Photo: MDRX, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Learning to drive in NSW takes you through three licence stages (learner, red P1 and green P2) and three tests (the Driver Knowledge Test, the Hazard Perception Test and the Driving Test). If you are under 25, it takes at least 4 years to reach a full licence; if you are 25 or older, at least 3 years. This guide sets out each step, the minimum ages and times, and the fees in force from 1 July 2026, with links to a detailed guide for every stage.
Key facts
- Enrol in the online Driver Knowledge Test (DKT) from 15 years and 11 months. You can get your learner licence at 16.
- Under 25: at least 12 months on your Ls, 120 logged hours including 20 at night, and at least 10 months on your Ls before the Hazard Perception Test (HPT).
- Minimum age for the Driving Test is 17.
- P1 (red P): at least 12 months. P2 (green P): at least 24 months.
- Zero alcohol for learners, P1 and P2 drivers, and no mobile phone use at all while driving.
The 7 steps to a NSW driver licence
NSW calls this the Graduated Licensing Scheme (GLS). Rows marked * apply only if you are under 25.
| Step | Minimum age or time | How long it is valid |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Driver Knowledge Test | 15 years 11 months (online), 16 (in person) | Pass leads to your learner licence |
| 2. Learner licence | Age 16. At least 12 months on it*. 120 hours in the log book* | 5 years |
| 3. Hazard Perception Test | At least 10 months on your learner licence* | 15 months (pass the Driving Test within this time) |
| 4. Driving Test | Age 17 | Pass leads to your P1 licence |
| 5. P1 licence (red P) | At least 12 months | 18 months |
| 6. P2 licence (green P) | At least 24 months | 36 months |
| 7. Full licence | After 24 months on P2 | 1, 3 or 5 years, or 10 years if you are 21 to 44 |
Before you start you must live in NSW, prove who you are, be medically fit to drive and pass an eyesight test.
Step 1: the Driver Knowledge Test
The DKT is a computer test on road rules and safe driving. You choose one of two versions:
- DKT online: a 4 to 6 hour interactive course and test you do at home. One fee covers as many attempts as you need. Enrol from 15 years and 11 months with a MyServiceNSW Account.
- DKT in person: a multiple-choice test at a service centre, from age 16. You pay for each attempt.
Full details, languages and preparation: NSW Driver Knowledge Test guide. To study the rules chapter by chapter, use the NSW Road User Handbook study guide.
Step 2: your learner licence and log book
Once you pass the DKT and are 16, apply at a service centre (no booking needed). You can then drive with a supervisor who holds a full Australian licence and sits next to you.
- Under 25: log at least 120 hours, including 20 at night. The Safer Drivers Course and 3 for 1 instructor lessons can cut the real hours you need. See the NSW learner log book guide.
- 25 or older: no log book. Move to the HPT when you feel ready.
- If your learner licence expires, you must pass the DKT again and pay the fees again.
Supervisors have their own rules: see supervising a learner driver in NSW.
Step 3: the Hazard Perception Test
A touch-screen test of 15 video clips at a service centre. Under 25, you need at least 10 months on your Ls first. A pass lasts 15 months, so time it so you can take the Driving Test inside that window. See the NSW Hazard Perception Test guide.
Step 4: the Driving Test
An on-road test with a Service NSW testing officer over a set course of 25 zones. You need at least 90 per cent and no fail items. If you are under 25, you must be 17, have held your Ls for 12 months and logged 120 hours. If you fail, you wait at least 7 days before the next test.
- How it is scored and what to bring: The NSW Driving Test.
- Manoeuvres and every fail item: NSW Driving Test manoeuvres and fail items.
Steps 5 to 7: P1, P2 and your full licence
After the Driving Test you no longer need a supervisor or log book. You stay on P1 for at least 12 months, then P2 for at least 24 months.
- A P1 suspension extends your P1 time by the length of the suspension.
- A P2 suspension for unsafe driving extends your P2 time by the suspension plus an extra 6 months, for each suspension.
- Disqualification on P1 or P2 restarts that stage when you reapply.
More detail: from P1 to P2 to a full NSW licence.
NSW licence and test fees (from 1 July 2026)
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| DKT online | $58 (unlimited attempts) |
| DKT in person | $58 each attempt |
| Learner licence | $32 |
| Hazard Perception Test | $58 each attempt |
| Driving Test | $72 each attempt |
| P1 licence | $74 |
| P2 licence | $115 |
| Full licence | $74 (1 year), $172 (3 years), $234 (5 years), $434 (10 years, ages 21 to 44) |
For a learner under 25 who passes every test first time, the DKT, learner licence, HPT, Driving Test, P1 and P2 add up to $409. Concessions exist; check the Transport for NSW conditions and discounts page.
What you can and cannot do on L, P1 and P2
| Rule | Learner | P1 (red) | P2 (green) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum speed | 90 km/h | 90 km/h | 100 km/h |
| Alcohol | Zero | Zero | Zero |
| Mobile phone | No use at all | No use at all | No use at all |
| Demerit point limit | 4 | 4 | 7 |
| Late-night passengers (under 25) | Not applicable | 11pm to 5am: only one passenger under 21 | No limit |
| Towing | Not allowed | Light trailer up to 250 kg unladen | Full licence rules |
| High-performance cars | Allowed while learning | Banned | Banned |
Read the detail in these guides:
- NSW learner, P1 and P2 restrictions
- NSW speed limits for learners and P platers
- NSW mobile phone and screen rules for L and P platers
- NSW demerit points for learners and P platers
- Banned high-performance cars for NSW P platers
- NSW transit lanes, bus lanes, T-ways and tram lanes
Licence classes in NSW
This path leads to a Car (C) licence: vehicles up to 4.5 tonnes gross vehicle mass that seat up to 12 adults including the driver. That covers utes, vans, some light trucks, tractors and car-based motor tricycles.
| Class | What it adds |
|---|---|
| R (rider) | Motorcycles, scooters and motor tricycles. The only class you can get without a C licence first |
| LR (light rigid) | Over 4.5 tonnes up to 8 tonnes GVM, or more than 12 seats up to 8 tonnes |
| MR (medium rigid) | Rigid vehicles with 2 axles over 8 tonnes |
| HR (heavy rigid) | Rigid vehicles with 3 or more axles over 8 tonnes, and articulated buses |
| HC (heavy combination) | Prime movers with a single semi-trailer |
| MC (multi combination) | B-doubles and road trains |
P2 drivers can start learning for LR or MR straight away, and HR after a year on P2. Learners and P1 drivers cannot drive or learn in vehicles that need another class.
Safe driving behaviour: what the handbook stresses
The Road User Handbook names five behaviours behind most deaths on NSW roads: speeding, drink driving, drug driving, fatigue and not wearing seatbelts. In fatal crashes involving drivers and riders aged 17 to 25, 43% involved speeding, 22% illegal drugs, 17% alcohol and 15% fatigue. Transport for NSW data also shows P1 drivers are the group most likely to crash, so the first year on red Ps is the riskiest.
National rules that apply in NSW too:
- Zero alcohol for learners and P platers
- Driver fatigue on Australian roads
- Seatbelts and child car seats
- School zones in every Australian state
Other NSW situations
- Moving from another state or country: moving to NSW and transferring your licence.
- Buying your first car: NSW registration, pink slips and roadworthiness.
- Driving outside NSW on L or P plates: whose rules apply interstate.
- How NSW compares with other states: learner rules compared and P plate rules compared.
Extra help
- Driver Licensing Access Program (DLAP): free support for Aboriginal people and people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- Assistant reader: call 13 22 13 to book the in-person DKT with someone to read the questions.
- Interpreter: free for the DKT and HPT. Call 13 22 13.
Common questions
How long does it take to get a full licence in NSW?
At least 4 years if you are under 25 (12 months on Ls, 12 on P1, 24 on P2), or at least 3 years if you are 25 or older, because you can skip the minimum learner period.
Can I start learning to drive at 15 in NSW?
You can enrol in the online DKT at 15 years and 11 months, but you cannot get your learner licence or drive until you are 16.
I am over 25. Do I need a log book?
No. You can sit the HPT as soon as you have your Ls and feel ready, then book the Driving Test.
What happens if my HPT pass expires?
If you have not passed the Driving Test within 15 months of passing the HPT, you must pass the HPT again first.
Can I drive a manual if I passed in an automatic?
On P1, only with a supervisor who holds a full Australian licence. On P2 there is no restriction.
Do NSW L and P restrictions apply when I drive interstate?
Yes. The handbook says your NSW licence restrictions also apply in other states and territories.
Sources
- Transport for NSW, “Road User Handbook” (nsw.gov.au)
- NSW Government, “Licence and test fees” (nsw.gov.au)
- NSW Government, “Driver Knowledge Test (DKT)” (nsw.gov.au)
- NSW Government, “Hazard Perception Test” (nsw.gov.au)
- NSW Government, “Driving Test” (nsw.gov.au)
- Transport for NSW, “A Guide to the Driving Test” (nsw.gov.au)