Photo: Foraminifera, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Learning to drive in South Australia means moving through the Graduated Licensing Scheme: a learner’s permit from 16, a P1 provisional licence from 17, P2 from 18 and a full licence from 20. If you avoid offences, the whole journey takes four years. This guide sets out every stage, the tests you sit and what you need to bring, with a link to a detailed SA guide for each step.
Key facts
- Learner’s permit: age 16, after passing the theory test (myLs online or in-office at Service SA). You can start myLs at 15 years and 9 months.
- P1: age 17, after at least 12 months on your Ls if you are under 25 (6 months if 25 or over), 75 logged hours including 15 at night, the Hazard Perception Test and a VORT or CBT&A.
- P2: age 18, after 12 months on P1. You move to P2 automatically.
- Full licence: age 20 or older, after 2 years on P2.
- The provisional licence is issued for 3 years: 1 year on P1 and 2 years on P2.
The stages of South Australia’s Graduated Licensing Scheme
| Stage | Minimum age | What you must do to move on |
|---|---|---|
| Learner’s permit (L plates) | 16 | Hold the permit 12 months (under 25) or 6 months (25+), log 75 hours (15 at night), pass the Hazard Perception Test, pass a VORT or complete CBT&A |
| P1 provisional (red P plates) | 17 | Hold P1 for 12 months |
| P2 provisional (no plates) | 18 | Hold P2 for 2 years |
| Full licence | 20 | No plates and none of the provisional conditions |
Offences can stretch this timeline. A disqualification on your Ps usually means a new provisional licence period. See losing your licence in SA.
Step 1: pass the theory test and get your learner’s permit
You need a pass in the theory test before SA will issue a learner’s permit. You have two options:
- myLs: an online course and test you can start from 15 years and 9 months. One fee buys a 12-month subscription with as many attempts as you need. You enrol at a Service SA centre with full evidence of identity, have your photo taken and set up a mySAGOV account.
- In-office theory test: book a test at a Service SA centre. You pay for every attempt.
Once you pass, you pay the permit fee and receive a learner’s permit valid for two years. If you let it lapse for more than 12 months, you must sit myLs or the theory test again. Full details: myLs or the in-office theory test.
What to bring the first time
The first time you apply for a permit or licence in SA, you need at least three original evidence of identity documents. That means one primary and two secondary documents, or two primary and one secondary. Together they must show your full name, date of birth, signature and current SA residential address. Photocopies and certified copies are not accepted, and documents not in English need a translation from an approved translator based in Australia. You must also declare any medical condition that could affect your driving, and you will be photographed. In most cases the photo lasts 10 years.
Step 2: learn under learner’s permit conditions
On your Ls you must:
- drive with a qualified supervising driver beside you
- show L plates front and rear
- carry your permit
- stay at or below 100 km/h
- keep a zero blood alcohol reading
- not use any phone function
Speeding by 10 km/h or more, or reaching 4 demerit points, breaches your conditions and costs you the permit. Read SA learner permit conditions.
Step 3: log 75 hours in the Driving Companion
You need at least 75 hours of supervised driving, including 15 hours at night, recorded in the log book section of The Driving Companion. Your qualified supervising driver signs each session. The handbook also notes that learners with around 120 hours of supervised practice have substantially fewer crashes, so 75 hours is a minimum, not a target. See the SA 75 hour logbook guide.
Step 4: pass the Hazard Perception Test
The Hazard Perception Test (HPT) is a computer-based test of how well you spot and respond to dangerous situations. You must pass it to move from L to P1. You can sit it online through mySAGOV, where a 12-month subscription gives repeat attempts at no extra cost, or in person at a Service SA centre, where you pay for each attempt. See the SA Hazard Perception Test guide.
Step 5: choose VORT or CBT&A
SA gives you two ways to prove you are ready:
- VORT (Vehicle On Road Test): a single practical test with a VORT instructor you have not had lessons with. If you fail, you must wait at least 13 clear days before testing again.
- CBT&A (Competency Based Training & Assessment): an accredited instructor assesses and signs off 30 tasks in The Driving Companion as you learn.
Either way you finish with a Certificate of Competency. Compare them in VORT or CBT&A.
Step 6: apply for your P1 licence
Take these to a Service SA customer service centre and pay the fee:
- your Certificate of Competency
- your completed log book (75 hours)
- the declaration
You must also have passed the HPT. You may be selected for a free second driving test with a Government auditor before the licence is issued. The certificate itself does not let you drive solo. Only the P1 licence does.
P1, P2 and your full licence
On both P1 and P2 you must keep zero alcohol and drugs, stay under 10 km/h over any limit, stay under 4 demerit points and never exceed 100 km/h. If you are under 25, you also cannot drive a high-powered vehicle. P1 adds P plates and a total phone ban. P1 drivers under 25 also face a midnight to 5am limit and a limit of one passenger aged 16 to 20, unless a qualified supervising driver is beside you or an exemption applies. Details:
Licence classes in South Australia
Most learners are going for class C, which covers vehicles up to 4.5 tonnes GVM and lets you tow a single trailer within the mass limits. The heavier classes (LR, MR, HR, HC, MC) each need a set period on a lower class first. Motor bikes have their own path through Rider Safe, the R-Date class and then class R. Class U covers ultra high-powered cars, and only full or probationary car licence holders can apply for it.
Moving to SA or returning to driving
- Interstate licence: convert it within three months of living in SA. You generally keep the same class and conditions without tests.
- Overseas licence: holders from recognised countries can usually exchange for class C or motor bike. Others must pass the theory test, the HPT and a practical test. Learner permits cannot be converted.
- Lapsed licence: if you have held no licence anywhere for five years, you start again with a learner’s permit and pass the HPT and a VORT or CBT&A.
- Change of address: tell the Registrar of Motor Vehicles within 14 days, online at service.sa.gov.au, by phone on 13 10 84 or in writing.
Fines for minor offences usually come as an expiation notice. Pay it by the due date and you do not go to court, though demerit points may still apply. Serious offences go to court and can cost you your permit or licence. See losing your licence in SA.
Driving in another state on SA plates? See driving interstate on L or P plates. To see how SA compares with other states, read learner rules compared and P plate rules compared.
Study the handbook first
The theory test is based directly on The Driver’s Handbook. The SA Driver’s Handbook study guide breaks it into sections and covers what each one tests.
Common questions
How old do you have to be to get your Ls in SA?
16. You can start the myLs course at 15 years and 9 months, but the permit cannot be issued before your 16th birthday.
How long does it take to get a full licence in SA?
At least four years if you start at 16 and commit no offences: 1 year on Ls, 1 year on P1 and 2 years on P2. You must be at least 20.
Do I have to do 75 hours if I am over 25?
Yes. The 75 hours (15 at night) apply at any age for a car permit. Learners aged 25 or over only need to hold the permit for 6 months instead of 12.
Can I skip the practical test?
You can avoid a single pass or fail test by choosing CBT&A, where an instructor assesses you task by task. You still need the 75 hours and the HPT.
Do P2 drivers in SA have to display plates?
No. P plates are a P1-only requirement. All other provisional conditions still apply on P2.
What does it cost?
Fees for myLs, the permit, the HPT and the P1 licence change from year to year. Check the current figures on the sa.gov.au driver’s licence and permit fees page before you book. VORT instructors set and collect their own test fee.
Sources
- Government of South Australia, Department for Infrastructure and Transport, “The Driver’s Handbook (MR200, February 2026)” (mylicence.sa.gov.au)
