Being found slumped over in his car in a McDonald's drive thru has landed a man with a drink driving conviction.

A South Canterbury shepherd found slumped over the wheel of his car in the drive thru of Timaru's McDonald's has been convicted of drink-driving.

Daniel Charles Greenwood, 35, of Albury, was fined $850 and banned from driving for six months for driving with excess breath alcohol of 783mcg per litre of breath on October 15.

According to the summary of facts, police were called to McDonald's on Evans St after Greenwood had been blocking its drive thru for 20 minutes, preventing anyone else from using it.

Greenwood told police he had "mixed brews", but had only drunk three standard drinks.

His last offending of this type had been in 2011.

Judge Joanna Maze said Greenwood was found "slumped over the wheel [of his car] with the engine still running in the vehicle".

It was the second time Greenwood had been before the court in the past six years for the same offence, "and the readings are increasing", she said.

She asked for the case to be stood down so Greenwood could talk to probation to see if he had a problem with alcohol.

When the case was recalled a short time later, probation said a sentence of supervision was not recommended as he did not have an addiction problem.

Judge Maze told Greenwood that if he committed this offence again, "the minimum term of disqualification is more than 12 months".

"The penalties are likely to start with consideration of prison or an electrically monitored sentence, you need to think about that before you choose to drink and drive."