Photo: Highway Patrol Image, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Queensland P1 (red P) and P2 (green P) drivers have zero alcohol, a 4 demerit point limit and, if under 25, a ban on high-powered cars. P1 drivers under 25 also cannot use a phone at all, and between 11pm and 5am can carry only one passenger under 21 who is not immediate family. This page sets out every P plate rule, how long each stage lasts and when you can get your open licence.
Queensland P1 and P2 rules compared
| Rule | P1 (red) | P2 (green) |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum age | 17 | 18 |
| Minimum time | 1 year | 2 years if you got P1 under 23 and P2 under 25; otherwise 1 year |
| Plates | Red P on white, front and back | Green P on white, front and back |
| Alcohol | Zero | Zero |
| Phone (under 25) | No use at all, including hands-free; passengers no loudspeaker | General driver rules (no hand-held use) |
| Peer passengers 11pm to 5am (under 25) | No more than 1 passenger under 21 who is not immediate family | No limit |
| High-powered vehicles (under 25) | Banned without an exemption | Banned without an exemption |
| Demerit points | 4 in a year | 4 in a year |
P plates
A red or green capital P on a white background, at least 146 mm square, clearly legible from 20 m in front and 20 m behind. Not displaying them is worth 2 demerit points. Do not leave them on when someone with a different licence drives.
Peer passenger limit for P1 drivers under 25
Between 11pm and 5am, a P1 driver under 25 must not carry more than one passenger who is both under 21 and not an immediate family member. Immediate family includes your spouse, children, siblings and step-siblings, step-parents, guardians and their children, and the spouse of a grandparent. If police reasonably believe a passenger is not family, it is up to you to prove they are. Breaking the rule carries 3 demerit points.
Scenario
You are 18 on red Ps and drive two friends aged 19 home from a party at 11.30pm. That is two passengers under 21 who are not family, so you are over the limit. Drop one before 11pm or have someone else drive one of them.
Phones on P plates
P1 drivers under 25 have the same total ban as learners: no operating any function (including maps, music and hands-free), no holding the phone, even when stopped in traffic. Passengers cannot use loudspeaker mode. Exceptions are narrow: phone in a pocket or pouch you cannot operate, or using it when stopped to show a digital licence or pay at a drive-through. P2 drivers, and P1 drivers aged 25 or over, follow the general rules for all Queensland drivers. See Queensland learner rules for the full definition of “use”.
What counts as a high-powered vehicle in Queensland?
If you are under 25 on a P1 or P2 licence, you cannot drive a high-powered car unless you hold a certificate of exemption. The Driver Licensing Regulation defines a high-powered car as one that is not on the permitted list and:
| Built | High-powered if it has |
|---|---|
| Before 1 January 2010 | 8 or more cylinders; a turbocharged or supercharged engine that is not diesel; more than 210 kW; or a rotary engine over 1,146 cc |
| On or after 1 January 2010 | A power-to-weight ratio of more than 130 kW per tonne |
| Any year | An engine modification that needs approval or certification under the vehicle standards rules |
So a 2015 turbo hatchback is not automatically banned; it depends on its power-to-weight ratio. A 2008 non-diesel turbo is banned. Driving a high-powered car without an exemption carries 3 demerit points.
Exemptions
You can apply to TMR for a certificate of exemption. The main grounds are:
- you need the car to get to work, for work, to get to school or college, or for medical treatment, with no other transport reasonably available and severe hardship if refused (you need a supporting statement from your employer, school or doctor)
- the high-powered car is the only car reasonably available to you, for example one owned or leased by a parent, grandparent or spouse, again with severe hardship if refused
TMR also looks at your traffic history. If you get a certificate, you must produce it if police ask.
Late-night driving restriction after a suspension
There is no standing P plate curfew in Queensland. But if you were under 25 on Ps when you committed the offence and then either chose a good driving behaviour period or were suspended for demerit points or excessive speeding, you cannot drive between 11pm and 5am for 1 year. TMR can grant an exemption for work if refusal would cause severe hardship. Details: Queensland demerit points and licence sanctions.
Moving from P1 to P2 to an open licence
- P1 to P2: hold P1 for at least 1 year, be at least 18, and have first got your P1 under 24. No further test is needed.
- P2 to open: hold P2 for 1 or 2 years (see the table) and be at least 20.
- Got your first P1 at 24? After 1 year you go straight to an open licence.
- 25 or older when you passed? You start on P2, not P1, and hold it for 1 year.
Time must be within the last 5 years, and time while suspended or expired does not count.
Common questions
Can P1 drivers in Queensland have passengers at night?
Yes, but between 11pm and 5am a P1 driver under 25 can carry only one passenger under 21 who is not immediate family. Passengers aged 21 or older, and family, do not count.
Can I use hands-free on my green Ps?
Yes. The total ban covers learners and P1 drivers under 25, not P2.
Is there a P plate speed limit in Queensland?
No separate one. Posted limits apply.
Can a P plater drive a V8?
Not if you are under 25 and the car is a pre-2010 V8, unless you have an exemption. For newer cars, check the power-to-weight ratio.
Do Queensland P plate rules apply interstate?
Your licence conditions go with you, and you must follow the road rules of the state you are in. See driving interstate on L or P plates.
How do Queensland P plates compare with other states?
See P plate rules compared and zero alcohol for P platers.
Back to the main guide: learning to drive in Queensland.
Sources
- Queensland Government, “Transport Operations (Road Use Management: Driver Licensing) Regulation 2021”, current as at 21 September 2026 (legislation.qld.gov.au)
- Department of Transport and Main Roads, “Your keys to driving in Queensland”, Queensland licensing section (publications.qld.gov.au)
- Department of Transport and Main Roads, “Bookings online: book a driving test” (service.transport.qld.gov.au)
- Street Smarts, Queensland Government, “Drink driving: Get the facts” (streetsmarts.initiatives.qld.gov.au)