Getting your Tasmania learner licence

By the end of this topic you can

• You can choose between the Plates Plus course and test or the standalone test.
• You can say when you are allowed to start the course and when the licence can be issued.
• You can list what happens at Service Tasmania once you pass.
• You can explain what to do if you fail the test.

What you need to know and understand

• You can start the Plates Plus course or sit the standalone test from 15 years and 11 months.
• The learner licence is only issued once you turn 16.
• The Plates Plus course runs online and takes around four to six hours; your progress is saved.
• The standalone test is only available at Service Tasmania shops and you need evidence of identity to sit it.
• When your licence is issued you provide ID, have your photo and signature taken, declare medical conditions, take an eye test and pay a fee.
• Transport Tasmania says people who do the Plates Plus course are more likely to pass than those who sit the standalone test.

Two routes to the knowledge test

Tasmania gives you a choice of how to show you know the road rules. Both lead to the same learner licence.

• Plates Plus course and test: an interactive online course on a phone, tablet or computer. Once you finish the course content you unlock the driver knowledge test, which you can also do online.
• Standalone driver knowledge test: sat at a Service Tasmania shop without doing the course first. Bring your evidence of identity. You get a test ID for use in the shop.
• If you fail the standalone test, you can still switch to the online course using the client ID you were given.

Finishing your application at Service Tasmania

Passing the test is not the end. You still need to go in person to have the licence issued. Staff first check that you are eligible, which includes being at least 16.

1. Show your evidence of identity.
2. Have your licence photo and signature taken.
3. Complete the form telling the Registrar of Motor Vehicles about any medical conditions that may affect your driving.
4. Take the eye test.
5. Pay the learner licence fee. At the time of writing the Transport Tasmania fees page listed it at 40.68 dollars, but fees change, so check before you go.

If you are not ready yet, or you fail

If you pass the test before your 16th birthday, return to a Service Tasmania shop with your ID once you are eligible. The Plates Plus course allows enrolment four weeks early so you can be ready on your birthday.

If you fail, you can resit the standalone test at Service Tasmania on the next business day, or do the course and online test after a 12-hour wait. Use the gap to revise the Tasmanian Road Rules handbook. Our learning to drive in Tasmania guide explains the Plates Plus pathway in more depth.

Common mistakes

• Turning up to Service Tasmania without proper evidence of identity. Check what is accepted before you go.
• Rushing the standalone test without studying. Use the handbook and learn to drive videos first.
• Forgetting to declare a medical condition that could affect driving. You must tell the Registrar on the form.
• Assuming passing the online test means you can drive straight away. The licence is only valid once issued at Service Tasmania.

Test yourself: Getting your Tasmania learner licence

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

Go deeper

• Getting Your Full Licence in Tasmania and the Safer Driver Reward
• Tasmania Hazard Perception Test
• Learning to Drive in Tasmania