Photo: Simon_sees, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
If you are on L, P1 or P2 plates in NSW, you must not use a mobile phone at all while driving. That includes calls, music, maps, Bluetooth hands-free and a phone in a holder, even when you are stopped at lights or stuck in traffic. This explainer covers what you can and cannot touch, the narrow exceptions, built-in screens and GPS, phone detection cameras and what a phone offence costs a new driver.
What L and P platers can and cannot do with a phone
| Phone use while driving | L, P1, P2 | Full licence |
|---|---|---|
| Holding the phone, or resting it on your body | No | No |
| Calls via Bluetooth hands-free | No | Yes, without touching the phone |
| Music or podcasts from the phone | No | Yes, hands-free or in a fixed holder |
| Maps or navigation on the phone | No | Yes, in a commercially made holder fixed to the car |
| Texting, email, social media, internet, photos, video calls | No | No |
| Any of the above while stopped at lights or in traffic | No | Same rules as when moving |
| Anything, when parked out of the line of traffic | Yes | Yes |
For L, P1 and P2 drivers, the ban covers phones that are handheld, in a holder, or used hands-free through Bluetooth. The ignition does not need to be off when you are properly parked.
The only exceptions for L and P drivers
- Showing your digital driver licence when a police officer asks.
- Using wallet functions to pay or show a voucher, only while stationary in a car park, driveway or drive-through.
If you use a digital licence, keep your phone charged and the screen uncracked.
Digital screens and GPS
The screen rule applies to all drivers. You must not drive with a screen on if you can see it, or if it could distract another driver, unless it is a driver’s aid that is built into the car or in a holder fixed to it. Driver’s aids include:
- navigation devices such as a GPS unit
- reversing screens
- dispatch systems, CCTV security cameras and vehicle monitoring devices
Passengers can watch screens, as long as you cannot see them from the driving position and they do not distract other drivers.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto: Transport for NSW does not address these by name. They run off your phone, and the L and P ban covers every function of the phone, hands-free included. Assume they are off limits and check with Transport for NSW if in doubt. A separate GPS unit or the car’s own built-in navigation is a driver’s aid, not a phone.
Is the rule changing?
A 2024 private member’s bill proposed letting P drivers aged 25 or older use a mounted phone only for navigation, and Transport for NSW reviewed options in 2025. As of November 2026 the official NSW rules page still lists maps and navigation as banned for L, P1 and P2 drivers, with no exception.
Penalties and detection cameras
- Mobile phone detection cameras check for illegal phone use anywhere, at any time.
- An illegal phone offence brings a fine and 5 demerit points (10 in double demerit periods), according to Transport for NSW. Fines are higher in school zones; check the current amount with Transport for NSW.
- Learners and P1 drivers have a 4-point limit, so one offence means a suspension of at least 3 months.
- P2 drivers (7-point limit) are left with only 2 points to spare.
- On the Driving Test, answering or using a phone is a fail item.
See NSW demerit points for learners and P platers and double demerit points in Australia.
Other distractions
- Looking away for 2 seconds doubles your risk of a crash or near crash. At 50 km/h you travel 28 m in those 2 seconds.
- Phone use while driving can increase the risk of a casualty crash fourfold, according to the handbook.
- Passengers your own age raise crash risk for young drivers. Ask passengers to help spot hazards rather than distract you. P1 drivers under 25 have a late-night passenger limit; see NSW learner, P1 and P2 restrictions.
Set up before you drive: a checklist
- Phone on silent or Do Not Disturb, and out of reach.
- Route checked, or a dedicated GPS unit or built-in navigation set before moving off.
- Music from a source that is not your phone, such as the car radio or a USB stick in the car’s own system. Phone audio is banned on L or P plates even if you start it before moving off.
- Learners logging hours: start the Roundtrip log book app while safely parked out of the line of traffic, then put the phone away. It records the drive in the background and does not need to be touched while you drive. Your supervisor may use the app during the drive only if it does not distract you or stop them guiding you.
- If you think the log book app has stopped recording, leave the phone alone. Fix it or note the problem once you are parked out of the line of traffic.
- Need to call or text? Park out of the line of traffic first.
Overview of every stage: learning to drive in NSW. Interstate phone rules differ: P plate rules in every state compared.
Common questions
Can P platers use Google Maps in NSW?
Not on your phone, even in a holder or with voice only. A separate GPS unit or the car’s built-in navigation, mounted or built in, is allowed for all drivers.
Can I play music from my phone through Bluetooth on my green Ps?
No. Music is one of the functions banned for L, P1 and P2 drivers, including through Bluetooth.
Can I use my phone while stopped at a red light?
No. The ban applies when you are stationary in traffic. You must be parked out of the line of traffic.
Can my passenger use my phone to navigate for me?
Yes, the passenger can use it. The rule stops you using it, and any screen must not be visible to you from the driving position. Your passenger or supervisor should read out directions early rather than hold the screen up for you to look at.
Can I pay at a drive-through with my phone on my Ps?
Yes, using wallet functions while the car is stationary in the drive-through.
Do the phone rules apply to my supervisor?
A supervisor with a full licence follows the full licence phone rules when driving. Supervisor duties while you drive are in supervising a learner driver in NSW.
Sources
- Transport for NSW, “Road User Handbook” (nsw.gov.au)
- NSW Government, “Mobile phones, digital screens and GPS” (nsw.gov.au)
- NSW Government, “Learner driver log book app” (nsw.gov.au)
- Transport for NSW, “Mobile phones” (transport.nsw.gov.au)
- Transport for NSW, “Summary report: Review of options to permit mobile phone navigation aids for novice drivers” (transport.nsw.gov.au)
- Parliament of NSW, “Road Rules Amendment (Mobile Phones as Navigation Aids for Provisional Licence Holders) Bill 2024” (parliament.nsw.gov.au)
- Transport for NSW, “A Guide to the Driving Test” (nsw.gov.au)
- NSW Government, “Learner and provisional driver demerit points” (nsw.gov.au)