Photo: Andy Mabbett, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
To supervise a learner driver in Queensland, you need an open licence for the car and to have held it for at least 1 year, and you must sit next to the learner with a blood alcohol concentration under 0.05. If the learner is under 25, you must also verify every logbook entry and keep your phone off loudspeaker. This guide is for parents, relatives and friends who supervise, as of November 2026. It covers the legal rules, your logbook duties and how to get a learner ready for the Q-Safe test.
Key facts
- Licence: an open (not learner, P1 or P2) licence that covers the vehicle, held for at least 1 year.
- Seat: next to the learner.
- Alcohol: under 0.05. You must not drink alcohol at all while the learner drives under your direction.
- Phones: if the learner is under 25, no passenger, including you, may use a phone on loudspeaker while the car is moving or stopped in traffic.
- Logbook: check and verify each entry for drives you supervised. Verifying an entry you know is false carries a maximum penalty of 60 penalty units.
- Free help: TMR’s PrepL Supervisor course (online) and Ready for the Road supervisor workshops.
Who can supervise a learner in Queensland?
Under the Driver Licensing Regulation, a supervisor must:
- hold an open licence (Queensland calls it an O type licence) that authorises them to drive the vehicle
- have held that kind of licence for at least 1 year
- sit next to the learner (or near them if the vehicle has no seat beside the driver).
| Can this person supervise? | Answer |
|---|---|
| Parent with an open car licence for 20 years | Yes |
| Older sibling who got an open licence 8 months ago | No, wait until it has been held for 1 year |
| Friend on P2 plates | No, provisional licences do not count |
| Driving instructor | Yes, and their hours count 3 for 1 in the logbook (up to 10 instructor hours) |
| Supervisor with an automatic-only car licence (class CA), learner in a manual | No: the licence must authorise them to drive that vehicle |
Both of you are responsible. Learning without a proper supervisor can bring a fine of up to 20 penalty units for the learner and 4 demerit points. Supervising when you are not eligible carries a maximum of 60 penalty units for the supervisor.
If the learner holds an interstate learner licence, the regulation lets you follow the supervision rules of the state that issued it.
Alcohol: under 0.05, and no drinking in the car
The learner must have zero alcohol. You, as supervisor, must be under 0.05, the same limit as a fully licensed driver. Separately, the Road Rules Regulation says a supervisor must not drink liquor while the learner is driving under their direction (maximum 20 penalty units). The simplest rule: if you have had a drink, do not supervise. See zero alcohol for learners and P platers.
Phone rules for supervisors and passengers
When the learner is under 25, Queensland’s regulation stops any passenger from using a mobile phone in loudspeaker mode while the car is moving, or stopped but not parked (for example at traffic lights). That includes the supervisor. The maximum penalty is 30 penalty units.
- Allowed: a call held to your ear, or a text, as long as it does not distract the learner.
- Not allowed: a loudspeaker call while the learner drives.
The learner (under 25) cannot use a phone at all while driving, not even hands-free or for maps. You navigate. Full learner rules: Queensland learner rules. Other states: phone rules for L and P platers in every state.
A good habit is to put your own phone on silent in the glovebox, so you can watch the road.
Your logbook duties
Learners under 25 need 100 hours of supervised driving, at least 10 at night, recorded in a logbook that TMR approves before the test. As the supervisor, the regulation says you:
- Check that the details recorded for the drive are correct.
- Verify the entry: sign it in a paper logbook, or use the app’s method that identifies you and shows your approval.
- Verify only drives you supervised. Signing for someone else’s drive is an offence (maximum 60 penalty units).
- Never verify an entry you know is false (maximum 60 penalty units). If TMR rejects a logbook as false or misleading, the learner waits 6 weeks after meeting the logbook rules before they can take the practical test.
Sign straight after each drive, while the times are fresh. Nights count from sunset to sunrise. Full detail on hours, credits and the app: the Queensland learner logbook.
Plates and the car
- L plates front and back: a black L on yellow, at least 146 mm square, legible from 20 m. You commit an offence too if they are missing.
- Take the plates off when you drive the car yourself. Showing L plates when no learner is driving is an offence.
- The car must be registered and roadworthy.
Getting your learner ready to drive solo
A learner must hold their Ls for at least 1 year and pass the hazard perception test before the Q-Safe practical test. Use that year in stages:
| Stage | Where | What to practise |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Car control | Empty car park, quiet street | Seat and mirror set-up, moving off, braking smoothly, steering, gears |
| 2. Quiet traffic | Suburban streets | Intersections, giving way, roundabouts, speed in 50 km/h zones |
| 3. Busier roads | Multi-lane roads, highways | Lane changes, merging, 100 km/h driving, following distance |
| 4. Harder conditions | Night, rain, unfamiliar areas | Night hours (at least 10), wet roads, finding the way without help |
| 5. Test readiness | Around the test centre | The two Q-Safe manoeuvres, driving 35 minutes without prompts |
The learner is ready when they can drive a whole session safely without you saying anything. Practise the manoeuvres the examiner may choose: Q-Safe manoeuvres and re-sit rules. Test day logistics: the driving test day checklist.
Tips that make sessions work
- Plan the route and goal before you start, and talk it through afterwards.
- Give instructions early and clearly: “At the next lights, turn left.”
- If either of you gets stressed, find a safe place to stop and swap or take a break.
- Book a lesson with a driving instructor for skills you find hard to teach, such as reverse parking. Each instructor hour counts as 3 logbook hours, up to 10 instructor hours.
Free help for Queensland supervisors
- PrepL Supervisor: a free online TMR course on road rules and safe driving, recommended for supervising drivers. It does not count towards a licence. Enrol through TMR’s online services.
- Ready for the Road: TMR’s free in-person workshops for supervisors, “Guiding your learner from L to P”. TMR lists more than 40 across Queensland from August 2026 to June 2027.
- Your keys to driving in Queensland: the official handbook, which covers the road rules your learner is tested on. See the study guide.
Common questions
Can a P plater supervise a learner in Queensland?
No. You need an open licence held for at least 1 year.
Can I supervise on an overseas or interstate licence?
The regulation requires an open licence that authorises you to drive the vehicle. Whether a particular overseas or interstate licence qualifies depends on your circumstances, so check with TMR on 13 23 80. See moving to Queensland.
Do I need to do a course to supervise?
No. The PrepL Supervisor course is recommended but optional.
Can I take a call on speaker while my 17-year-old drives?
No. Loudspeaker calls by any passenger are banned while an under-25 learner drives. Pull over, park and take the call.
Does the learner have a speed limit?
Queensland sets no separate learner speed cap. The learner drives to the posted limit, but you decide whether they are ready for 100 km/h roads.
What if we forgot to log a drive?
Record it as soon as possible with accurate times. Only verify it if you supervised it and the details are correct.
Back to the main guide: learning to drive in Queensland. Supervising in other states: NSW and WA.
Sources
- Queensland Government, “Transport Operations (Road Use Management: Driver Licensing) Regulation 2021”, sections 66 to 68, 216, 218 and 229 (legislation.qld.gov.au)
- Queensland Government, “Transport Operations (Road Use Management: Road Rules) Regulation 2009”, section 300A (legislation.qld.gov.au)
- Department of Transport and Main Roads, “Your keys to driving in Queensland” (publications.qld.gov.au)
- Department of Transport and Main Roads, “Enrol in PrepL Supervisor” (service.transport.qld.gov.au)
- Department of Transport and Main Roads, “Ready for the Road program” and “Teach someone to drive” (tmr.qld.gov.au)
- Queensland Government, “Learner logbook” (qld.gov.au)
- Queensland Government, “Licence types, classes and conditions” (qld.gov.au)