- ACT: from 15 years 9 months, pre-learner course and ACT Road Rules test, learner licence valid for 5 years, test valid for 2 years.
- Tasmania: knowledge test first, 12 months to finish the application, learner licence issued at 16.
- Northern Territory: learner, then provisional, then open licence, in that order; from age 16.
- Fees differ by state and class, so we link to each fee table rather than quote one figure.
Step 1: pick the right agency
You apply where you live. The directory gives the agency and address for all eight places. If you have just moved, the agency in your new state also has a conversion page, and some, like NSW, ask you to update your address within 14 days of a move.
Step 2: prove who you are
Every agency we opened starts with identity. The Northern Territory says you must become a Motor Vehicle Registry customer by attending an office with evidence of identity and NT residency. The ACT asks for proof of identity and residency, and for under-18s without address documents a parent or guardian can attend and sign a written declaration that you live with them. NSW and Queensland each publish a proof-of-identity page. Take originals: this is the stage where a scammer would ask for photos instead.
Step 3: learn the rules and pass the knowledge test
- ACT. Complete a pre-learner licence course and pass the ACT Road Rules test with an approved provider. Some ACT schools offer the course to Year 10 students for free as part of the curriculum, according to Access Canberra.
- Tasmania. Complete the learner driver knowledge test. Once passed, you have 12 months to complete the application. The Plates Plus website shows the full process as a chart and a text version.
- Northern Territory. Study the NT Road Users’ Handbook and take a practice theory test, or enrol in DriveSafe NT, whose page says participants receive more than $600 in subsidies towards getting a licence.
- NSW. Transport for NSW lists the Driver Knowledge Test and the Hazard Perception Test as the tests along the way.
Step 4: apply for the learner licence
In Tasmania you fill out the application form at a Service Tasmania centre, show a current Tasmanian licence or proof of identity, tell the agency about any medical conditions that might affect your driving, take an eye test and pay the fee. The ACT works the same way at an Access Canberra service centre, where you also hand in the Road Rules test certificate. After approval the ACT gives you a temporary licence, a logbook and a set of L plates; the card can take up to 21 business days to arrive.
Step 5: drive with supervision
Rules for learners are in each state’s handbook. In the ACT you must display L plates at the front and back of the vehicle, drive only with a person holding a valid full Australian driver licence in the passenger seat, keep to zero blood or breath alcohol, tow no more than 750 kg Gross Vehicle Mass and not exceed posted speed limits. Interstate, follow the learner rules of the place you are driving in.
Step 6: provisional and open licences
Queensland lists learner, provisional (P1 or P2) and open licences. The Northern Territory states that you must hold a learner licence, then a provisional licence, before an open or full one, and describes four steps: pass the theory test and get the learner licence, learn to drive and practise with supervision, pass the practical driving test and get the provisional licence, and upgrade to a full licence. Western Australia’s licensing page lists services such as “Book a PDA” and “Renew your licence”. Tasmania says anyone applying for its learner licence as a non-novice, for example converting an overseas licence or returning after a licence expired more than five years ago, must take a practical driving test.
What it costs
We do not print a figure because fees depend on the state, the class and the term, and one number would be wrong for most readers. Each agency publishes a fee table: VicRoads has a driver licence fees page, Transport for NSW has a licence fees page, and Queensland has a licence fees page under driver licensing. The practical effect is that the lawful route costs an application fee, test fees and driving lessons, all payable to the agency or a registered provider, never to someone who promises to skip the process.
If a site offers a shortcut
Any offer that removes the tests, the identity check or the in-person step is not describing a faster route, it is describing a route that does not exist. Our guide to why a licence cannot be bought sets out the promises and the real requirements side by side.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get my driver licence in Australia?
Prove your identity to the state or territory agency, pass the knowledge test (in the ACT after a pre-learner course), take an eye test and pay the fee for a learner licence, then follow the provisional and open stages. Use the agency for the place you live.
What age can I get a learner licence?
ACT: 15 years and 9 months. Tasmania: you can sit the test earlier but the learner licence is issued at 16. Northern Territory: from 16. Check your own agency for other states.
Do I have to take a driving test?
Yes for the provisional step. The NT describes passing the practical driving test to get the provisional licence, and Tasmania says non-novice applicants such as overseas licence converters must take a practical driving test.
How long does a learner licence last?
In the ACT a learner licence is valid for 5 years, and the Road Rules test is valid for 2 years. Other states set their own terms.
What do I need to take to apply?
Proof of identity, evidence of residency in some places (ACT, NT), the knowledge test certificate where required, and payment of the fee. In Tasmania and the ACT you also take an eye test at the centre.
Can I do the process online?
Parts of it, depending on the state. Tasmania says the application itself starts at a Service Tasmania centre, and the ACT application is made at an Access Canberra service centre. Check your agency page for current online options.