases heard at Durham Region Courthouse, Oshawa
- Ajax DUI LawyerCharged with impaired driving in Ajax? Durham Region cases go to the Durham Region Courthouse in Oshawa. Our Toronto team defends Ajax drivers stopped on the 401, the 412, Harwood Avenue and local streets, and we attend court in Oshawa on your behalf.Police: Durham Regional Police ServiceAjax DUI defence
- Oshawa DUI LawyerCharged with impaired driving in Oshawa or elsewhere in Durham Region? Your case will be heard at the Durham Region Courthouse. We defend drivers stopped on the 401, 407, 412 and 418 and on local streets, and we attend court in Oshawa for you.Police: Durham Regional Police ServiceOshawa DUI defence
- Pickering DUI LawyerPickering sits on the Toronto boundary, so the exact spot of your stop decides which court hears your impaired driving case. Charges laid in Pickering go to the Durham Region Courthouse in Oshawa, and our team can defend you there from the first appearance on.Police: Durham Regional Police ServicePickering DUI defence
- Whitby DUI LawyerWhitby impaired driving charges are heard next door at the Durham Region Courthouse in Oshawa. Whether you were stopped in Brooklin, Downtown Whitby or on the 401, 412 or 407, our team can guide you through each stage and appear in court for you.Police: Durham Regional Police ServiceWhitby DUI defence
City of Hamilton
Cases heard at John Sopinka Courthouse, Hamilton
Simcoe County
Cases heard at Barrie Courthouse, Barrie
Reviewed by the DUI Lawyer Toronto defence teamUpdated
A DUI charge follows the location of the traffic stop, not your home address. Someone who lives in Toronto but is stopped on the QEW in Mississauga will have their case heard in Brampton. A Markham resident stopped in North York will go to the Toronto courthouse. Knowing which court, which Crown office and which police service are involved is one of the first things we sort out for every client.
From our office in downtown Toronto, our team defends impaired driving, over 80 and breath test refusal charges in every courthouse across the Greater Toronto Area. Choose your city below for local information about the courthouse, the police service and how DUI cases usually unfold there.
How GTA DUI cases are organized by region
Ontario handles criminal cases by region, so the communities on this page feed into seven courthouses:
| Region | Communities | Where cases are heard |
|---|---|---|
| City of Toronto | Scarborough, North York, Etobicoke and downtown Toronto | Ontario Court of Justice, Toronto |
| Peel Region | Mississauga, Brampton | Brampton |
| York Region | Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Thornhill, Aurora, Newmarket | Newmarket |
| Halton Region | Oakville, Burlington, Milton | Milton |
| Durham Region | Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa | Oshawa |
| City of Hamilton | Hamilton | Hamilton |
| Simcoe County | Barrie | Barrie |
If you were charged downtown or anywhere else in the city of Toronto, start with our main page for a Toronto DUI lawyer.
The same law applies everywhere, but local practice differs
Every impaired driving charge in Ontario is laid under the same Criminal Code provisions, and the same mandatory minimum penalties apply whether you are charged in Oakville or Oshawa. The 90-day roadside licence suspension and 7-day vehicle impoundment also work the same way across the province.
What changes from one courthouse to the next is how busy the court is, how long cases take to reach trial, and how the local Crown office approaches resolution. Those differences can affect strategy, especially when trial delay or early resolution options are in play. That is why our city pages explain local details alongside the charges most often laid in each area, such as over 80, impaired driving and refusing a breath test.
Getting help wherever you were charged
You do not need to visit our office to get started. Most first consultations happen by phone or video, and you can send us your paperwork electronically. If you have just been charged, read what to do in the first 72 hours, then call us for a free, confidential review of your case.
Areas we serve: common questions
Do you only take DUI cases from Toronto?
No. Our office is at 500 Yonge Street in downtown Toronto, but we defend impaired driving charges across the Greater Toronto Area, including Peel, York, Halton and Durham regions, as well as Hamilton and Barrie. Consultations can happen by phone or video, and we attend court in whichever courthouse is handling your case, so you do not need to live near our office.
Which courthouse will my DUI case be heard in?
It usually depends on where the police stopped you, not where you live. Toronto charges are generally heard in the Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto, Peel charges in Brampton, York Region charges in Newmarket, Halton charges in Milton, Durham charges in Oshawa, and Hamilton and Barrie charges in their own local courthouses. Your release paperwork lists the court location and your first appearance date.
What if I was charged on a highway by the OPP?
The Ontario Provincial Police patrol the 400-series highways, including the 401, 400, 404, 427, 403, QEW and 407. An OPP charge is still a Criminal Code charge, and it is usually heard in the courthouse for the region where the stop happened. The defence process, from disclosure to trial, is the same as for a charge laid by a regional police service.
Can a lawyer attend court for me if I live far from the courthouse?
In many impaired driving cases a lawyer can appear on your behalf for routine court dates, which saves you from taking time off work to travel. Some steps, such as a trial or a guilty plea, normally require you to attend in person. We explain which dates you must attend when we review your case.
Charged anywhere in the GTA?
Deadlines start the day you are charged. Call now for a free, confidential review of your case, your options and what happens next.