How to get your Driver’s License in Australia

3 min readOct 18, 2018

Australia has a rigorous driving system which has been put in place to maintain our high driving and road safety rates. In Australia we ensure all our new drivers learn the basics of driving very well, before progressing to their full license.

If you are new to driving, our Australian road laws ensure that you pass through a series of stages and tests before progressing to the next level. In total, we have 3 levels to pass before you can get your full license.

Level 1: Your Learners License (Your Yellow L Plates)

This is the first stage that you need to be at before progressing any further. To get this license, you must do the following:

be at least 16 years of age
pass the Driver Knowledge Test (DKT)
prove your identity (with required information)
pass an eyesight test
pay the license and test fees, unless you’re eligible for a concession.

Whilst on this level you must complete 140 hours of logged driving.

Level 2: Your Provisional 1 License (Your Red P’s)

This is the next stage to reach after passing the exam. You can only progress to this stage once you have met all the requirements from the Learner Plates Level.

You must reach the following requirements to obtain a Provisional 1 License:

be at least 17 years of age
have held a learner license for at least 12 months, unless you’re aged 25 years or older
have logged at least 120 hours driving time in your Learner Driver Log Book, including at least 20 hours of night driving, unless you’re aged 25 years or older
prove your identity
pass an eyesight test
pay the license and test fees, unless you’re eligible for a concession
pass the Hazard Perception Test (HPT)
pass the driving test

Level 3: Your Provisional 2 License (Your Green P’s)

After holding your P1 License, you will be able to progress to your P2 license. You will only be able to qualify to this level if you have the following:

have held your P1 license for at least 12 months
prove your identity
pay the license and test fees, unless you’re eligible for a concession.

All information above was sourced here https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/getting-nsw-driver-licence

But what if I have a full driver’s license from my home country?

You might be wondering what you should do in Australia when you had your full drivers license back home.

You will need to speak to your state’s Roads and Transport authority to assess your requirements. Often you will need to take the following information and sit a driving test to assess your skill set.

your overseas license (if not in English, an RMS-approved translation must be supplied as well)
if your license is not available, an authorization letter from the issuing country will be required
your proof of identity
proof of Australian residency status
your contact lenses or glasses (if you wear them)
a ‘fitness to drive’ medical (if applicable)
the PDF form — ‘Licence Application’

All information above was sourced here https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/getting-nsw-driver-licence

Where do I go to fill out my paperwork or sit the test?

Across Australia, there is a series of Service Centres or Roads and Transport centers where you can go to:

- Fill out your paperwork

- Apply for a driver’s license

- Book & sit for tests

- Take your license photo

- Pay motoring bills or fines

IN NSW — https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/services

IN QLD — https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/licensing/getting/learner

IN VIC — https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/licences

IN TAS — https://www.transport.tas.gov.au/licensing/getting-a-licence