- Searches for “fake drivers licence australia” run to about 170 a month; searches that include “buy” are tiny.
- The Criminal Code ceiling for dealing in identification information is 5 years (s 372.1), and 3 years for possessing it with that intent (s 372.2).
- Queensland publishes the security features of its licence cards; the point of those features is to make copies detectable.
- We found no Australian government warning specific to fake driver licence sales; the sections below say what is documented and what is not.
Two products, one problem
The listings that come up for this phrase fall into two groups. The first is the novelty or prop card: a printable template or a marketplace listing for a licence-shaped card. These are not issued by anyone, and they claim nothing. The second is the card sold to be used as real: a copy of an actual state design, offered with a promise that it will pass. The second group is the one that matters for this guide, because the risks sit with the buyer and the person who relies on the card.
Search results for this phrase in our 4 October 2026 data included a marketplace listing for a printable fake licence, image galleries and video results, and no government page on the topic. The people asking the question are a mix of the curious, the underage and the desperate. Our aim is that those who land here see the legal route next to the fake one.
How a fake fails
A licence is only as good as the record behind it. When a person presents a card to a hire firm, employer or officer, the card is the start of a check, not the end. The states publish ways to confirm a licence with the agency, and Queensland has a page on the security features of its card, which is a polite way of saying the card is designed so a copy looks wrong to someone who knows where to look. We do not describe those features here, since that would help a forger, but the existence of the page shows the design assumption: cards will be copied, so the card must be hard to copy and the record must be checkable.
Digital licences point the same way. VicRoads and Queensland both describe a digital licence on a phone, and NSW describes the NSW Digital Driver Licence in the Service NSW app. A licence held in an app is tied to the agency’s own record, which a printed copy cannot match.
What using one can lead to
We split the consequences so you can see which are documented and which are not.
| Area | What we can say |
|---|---|
| Law (Commonwealth) | Ceilings only: 5 years for dealing in identification information to commit an indictable offence (s 372.1 and, using a carriage service, s 372.1A); 3 years for possessing it with that intent (s 372.2). Using a false document with a Commonwealth official or entity: up to 10 years (s 145.1). |
| Law (state) | State and territory offences for forging or using a licence exist but we did not read them, so we state no penalty. |
| Licence status | Someone who drives on a fake is not licensed. We have not read the state road transport laws, so we give no figure. |
| Work | A licence is a common identity check at job sites and hire counters. A card that fails ends the job offer; that is common sense rather than a documented rule, and we flag it as such. |
| Identity | Anyone who sent copies of real documents to order a card has handed them over. See recovering from identity theft. |
Where the fake meets the real process
Every licence offer is a bet that you will not look at what the agency requires. The agency pages are short. The Northern Territory asks you to attend an MVR office with identity and residency evidence. The ACT asks for an eye test and certificates at a service centre. Tasmania asks for the knowledge test certificate and an eye test. Open the directory, pick your state, and read the requirements; they are shorter than the conversation a seller would want you to have.
If you have one, or know someone who does
Do not use it. The lawful alternative is a learner licence, which in several states can be started from age 15 years and 9 months (ACT) or 16 (Tasmania, NT). If a card has already been used, an agency or lawyer is the right person to ask, not a forum. If you gave a seller your documents, follow the steps for people who paid.
Frequently asked questions
Are fake driver licences illegal in Australia?
Making, selling or using a licence to pretend to be someone, or to commit an offence, is covered by federal and state law. The Criminal Code sets ceilings of 5 years for dealing in identification information (s 372.1) and 3 years for possessing it with that intent (s 372.2). State laws also apply; we have not read them.
How can I tell if a licence is fake?
Looking at the card is rarely enough. The reliable route is to ask the issuing agency to confirm the record. Queensland publishes the security features of its card, which an employer can read; other states have their own guidance on their licensing pages.
Can a fake licence be registered with the state?
No. A state record is created only by the agency after identity checks and the required tests. A seller who says a licence is registered cannot show you the record.
Is a novelty or prop licence legal?
A card that is plainly a novelty and is not used to pretend to be someone is a different matter from a copy used as real. We have not read the laws on novelty cards in every state and do not give advice on them.
What if I gave a seller my documents?
Contact your bank, then IDCARE on 1800 595 160, and report the offer to Scamwatch. Our paid-a-scammer page sets out the order.