Paying for damage to state-controlled roads

The Department of Transport and Main Roads is responsible for managing Queensland’s state-controlled road network. This includes the roads themselves and all items in the road corridor, such as:

• bridges
• traffic lights
• street signs
• guard rails
• busways and busway stations.

If a vehicle registered in your name or your company's name causes damage to part of the road network, you may have to pay for the damage under section 48 of the Transport Infrastructure Act 1994 (Qld). 

We will send a letter to the registered operator of the vehicle that caused the damage requesting information about the incident. This may be followed by an invoice seeking payment to fix the damage.

The information on this page is not a substitute for legal advice. Please seek legal advice for your circumstances.

If you weren't responsible for the damage

If you weren't driving the vehicle at the time of the damage or you can prove that you weren't responsible for the damage, contact your area's district office as soon as possible and provide proof that you were not at fault.

Make sure to include the reference number from your letter when you send in your proof.

Once we have confirmed who is responsible for the damage, we will send an invoice to the responsible person.

Paying the invoice

You must pay within 30 days of the date on the invoice. You can pay through EFT, credit card or direct deposit.

Other payment options are available if you can't pay the full amount within 30 days, contact us using the details on your letter to discuss.

If payment is not received in the agreed timeframe, we may forward the case to a collection agency.

Insurance and CTP insurance

Your registration and compulsory third party (CTP) insurance does not cover damage to the state-controlled road network.

You should contact your insurance company to find out if damage to the state-controlled network is covered under your policy.