Photo: Zigzig20s, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Most failed driving test appointments in Australia never get as far as the drive: a logbook not lodged in time, a car with a warning light on, or a park brake the examiner cannot reach. This checklist is for learners and supervisors in every state and territory. It covers what to bring, logbook deadlines, car rules, arrival times and what happens if your car is refused, as of November 2026.
Key facts
- Logbook deadlines: NSW app hours at least 48 hours before the test; Queensland logbook approved first (submit at least 12 business days before the test); WA Learn&Log declaration at least 24 hours before.
- Park brake: Victoria (solo tests), WA, Tasmania and the ACT want one the examiner can reach. Victoria refuses electronic or foot-operated park brakes for solo tests.
- Driver aids: NSW requires safety systems such as AEB and traction control to stay on.
- L plates: on in most states, but WA says remove them for the PDA.
- Arrive early: 15 minutes in NSW, WA, Tasmania and the ACT; 10 minutes in Queensland and the NT.
- If your car fails the pre-test check, you usually lose the fee and must rebook and pay again.
The checklist every state shares
- Your current learner licence or permit. It is your ID on the day in most states.
- Your logbook, completed and signed, or the app declaration submitted (if you are under 25, or under 21 in Victoria).
- Glasses or contact lenses if you need them to drive.
- A registered, roadworthy car that meets your state’s test vehicle rules (below).
- A fully licensed driver to take the car home if you do not pass (NSW says so directly; Tasmania asks you to bring your supervisor).
- Payment for the licence fee if you pass. Some centres take cards only.
- A charged phone if your logbook or booking confirmation is on it.
State by state: documents, logbook and timing
| State | Bring | Logbook rule | Arrive | Change or cancel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | Learner licence, completed licence application form, a fully licensed driver | Paper log book, or app hours submitted 48 hours before | 15 minutes early | At least 48 hours before, or the fee may be lost |
| VIC | Appointment number, learner permit, medical certificate if relevant | Under 21: 120 hours (20 at night) in myLearners or the Learner Log Book with declaration | On time for your appointment | 24 hours’ notice or you lose your fees |
| QLD | Learner licence | Under 25: logbook approved by TMR before you can book (submit at least 12 business days before the test) | 10 minutes early | At least 2 working days’ notice |
| WA | Learner’s permit (or identity documents) | Paper log book signed by you and your supervisor, or Learn&Log declaration 24 hours before plus your device | 15 minutes early; late means cancelled | At least 48 hours’ notice or pay for a new PDA |
| SA | Current learner’s permit | 75 hours (15 at night) completed | As your VORT instructor advises | Book with a VORT instructor at least 3 days ahead |
| TAS | Learner licence, logbook or app declaration, L plates, your supervisor | 80 hours including 15 at night | 15 minutes early | Check your booking confirmation |
| ACT | Completed logbook with required hours | Logbook complete before the one-off assessment | 15 minutes early; over 5 minutes late means rebook and pay | 48 hours’ notice, with a change or cancellation fee |
| NT | Current learner licence (or receipt plus photo ID) | Check with the MVR or your examiner | 10 minutes early | Arrange with your authorised examiner |
Victoria is strict about logbooks: if you cannot prove 120 hours including 20 at night, you cannot sit the test, your fees are forfeited and you must wait at least six weeks.
Car rules by state
| State | Key car rules for the test |
|---|---|
| NSW | Registered and roadworthy; working indicators (including side repeaters) and brake lights; lap-sash seatbelt and head restraint for the officer; front passenger door handle and window switch working; no device recording the test, such as a dashcam; dual accelerator disabled; AEB and traction control on; park assist off for reversing |
| VIC | Registered and roadworthy with L plates; a speed display the testing officer can see; seatbelts for everyone; for a solo test, a centrally mounted handbrake the officer can reach (no electronic or foot-operated park brakes) |
| QLD | Registered and roadworthy; L plates shown correctly; you have the registered operator’s permission to use it |
| WA | Licensed and roadworthy; L plates removed; centrally mounted park brake that holds on a slope (dual-control instructor cars exempt); no red or amber warning lights, including low fuel; no recalled car or Takata airbags |
| SA | Check with your VORT instructor before the day |
| TAS | Registered, roadworthy and reasonably clean; handbrake between the front seats the assessor can reach; no brake, ABS, airbag or red stability control warning light; at least 1.5 mm tread on every tyre |
| ACT | Registered (an unregistered vehicle permit is not accepted); clean inside with clear windows; working seatbelts; centre-mounted park brake (electric or manual) the examiner can reach; L plates front and back; proof of airbag replacement if the car was under the Takata recall |
| NT | Registered and roadworthy with L plates; no broken seatbelts, cracked windscreen blocking your view, unsafe tyres or loose objects; working speedometer; no prohibited driver assist feature that cannot be switched off |
Full detail is in each state guide: NSW Driving Test, Victorian test cars, Q-Safe, WA PDA, SA VORT, Tasmanian P1 assessment, ACT assessment and NT practical test.
Five-minute car check the night before
- Lights: have someone watch while you test the indicators (both sides, including side repeaters), brake lights and reverse lights.
- Dashboard: start the car. No warning lights should stay on. Fill the tank so the low fuel light is off (WA and Tasmania check this).
- Tyres: no flats, bald patches or visible damage.
- Windscreen and mirrors: clean, with no crack in your line of sight.
- Inside: passenger seatbelt and door work; loose items secured or removed; dashcam off or removed in NSW.
- Park brake: make sure the examiner can reach it from the passenger seat if your state requires that.
- Paperwork: registration current; L plates on (or off in WA).
If you are testing in an automatic, check your state’s rules first: automatic licence conditions in each state.
What happens if your car is refused?
- NSW: the test is terminated and the fee is not refunded.
- WA: the PDA is cancelled and you pay for another one.
- ACT: the assessment does not go ahead and you rebook and pay again.
- Queensland: a car that fails inspection is one of the reasons TMR keeps the fee.
- Tasmania: the assessment may not start.
- NT: the test is ended if the car is unsuitable or breaks down.
A refusal does not count as a fail, but it costs the same. If your family car is borderline, book a lesson in an instructor’s car on test day instead.
On the day: timeline
- Two hours before: a short warm-up drive with your supervisor, ideally near the test centre.
- Before leaving: learner licence, logbook or phone, glasses, payment card. Check the L plates are secure (or removed in WA).
- Arrive 10 or 15 minutes early, depending on your state, and tell staff you are there for a test.
- Car check: the examiner checks the car. In Tasmania, for example, you start the car, work the brake lights and indicators and select reverse.
- After the drive: pass, and you go to the counter for your P licence and fee. Fail, and your supervisor drives home. See failed your driving test? Rebooking in each state.
Common questions
Can I use my instructor’s car?
Yes in every state, if it meets the rules. In NSW the dual brake must work, the dual accelerator must be disabled, and any use of the dual controls by the officer is a fail. In Victoria an instructor with a current Driving Instructor Authority can sit in with you.
Can I use a car with an electronic park brake?
Not for a solo test in Victoria. The ACT accepts electric or manual park brakes if centre-mounted and reachable. WA and Tasmania ask for a central park brake the assessor can reach, so check before booking.
Do I need my supervisor at the test?
You still hold a learner licence when you arrive, so you need a supervisor to drive there. NSW asks you to bring a fully licensed driver, and Tasmania asks you to bring only your supervisor.
My logbook app has not synced. What now?
Do not leave it to the morning. NSW needs app hours 48 hours ahead and WA needs the Learn&Log declaration 24 hours ahead. Queensland will not let you book at all until TMR approves the logbook.
Can I bring a reversing camera?
NSW allows reversing cameras and sensors, but you must still check your mirrors and look around. Park assist must be off for the reversing manoeuvres.
What if I am sick on test day?
Change the booking within your state’s notice period. Victoria refunds late cancellations only with a medical certificate or other evidence.
Compare the tests themselves: practical driving tests in every state compared. Supervising for test day: Queensland and WA.
Sources
- Transport for NSW, “A Guide to the Driving Test” (nsw.gov.au)
- Department of Transport and Planning Victoria, “Drive test for a Victorian driver’s licence” (transport.vic.gov.au)
- Department of Transport and Planning Victoria, “Road to Solo Driving” handbook (vicroads.vic.gov.au)
- Queensland Government, “Driver tests” and “Practical driving tests” (qld.gov.au)
- Department of Transport and Main Roads, “Bookings online: book a driving test” (service.transport.qld.gov.au)
- Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure WA, “Book and pass your Practical Driving Assessment (PDA)” and “Practical Driving Assessment (PDA) vehicle standard” (transport.wa.gov.au)
- Government of South Australia, My Licence, “Option 1: Vehicle On Road Test (VORT)” (mylicence.sa.gov.au)
- Department of State Growth, “Getting your P1s” (platesplus.tas.gov.au)
- Transport Services Tasmania, “About your driving assessment” (transport.tas.gov.au)
- Access Canberra, “One-off practical driving assessment” (accesscanberra.act.gov.au)
- Northern Territory Government, “A guide to the Driving Test” and “Learner Drivers’ Guide” (nt.gov.au)
- Queensland Government, “Learner logbook” (qld.gov.au)