Photo: Chris Olszewski, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
If you live in a remote Northern Territory community, you can get your learner, provisional and full licence through the DriveSafe NT remote program, which visits communities on a schedule. If you are not in the program, your local police station handles the eye test, theory test, driving test and fees. This guide sets out both routes step by step. The licence rules themselves are the same as everywhere in the NT: see learning to drive in the Northern Territory.
Two ways to get a licence in a remote community
| Step | DriveSafe NT remote program | Not in DriveSafe NT |
|---|---|---|
| Learn the road rules | Attend a theory class | Online modules and practice test on the DriveSafe NT website |
| Eye test, theory test, photo | With DriveSafe NT staff | At your local police station |
| Learner licence fee | Covered | Pay at the police station |
| Driving lessons | With trained supervisor drivers, where available | With your own supervising driver |
| Driving test | With a DriveSafe NT testing officer, in their car or your registered car | At your local police station, in a registered car with L plates |
| Provisional licence fee | Covered | Pay at the police station, in cash |
How to join a DriveSafe NT remote visit
The DriveSafe NT remote team visits communities on a schedule. Find the next visit:
- on the DriveSafe NT website
- on the Bushtel website
- on posters around your community
At the visit you fill in forms with a DriveSafe staff member, who also tells you the lesson times. Staff can help if you have trouble providing evidence of identity and residency. You can also phone DriveSafe NT on 1800 121 411 or email [email protected]. More on the program: DriveSafe NT.
Step 1: get your learner licence
Through DriveSafe NT
- Attend a theory class.
- Provide your identification documents.
- Pass the eyesight test.
- Have your photo taken.
At a police station
- Work through the online modules on the DriveSafe NT website and do the online practice test. The modules come in English and with instruction in Warlpiri, Yolngu Matha, Murrinh Patha and Kriol.
- At the police station, pass the eyesight test and the theory test, pay the learner licence fee and have your photo taken.
Either way, your learner licence comes by mail. You need to be at least 16. The theory test has 30 questions and you need 26 correct: see NT driver knowledge test.
Step 2: learn to drive
Learner conditions in remote areas are the same as in town:
- zero blood alcohol
- no faster than 80 km/h
- L plates on the front and rear
- a full Australian licence holder (an adult relative, a friend or an instructor) in the front passenger seat at all times
You must hold your Ls for at least 6 continuous months before the driving test. Practise by day, at night and in the rain. The recommended total is about 100 hours: 20 or more on the controls and another 80 to become a low-risk driver. Full rules: NT learner licence rules.
Remote roads bring hazards town learners may not see much of: unsealed roads, dust, road trains, stock and floodwater. Read outback and remote driving with your supervisor.
Step 3: take the driving test
With DriveSafe NT, a testing officer runs the test, and you drive either their car or your registered car. Bring your learner licence.
If you are not in DriveSafe NT, driving tests in remote areas are held at your local police station. Bring:
- your learner licence
- a registered car in good working order, with L plates on display
- an adult driver to go with you
The test takes about 40 minutes, with the testing officer in the front passenger seat. They check your observation (mirrors and blind spots), speed management, road positioning, response to hazards and vehicle control. You will not pass if you:
- fail to give way
- fail to stop at a stop sign, even with no other traffic around
- drive without due care or attention, or dangerously
- go over the speed limit
- make the testing officer step in to prevent a crash or danger
- fail or refuse to follow reasonable directions
You get the result at the end. The full test standard, including manoeuvres, is in the NT practical driving test.
Step 4: your provisional licence
DriveSafe NT participants do not pay for their provisional licence. Everyone else pays the fee at the police station in cash. The licence comes by mail with the same photo as your learner licence. You stay on Ps for 2 years if you are under 25, or 1 year if you are 25 or older. Conditions: zero alcohol, 100 km/h maximum, P plates front and rear. See NT P plate rules.
Step 5: upgrade to a full licence
A renewal notice should arrive four to six weeks before your provisional licence expires. You pay the full licence fee, unless you qualify for the free 10-year licence: 12 months or more on an NT provisional licence with no infringements or suspensions, and you apply in the last six weeks of your Ps or within six months after. The free 10-year licence is only issued at an MVR office.
Common questions
Do I have to travel to Darwin or Alice Springs to get a licence?
No. You can do every step through a DriveSafe NT remote visit or at your local police station. Only the free 10-year full licence must be issued at an MVR office.
What if I do not have ID documents?
DriveSafe NT staff can advise you on providing evidence of identity and residency.
Can I use my family’s car for the test?
Yes, if it is registered and in good working order. At a police station test it must also have L plates.
Can I pay the police station by card?
The NT Government page says to pay the provisional licence fee at the police station using cash. Check with your station before you go.
I have unpaid fines. Can I still get a licence?
Unpaid fines can stop you getting a licence. Call the Fines Recovery Unit on 1800 111 530 about a payment plan.
Sources
- Northern Territory Government, “Driver licences for remote residents” (nt.gov.au)
- DriveSafe NT, “Everything you need to know about DriveSafe” (drivesafe.nt.gov.au)
- Northern Territory Government, “Get your driver licence” (nt.gov.au)
- Northern Territory Government, “Road Users’ Handbook”, Fifth Edition, August 2020 (nt.gov.au)