After you pass in South Australia: P-plate rules and your licence

By the end of this topic you can

• You can list the rules that apply on both P1 and P2.
• You can explain the P1 night and passenger restrictions for drivers under 25.
• You can check whether a trip qualifies for an exemption.
• You can describe how you move to P2 and then to a full licence.

What you need to know and understand

• P1 and P2: zero alcohol and no cannabis, meth, ecstasy or cocaine; no speeding by 10 km/h or more; fewer than 4 demerit points; 100 km/h maximum; carry your licence.
• P1 and P2 drivers under 25 must not drive a high-powered vehicle unless they hold an exemption certificate.
• P1 only: red P plates front and rear, and no use of any mobile phone function while driving.
• P1 under 25: no driving between midnight and 5am, and no more than one passenger aged 16 to 20 (immediate family excluded), unless a qualified supervising driver sits beside you or an exemption applies.
• Breaking the P1 night or peer passenger rule carries 3 demerit points.
• You do not apply for a P1 exemption in advance; you must be able to show police you meet the criteria each time you drive.

When an exemption applies

You do not apply for an exemption in advance, but you must be able to satisfy police that you qualify each time. Carrying the official exemption form, or a letter from your employer or activity organiser, makes that easier.

• Driving between home and work, or as part of your job.
• Driving between home and school, university, TAFE, an apprenticeship or other formal training, or as part of that study.
• Driving between home and formal volunteer work, or while doing it.
• Driving between home and an organised sporting, artistic, charitable, religious or scientific activity.
• Take the shortest practical route between home and the activity.

From P1 to P2 to full licence

1. Your P1 licence automatically becomes P2 once you are at least 18 and have held P1 for 12 months, as long as you have not been disqualified.
2. On P2, take off the P plates. You may now use a phone the way any full licence holder can, which still means no handheld use and no texting.
3. After two years on P2, and once you are 20 or older, apply for your full licence online through mySAGOV or at Service SA. No Hazard Perception Test is needed for this step.

If things go wrong

Breaching a condition or reaching 4 points leads to a six-month disqualification. If you return at the P1 stage you hold the new provisional licence for another three years; at the P2 stage, for another two years. An eligible driver may instead choose a Safer Driver Agreement, but breaching it brings a 12-month disqualification with no appeal. Our SA P2 Licence Rules guide and Learning to Drive in South Australia guide go into more detail.

Common mistakes

• Driving three friends aged 17 to 19 home from a party at 11pm on P1. Under 25, that breaks the peer passenger rule even before the curfew starts.
• Using phone maps on P1 because the phone is mounted. The ban covers every phone function.
• Borrowing a parent's high-powered car while under 25 on Ps.
• Relaxing on P2 and losing track of the 100 km/h cap and zero alcohol rule.

Test yourself: After you pass in South Australia: P-plate rules and your licence

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Learning to Drive in South Australia
• High-Powered Vehicles and the U Class Licence in South Australia
• SA P2 Licence Rules