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Before you can get a P1 licence in South Australia, you need at least 75 hours of supervised driving, including 15 hours at night, recorded in the log book section of The Driving Companion. This guide covers how to fill in the log book, who can supervise you, and what happens if you lose it. It is written for SA learners and the parents or friends who supervise them.
Key facts
- Minimum 75 hours of supervised driving, including at least 15 hours at night. This applies whether you choose a VORT or CBT&A.
- Your qualified supervising driver must sign off every session, or it does not count.
- The Driving Companion is free when you enrol in myLs or when your learner’s permit is issued. Extra copies cost a fee.
- You hand in the completed log book at a Service SA customer service centre when you apply for P1.
- Electronic logbook apps are accepted if they produce a printout with the same information as the paper version.
What goes in each log book entry
For every practice session, record:
- the date and time
- how long you drove
- the location and the road
- weather and traffic conditions
- the qualified supervising driver’s name, licence number and signature
You record your sessions at the back of the log book, and your supervising driver signs each one. Supervising drivers do not get their own log book. They write in yours.
Who can supervise a learner driver in SA?
A qualified supervising driver (QSD) must:
- sit in the front seat, immediately next to you
- have held an unconditional (full) licence for the class of vehicle for the preceding two years. A learner’s permit, provisional or probationary licence does not count
- not have been disqualified in the previous two years
- not hold a licence with a good behaviour condition
- have a blood alcohol concentration below 0.05 and no prescribed drug in their blood or saliva
Overseas licence holders can supervise if their licence is from a recognised country and they meet the same criteria. Parents, friends and driving instructors can all supervise if they qualify. A person who charges to teach you must hold a driving instructor’s licence.
How to plan your 75 hours
Under 25s must hold the permit for at least 12 months, so 75 hours works out to roughly 1.5 hours a week. The handbook points out that learners with around 120 hours of supervised practice have substantially fewer crashes. More practice is worth it.
| Stage | Focus |
|---|---|
| First weeks | Car controls, moving off and stopping, quiet streets and car parks |
| Building up | Intersections, roundabouts, right turns across traffic, lane changes with head checks |
| Night hours (15 minimum) | Dipping headlights within 200 metres of oncoming or leading vehicles, judging distance in the dark |
| Variety | Wet roads, busy arterial roads, higher-speed rural roads up to 100 km/h, parking |
| Final stage | Practise the VORT manoeuvres or your CBT&A tasks, and drive as if you were on your own |
See VORT or CBT&A for the tasks and manoeuvres to practise.
Tips for supervising drivers
- Stay sober. Your own limit is under 0.05 while supervising, even though the learner must be at zero.
- Check the L plates are on, front and rear, and that the learner has their permit.
- Talk through hazards aloud. It builds the scanning skills tested in the SA Hazard Perception Test.
- Sign each session straight away. Hours you cannot prove do not count.
- Know the learner’s conditions: 100 km/h maximum and no phone use. See SA learner permit conditions.
Lost log books, interstate hours and apps
If you lose your log book
You pay a fee for a replacement. To keep your earlier hours, your supervising driver or drivers must re-enter and sign every completed session and task in the new book. Otherwise you start again from zero. Photograph each completed page as a backup.
Hours from an interstate learner permit
If you can show you held an interstate learner licence or permit, a supervising driver can record that experience in your SA log book. You can also present an interstate log book as evidence towards the 75 hours.
Electronic log books
You can use an app instead of the paper log book, as long as it gives a printout with the same information as the paper version. Check before you start, not at the end.
Common questions
Do I need 75 hours if I am over 25?
Yes. The 75 hours apply to all car learners. Over 25s only need to hold the permit for 6 months instead of 12.
Do driving lessons count towards the 75 hours?
Yes, if the instructor meets the supervising driver rules and signs the session. Licensed driving instructors can supervise.
Do I lose my hours if I am disqualified on my Ls?
No. You must still complete the 75 hours, but hours logged before the disqualification count.
Can my P-plater sibling supervise me?
No. A supervisor needs two years on an unconditional licence. Provisional and probationary licences do not count.
Where do I get The Driving Companion?
You get it free when you enrol in myLs or when your permit is issued. It is also available online at mylicence.sa.gov.au and from Service SA customer service centres.
Back to the main guide: learning to drive in South Australia. Comparing states? See learner rules in every Australian state.
Sources
- Government of South Australia, Department for Infrastructure and Transport, “The Driver’s Handbook (MR200, February 2026)” (mylicence.sa.gov.au)