Photo: John Robert McPherson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Learner licence rules in Australia are set by each state and territory, so the minimum age, logbook hours and learner speed limit depend on where you live. This side-by-side checklist covers all eight jurisdictions, so you can see your own rules and what changes if you move or drive interstate.
Key facts
- The minimum learner age is 16 everywhere except the ACT, where it is 15 years and 9 months.
- Logbook hours for young learners range from none (Northern Territory) to 120 hours (New South Wales and Victoria).
- Every jurisdiction requires a zero blood alcohol concentration for learners.
- Learner speed caps range from 80 km/h (Northern Territory) to none (Victoria and the ACT).
Learner rules by state at a glance
| State | Minimum age | Minimum time on Ls (young learners) | Logbook hours (night) | Learner speed cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 16 | 12 months (under 25) | 120 (20), under 25 | 90 km/h |
| VIC | 16 | 12 months (under 21) | 120 (20), under 21 | Posted limit |
| QLD | 16 | 1 year (within the last 5 years) | 100 (10), under 25 | None; posted limits apply |
| WA | 16 | 6 months before the HPT | 50 (5), under 25 | 100 km/h |
| SA | 16 | 12 months (under 25) | 75 (15) | 100 km/h |
| TAS | 16 | 12 continuous months | 80 (15) | 90 km/h |
| ACT | 15 years 9 months | Check with Access Canberra | 100 (10) if under 25 when the licence was issued; 50 (5) if 25+ | Posted limit |
| NT | 16 | 6 continuous months | None compulsory | 80 km/h |
Fees change often and are not listed here. Check the current figure with your state’s licensing agency before booking.
New South Wales
- Pass the Driver Knowledge Test (DKT). You can do it online from 15 years and 11 months, or in person from 16.
- The learner licence is valid for 5 years.
- Under 25: hold your Ls for at least 12 months and log 120 hours, including 20 at night.
- Logbook credits: the Safer Drivers Course gives 20 hours. Each 1 hour lesson with a licensed instructor can be logged as 3 hours.
- You can sit the Hazard Perception Test after 10 months on your Ls (under 25). You can sit the Driving Test from age 17.
- Conditions: 90 km/h maximum, zero alcohol, and no phone use at all, even when stopped. You need a supervisor with a full Australian licence, and you must not tow.
Full details: NSW learner log book and NSW learner, P1 and P2 restrictions.
Victoria
- You can get your learner permit from 16. The permit is valid for 10 years.
- Minimum learner period:
- under 21: one year continuously
- 21 to 24: 6 months
- 25 or over: 3 months
- Under 21 at your licence test: log 120 hours, including 20 at night.
- You can sit the Hazard Perception Test from 17 years and 11 months. The minimum age for a probationary licence is 18.
- Conditions:
- L plates visible from 20 metres
- zero alcohol
- a supervising driver with a full licence that is not probationary
- no touching or voice-controlling a phone or device (navigation and audio set up before you drive are allowed)
- no towing, and cars only
Full details: Victorian learner permit rules and Victoria 120 hour logbook.
Queensland
- You can get your learner licence from 16.
- Under 25: log at least 100 hours of supervised driving, including 10 night hours between sunset and sunrise.
- Zero alcohol applies to learner and provisional licence holders.
- Hold your learner licence for at least 1 year, within the last 5 years, before the practical test.
- There is no learner speed cap. You drive to the posted limit.
- Under 25: no phone use at all while driving, and passengers must not use a phone on loudspeaker.
Full details: Queensland learner logbook and Queensland learner rules.
Western Australia
- Pass the computerised theory test with at least 24 out of 30.
- Under 25: record at least 50 hours of supervised driving, including 5 at night. Use Learn&Log in the ServiceWA app or a paper logbook. Learners aged 25 and over are exempt from the logbook.
- HPT: Drive Safe says you can sit it once your permit is 6 months old and you are at least 16 years and 6 months. A Department of Transport article says either condition is enough, so check before booking.
- You can take the Practical Driving Assessment from 17.
- Conditions:
- L plates front and rear
- 100 km/h maximum
- zero alcohol
- no driving in Kings Park
- your supervisor must have held a licence for at least 4 years
Full details: WA learner rules and the 50 hour logbook.
South Australia
- Get your learner’s permit through the myLs online course or the in-office theory test.
- Log 75 hours of supervised driving, including at least 15 at night.
- Under 25: hold the permit for at least 12 months before you can get your P1 licence from age 17. You also need to pass the Hazard Perception Test.
- Conditions:
- 100 km/h maximum
- zero alcohol, and no THC, methylamphetamine or MDMA
- going 10 km/h or more over any limit breaches your conditions
- a qualified supervising driver beside you
Full details: SA learner permit conditions and SA 75 hour logbook.
Tasmania
- Hold your learner licence for at least 12 continuous months.
- Log 80 hours, including 15 at night.
- Conditions:
- 90 km/h maximum
- zero alcohol
- a supervisory driver
- no mobile phone use, including hands-free
- Music or GPS set up before you start driving is allowed, as long as you do not interact with it while driving.
- 4 or more demerit points within 12 months makes a learner licence liable to a 3 month suspension.
Full details: Tasmanian learner rules and 80 logbook hours.
Australian Capital Territory
- You can start your Ls from 15 years and 9 months, the youngest age in Australia.
- Logbook hours depend on your age when the learner licence was issued:
- under 25: 100 supervised hours, including 10 at night
- 25 or older: 50 hours, including 5 at night
- Each hour (up to 10 hours) with an ACT accredited driving instructor counts as three logbook hours.
- You must be at least 17 and have passed the hazard perception test to book the P1 assessment.
- ACT learners may drive to the posted speed limit in the ACT. They must check local speed rules in other states.
Full details: ACT logbook hours and credits.
Northern Territory
- You can get your learner licence from 16 after passing the driver knowledge test.
- No compulsory logbook hours. The NT handbook says learners with 50 or more hours of practice cut their crash risk on Ps by about one third.
- You must hold your learner licence for at least 6 consecutive months before the practical test.
- Conditions:
- 80 km/h maximum
- zero alcohol
- L plates front and rear
- no phone function at all, including hands-free
- a full licence holder beside you
- Learners in the NT may tow a trailer, with an L plate on the trailer.
- 5 or more demerit points in 12 months, or 12 in three years, suspends a learner licence.
Full details: NT learner licence rules.
Checklist before you start your Ls
- Read your own state’s handbook. The knowledge test is based on it. See the Australian Road Rules explained for which handbook applies.
- Check whether your age band changes the hours you need (under 21 in Victoria, under 25 in most other states).
- Choose your logbook format before your first drive.
- Know your learner speed cap. It can be lower than the posted limit.
- Remember that zero alcohol applies to you everywhere, including interstate.
- Check which locations, if any, are off limits to learners.
Common questions
Which state has the fewest learner hours?
The Northern Territory has no compulsory hours. Among states with a logbook, Western Australia has the lowest requirement for under-25s, at 50 hours including 5 at night.
Can I get my Ls before 16 anywhere in Australia?
Yes, in the ACT, from 15 years and 9 months. NSW lets you start the online DKT at 15 years and 11 months, but the learner licence itself starts at 16.
Do learners over 25 need logbook hours?
It depends on the state.
- NSW and WA: no logbook if you are 25 or over.
- Victoria: the 120-hour rule applies only to learners under 21 at the licence test.
- ACT: 50 hours, including 5 at night, if you were 25 or older when your learner licence was issued.
Can a learner drive on the freeway?
Generally yes, within your learner speed cap, which is 90 km/h in NSW and Tasmania. In Western Australia, Drive Safe recommends practice at 80 to 100 km/h on permitted roads. See learners on motorways and freeways.
If I move states, do my logbook hours transfer?
Each state decides how it treats an interstate learner. Ask the licensing agency in your new state before you transfer. See driving interstate on L or P plates.
Is any alcohol allowed for learners?
No. Every state and territory sets a zero limit for learners. See zero alcohol for learners and P platers.
Sources
- Transport for NSW, “Road User Handbook” (nsw.gov.au)
- Department of Transport and Planning Victoria, “Road to Solo Driving” (transport.vic.gov.au)
- Queensland Government, “Learner logbook” (qld.gov.au)
- Street Smarts, Queensland Government, “Drink driving: Get the facts” (streetsmarts.initiatives.qld.gov.au)
- Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure WA, “Drive Safe: A handbook for Western Australian road users” (transport.wa.gov.au)
- Department of Transport WA, “No more roadblocks: 7 steps to getting your first licence in WA” (transport.wa.gov.au)
- Government of South Australia, “P1 provisional licence” and “The Driving Companion” (mylicence.sa.gov.au)
- Government of South Australia, “The Driver’s Handbook: Alcohol and drugs” (mylicence.sa.gov.au)
- Department of State Growth Tasmania, “Tasmanian Road Rules, Version 2.1” (transport.tas.gov.au)
- Plates Plus Tasmania, “Summary of novice car licensing pathway” (platesplus.tas.gov.au)
- Department of State Growth Tasmania, “Demerit points” (transport.tas.gov.au)
- Access Canberra, “Get your provisional driver licence” (accesscanberra.act.gov.au)
- Access Canberra, “ACT Road Rules Handbook” (accesscanberra.act.gov.au)
- Northern Territory Government, “NT Road Users’ Handbook” (nt.gov.au)
- Office of Road Safety, Australian Government, “Rules for L drivers” (officeofroadsafety.gov.au)