Photo: Foraminifera, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A South Australian learner’s permit comes with two sets of rules. Breaking a condition costs you the permit and gets you disqualified. Breaking one of the other laws brings fines, demerit points or worse. This guide lists both, explains the 10 km/h rule and the phone ban, and shows what a breach costs.
SA learner’s permit conditions
If you breach any of these, you lose your learner’s permit and are disqualified from driving, on top of any other penalty:
- Zero alcohol and no drugs. No alcohol at all in your blood, and no THC (cannabis), methylamphetamine (speed, ice), MDMA (ecstasy) or cocaine in your blood or saliva.
- The 10 km/h rule. Speeding by 10 km/h or more over the limit is a breach of your conditions, not just a fine.
- A supervisor beside you. A qualified supervising driver must sit in the seat next to you.
- Fewer than 4 demerit points. Reaching 4 or more points during the permit period is a breach.
Other laws for SA learners
- Drive only the class of vehicle on your permit.
- Display correct-size L plates (a black L on yellow), clearly visible from the front and rear of the car.
- Carry your learner’s permit every time you drive.
- Do not drive over 100 km/h, even where the limit is 110 km/h.
- Do not use any mobile phone function while driving. That includes hands-free, Bluetooth, loudspeaker and the phone’s GPS or maps.
The 10 km/h breach rule explained
| How far over the limit | Result for a learner |
|---|---|
| Less than 10 km/h | Expiation fee (fine) and demerit points |
| 10 km/h or more | Fine, demerit points and disqualification for breaching your conditions |
| 45 km/h or more | Fine, demerit points and immediate loss of licence |
Example: on a 60 km/h road, 69 km/h is a fine and points. 70 km/h breaches your conditions. On a 110 km/h road, anything over 100 km/h breaks the learner speed law, so treat 100 km/h as a hard ceiling. The 10 km/h rule is not a speeding allowance: any speed over the limit is still an offence, and the posted limit is a maximum, not a target.
The handbook adds that a learner or P1 driver caught 11 km/h over without L or P plates faces fines totalling over a thousand dollars.
Phones: what SA learners can and cannot do
SA learners and P1 drivers have a total mobile phone ban while driving: no calls (including hands-free or Bluetooth), no loudspeaker, no phone GPS or maps and no texting. There are two exceptions:
- using the phone while stopped in a road-related area (such as a drive-through or car park) to pay for goods and services, or to show ID such as a digital licence
- using the phone where it is needed to enter or leave a road-related area
A navigation device that is not a phone is allowed if it is either:
- built into the car as part of its original design, or
- a standalone GPS unit held in a mounting commercially designed for a GPS and fixed to the car as the mount maker’s instructions say.
A phone in a holder does not count as a standalone GPS. Set the route before you move off, and let your supervisor handle any phone.
L plates
- Black letter L on a yellow background, at least the minimum size shown in the handbook.
- Clearly visible from the front and rear (rear only on a motor bike).
- Take them off when a fully licensed driver uses the car. The only exception is a licensed driving instructor driving to or from a lesson.
What cars can SA learners drive?
Because you are always supervised, SA learners can learn in a high-powered vehicle. You cannot learn in an ultra high-powered vehicle, even with a supervising driver. See high-powered vehicles and the U class licence.
What happens if you breach a condition?
You are disqualified and must sit out the disqualification. You cannot use a Safer Driver Agreement or appeal while you are on your Ls. When you come back, you must hold your learner’s permit continuously for 3 months, and you still need 12 months in total (6 months if 25 or over). Hours logged before the disqualification still count. Full details: losing your licence in SA.
Common questions
Can a learner drive at 110 km/h in SA?
No. Learners must not exceed 100 km/h, even on roads signed 110 km/h.
Can I use Google Maps on my phone as a learner in SA?
No. The learner phone ban covers the phone’s maps and GPS, even if the phone is mounted. A built-in system or a properly mounted standalone GPS unit is allowed.
How many demerit points can a learner get in SA?
Fewer than 4. Reaching 4 or more during the permit period breaches your conditions and leads to disqualification.
Can I drive alone on my Ls if I am over 25?
No. Every car learner must have a qualified supervising driver beside them, whatever their age.
Can my supervisor have had a drink?
Their BAC must be below 0.05. You must be at zero.
Do SA L plate rules apply when I drive interstate?
Other states apply their own rules to visiting learners. See driving interstate on L or P plates.
Related: SA 75 hour logbook, zero alcohol for learners and P platers. Back to the main guide: learning to drive in South Australia.
Sources
- Government of South Australia, Department for Infrastructure and Transport, “The Driver’s Handbook (MR200, February 2026)” (mylicence.sa.gov.au)
- Government of South Australia, “My car licence: Learner’s stage (L)” (mylicence.sa.gov.au)