Photo: Chris Olszewski, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In Queensland you sit the car hazard perception test (HPT) online while you are still a learner, after holding your Ls for at least 6 months. You must pass it before you can book the Q-Safe practical driving test. This page explains when you can take it, how it works, the fee and how to prepare.
Key facts
- When: after at least 6 months on a car (class C) learner licence.
- Where: normally online, through TMR’s “Enrol in hazard perception test” service. An offline version is delivered by the Indigenous Driver Licensing Unit during its community visits.
- Format: 3D computer-generated driving clips.
- Must pass before: booking your practical driving test.
- Fee: $42.70 from 1 July 2026, with up to 12 months to use the test once paid.
- Pass once: you only need to pass it one time.
Can I do the Queensland hazard perception test before 6 months?
No. The Driver Licensing Regulation says the test must be taken after you have held your class C learner licence for at least 6 months, and before your practical driving test. TMR’s booking system will not let you book a car driving test until you have passed it.
Your licence also has to be current. If it has expired, renew it before you enrol.
How to enrol
- Log in or sign up on TMR’s online services. If you did PrepL, use the same login.
- Enter your licence number (your customer reference number).
- Pay the fee by Visa or Mastercard, unless already paid.
- Sit the test on your own device.
If you cannot do the test online, contact TMR on 13 23 80 to discuss your options.
How the test works
The test measures how well you recognise and respond to potentially dangerous situations while driving. You watch computer-generated clips from the driver’s seat and respond to what you see. Read the instructions on screen carefully before you start, and check TMR if you want to know more about how the test is run.
How to prepare
- Use your logbook hours. Ask your supervisor to talk through hazards as you drive: a car edging out of a driveway, a pedestrian near a bus, brake lights two cars ahead.
- Scan far ahead and check mirrors often. Scanning and mirror use are also assessed in your Q-Safe test.
- Know the gap rules. Queensland drivers must keep a safe distance behind the vehicle in front. The Q-Safe test checks for at least a 2-second following distance.
- Practise night and wet-weather driving so the clips feel familiar. See driving in rain, fog, smoke and floods.
Where the HPT fits in your Queensland licence path
- PrepL and learner licence. See PrepL and the road rules test.
- 6 months on Ls, then the HPT.
- Finish your logbook if under 25. See the Queensland learner logbook.
- Book and pass Q-Safe after 1 year on Ls. See the Q-Safe practical driving test.
Full overview: learning to drive in Queensland.
Common questions
Do I have to do the HPT if I am over 25?
Yes. The test applies to every class C learner applying for a provisional or open licence, whatever their age.
Can I sit the HPT at a customer service centre?
Usually not. The normal route is online, but the Indigenous Driver Licensing Unit delivers an offline version during visits to communities. If you cannot do the test online, contact TMR on 13 23 80 to discuss your options. There are no exemptions from passing it.
What if I fail?
You can sit it again. Check retake rules and any extra fee when you enrol, as TMR’s main HPT pages do not set them out.
Does my HPT pass expire?
You only need to pass it once for your car licence. If you are unsure whether an old pass still counts, call TMR.
I am a P1 driver who never did the HPT. Do I need it?
Some drivers who were mid-way through licensing when the rules changed in 2021 still have to pass it. TMR’s enrolment page lists P1 holders who have held their P1 for at least 12 months as eligible. Call TMR to check your record.
Do other states use the same test?
No. Each state runs its own. Compare at learner licence rules compared.
Sources
- Department of Transport and Main Roads, “Enrol in hazard perception test” (service.transport.qld.gov.au)
- Department of Transport and Main Roads, “Bookings online: book a driving test” (service.transport.qld.gov.au)
- Queensland Government, “Car hazard perception test” and “Hazard perception” (qld.gov.au)
- Queensland Government, “Licence fees” (qld.gov.au)
- Queensland Government, “Transport Operations (Road Use Management: Driver Licensing) Regulation 2021” (legislation.qld.gov.au)
- Queensland Government, “Transport Operations (Road Use Management: Road Rules) Regulation 2009” (legislation.qld.gov.au)
- Department of Transport and Main Roads, “Your keys to driving in Queensland” (publications.qld.gov.au)
- Queensland Government, “Car hazard perception test” (qld.gov.au)