How to Get Your Queensland Driving Licence

Getting your driving licence in Queensland is a structured process, but it's not as complicated as it looks once you understand the steps. The whole system is designed to build your skills gradually before turning you loose on the road unsupervised.

Queensland uses a Graduated Licensing System with four stages: Learner (L plates), Provisional P1 (red P plates), Provisional P2 (green P plates), and then an Open licence. If you start at 16, the earliest you can hold an open licence is age 20 — so the whole process takes a minimum of about four years. But your exact pathway depends heavily on your age, which we'll cover in detail below.

Here's how it all works — every step, every fee, every restriction.

Getting Your Learner Licence (L Plates)

You can apply for a learner licence from age 16. Your first step is passing a road rules knowledge assessment — either online through PrepL, or in person as a written test at a TMR customer service centre.

PrepL vs the Written Test

You have two options for the knowledge assessment, both costing $28.70:

PrepL (recommended) is an interactive online course you complete at your own pace on any device. It takes 4–6 hours and covers road rules through videos, scenarios, and embedded assessments, with a final 30-question multiple-choice test at the end (you need 90% to pass). You have 12 months to complete it from enrolment, and if you fail the final test you can retry after 24 hours at no extra cost. You can enrol from age 15 years and 11 months, giving you time to finish before your 16th birthday.

The written road rules test is a 30-question multiple-choice exam you sit in person at a TMR centre. You'll need to study Your Keys to Driving in Queensland, available as a free download from the TMR website. TMR plans to eventually replace the written test with PrepL entirely, but for now both options remain available.

PrepL is generally the better choice. It teaches the material rather than just testing it, you can complete it from home, and retakes are free.

Applying for Your Learner Licence

Once you've passed PrepL or the written test and you're at least 16, you'll need to visit a TMR centre in person to apply for your learner licence. You'll complete an eyesight test and have your photo taken.

You'll need to bring original identity documents — photocopies and certified copies aren't accepted. TMR requires three documents from two categories: one Category A document (such as an Australian birth certificate, passport, or citizenship certificate) plus two Category B documents (such as a Medicare card, bank statement, or school ID), or two Category A plus one Category B. If your documents don't show your current Queensland address, you'll also need proof of residency (a utility bill, bank statement, or a parent's licence showing the same address). If you're under 18, a parent or guardian must attend and provide their own ID. The full list is on the TMR evidence of identity page — check it before you go, because turning up without the right documents means a wasted trip.

Your learner licence costs $77.55 and is valid for 3 years — which gives you plenty of time to complete your supervised hours, pass your hazard perception test, and take your practical driving test. If your learner licence expires before you pass the practical test, you'll need to reapply and pay again, so keep an eye on the timeline.

Your physical licence card arrives in the post within about 10 working days, but you can start driving immediately using your driver licence receipt. Queensland also offers the Digital Licence app, which stores your licence on your phone and is legally accepted by police.

Learner Licence Conditions

While on your Ls, you must display yellow L plates on the front and rear of the vehicle, maintain a zero blood alcohol concentration at all times, and drive only under supervision. Your supervising driver must hold an open licence for the vehicle class you're driving and must have held it for at least one year. They need to sit beside you in the front seat.

No phone use at all. Learners cannot use a mobile phone in any capacity while driving — not hands-free, not Bluetooth, not even voice commands. Your supervisor and passengers also cannot use a phone on loudspeaker while you're driving.

No special speed limit. Unlike NSW (where learners are capped at 90 km/h), Queensland learners can drive up to the posted speed limit. If the road is signed at 110 km/h, you're legally allowed to drive at that speed. That said, there's no rush — build up to higher speeds gradually as your confidence grows.

Demerit points are tight. Learners can only accumulate 4 demerit points in any 12-month period before facing a 3-month suspension. A single phone offence is 4 points, which means one mistake could suspend your permit immediately.

Logging Your 100 Hours

If you're under 25, you must complete 100 hours of supervised driving before you can take the practical driving test. At least 10 of those hours must be at night (between sunset and sunrise).

You can record your hours using the free Queensland Learner Logbook app or a paper logbook issued by TMR. The app is easier — it tracks your trips automatically, calculates totals, and lets you submit your logbook digitally when you're done.

The 3-for-1 Scheme

Queensland offers a bonus hours scheme that can significantly reduce your time behind the wheel. For every 1 hour of structured driving with an accredited instructor, you can log 3 hours in your logbook. This applies to a maximum of 10 instructor hours, giving you up to 30 logbook hours from just 10 actual hours of lessons.

The practical effect: by taking 10 professional lessons, you reduce your actual driving requirement from 100 hours down to 80 hours of behind-the-wheel time. That's a meaningful saving for busy families.

A few important details about the scheme:

• It only applies to lessons with a fully accredited Queensland driving instructor — hours with parents or friends always count as 1:1.
• Night driving with an instructor can count as either triple time or night hours, but not both. If you take a lesson at 7pm, you choose whether to log it as 3 daytime hours or 1 night hour.
• After your 10 tripled hours, any additional instructor lessons count as standard 1:1 hours.

Driving lessons in Brisbane and the Gold Coast typically cost $60–90 per hour. At that rate, 10 lessons (the maximum for triple time) would run roughly $600–900 — but those 10 hours replace 30 hours of logbook time you'd otherwise need to accumulate with family or friends.

If you're looking for a qualified instructor in Queensland, DriveBuddy can help you find accredited instructors in your area who qualify for the 3-for-1 scheme.

Submitting Your Logbook

Once you've completed your 100 hours, you need to submit your logbook for review at least 12 business days before your practical driving test. TMR will check your logbook and notify you whether it's been approved — you can't take the test until it is. False or misleading logbook entries can result in fines and a 6-week delay before you can resubmit.

If you're 25 or older, you don't need to complete a logbook at all. TMR still recommends getting plenty of supervised practice before your test, but there's no minimum hour requirement.

The Hazard Perception Test

After holding your learner licence for at least 6 months, you're eligible to take the Hazard Perception Test (HPT). TMR will send you an email when you're eligible.

The HPT is a computer-based test that uses high-quality 3D computer-generated video clips to simulate real driving scenarios. You watch each clip and click "respond now" when you identify a hazard that requires action — your score is based on how quickly and appropriately you respond. It costs $41.30 per attempt, and since July 2021, you must pass it before you can book your practical driving test.

You can take the HPT online from home or at a TMR centre. If you fail, you can retry after 24 hours.

Preparation tip: The biggest mistake is responding too early or too late. Not every scenario requires a response — sometimes the correct action is to simply watch and wait. TMR's hazard perception page has practice scenarios that mirror the real test format. Work through these before your attempt.

The Practical Driving Test

Once you've held your learner licence for at least 12 months, completed your logbook hours (if under 25), and passed the HPT, you can book your practical driving test. The test costs $67.15 and can be booked online through TMR. Saturday tests are available at selected centres in high-demand areas — they cost the same as weekday tests and can be a good option if you can't take time off work or school.

You'll need to bring your own vehicle to the test (or use your instructor's). The car must be registered, roadworthy, and able to pass a safety check by the examiner. If you're under 25, your logbook must have been approved before the test date.

The test assesses everyday driving skills: turns, lane changes, speed management, gap selection, hazard response, and at least one manoeuvre (such as a reverse parallel park or three-point turn). Examiners are looking for safe, controlled driving — not perfection.

Tip: The QLD practical driving test pass rate hovers around 63%. If you're nervous, invest in a pre-test lesson with an instructor who knows the local test routes. They'll know exactly which intersections and manoeuvres the examiners focus on. TMR also publishes the Q-SAFE Driver Licence Assessment manual, which outlines the exact procedures examiners follow — reading it beforehand takes the mystery out of what to expect.

If you don't pass: You can rebook and pay another $67.15. The waiting period between attempts escalates: after your first fail you can resit the next day, after your second you must wait 8 days, and after your third or subsequent attempt the wait is 29 days. There's no limit to the number of attempts, but test slots in busy areas (especially South East Queensland) can book out 4–6 weeks ahead — so if you need to rebook, do it quickly.

Your Age Changes Everything

Queensland's system branches significantly based on your age. Here's how each pathway works:

Under 25 (Standard Pathway)

This is the full graduated system:

Learner (minimum 12 months) → P1 Red (minimum 12 months, must be 17+) → P2 Green (minimum 12–24 months depending on age) → Open (must be 20+)

The exact P2 hold period depends on how old you were when you got your P1:

• Under 23 when you got P1: Hold P2 for at least 2 years before open licence
• 23 when you got P1: Hold P2 for at least 1 year
• 24 when you got P1: You don't need P2 at all — hold P1 for 1 year, then go straight to open

That last one catches people off guard. If you turn 24 before getting your P1, your pathway is shorter than someone who started the process younger.

25 and Over

If you're 25 or older when you pass your practical driving test, you skip P1 entirely and go straight to a P2 (green P) licence. You must hold P2 for 1 year before upgrading to open.

You still need to hold your learner licence for 12 months and pass the HPT and practical test, but you don't need to complete 100 logbook hours. Your minimum timeline from learner to open licence is 2 years.

Minimum Age for Open Licence

Regardless of your pathway, you must be at least 20 years old to hold an open licence.

P1: Red Provisional Licence

Your P1 licence is your first taste of unsupervised driving. You can now drive alone, but several restrictions apply.

P1 Restrictions

Zero BAC. No alcohol at all — 0.00 blood alcohol concentration.

Phone use depends on your age. If you're under 25, you cannot use a mobile phone in any capacity while driving. No hands-free, no Bluetooth, no voice commands, no phone mounted in a cradle — nothing. Your passengers also cannot use a phone on loudspeaker while you're driving. If you're 25 or over on a P1 licence, you can use a phone hands-free (e.g. in a cradle), including for navigation and calls.

Night passenger restriction (under 25 only). Between 11pm and 5am, you can only carry one passenger under 21 who is not an immediate family member. During the day, there are no passenger restrictions. "Immediate family" includes parents, step-parents, siblings, children, grandparents, and spouses/de facto partners.

High-powered vehicle ban (under 25). You cannot drive high-powered vehicles. For cars built after 1 January 2010, this means vehicles with a power-to-weight ratio exceeding 130 kW/tonne. For older vehicles, restrictions apply to cars with 8+ cylinders, turbocharged/supercharged petrol engines, or outputs over 210 kW. You can check whether a specific vehicle is restricted using TMR's high-powered vehicle search tool. If the only vehicle you have reasonable access to is high-powered, or your employer requires you to drive one, you can apply to TMR for an exemption.

Display red P plates on the front and rear of your vehicle at all times.

4 demerit points per year. If you accumulate 4 or more demerit points in any 12-month period, you'll have to choose between a 3-month suspension or a 1-year good driving behaviour period.

Automatic-only condition. If you passed your practical driving test in an automatic vehicle, you can only drive automatics on your provisional licence. Unlike NSW (where the restriction drops at P2) or Victoria (where it drops when you finish your Ps), Queensland's automatic-only condition stays with you even after you get your open licence. To remove it at any stage, you need to pass a practical driving test in a manual vehicle.

You must hold your P1 licence for at least 12 months before progressing to P2.

P2: Green Provisional Licence

P2 is the final stage before your open licence. Several P1 restrictions ease up:

P2 Restrictions

Zero BAC — still in effect.

Hands-free phone use is now allowed. You can use a phone in a cradle for navigation, music, and calls, provided you maintain proper control of the vehicle. You still can't hold the phone or have it resting on your body.

No passenger restrictions. The night passenger limit that applied on P1 is gone.

High-powered vehicle ban (under 25) — still in effect.

Display green P plates on the front and rear.

4 demerit points per year — same threshold as P1.

Automatic-only condition — still in effect if you tested in an automatic. Unlike other states, this doesn't drop when you reach P2.

You cannot supervise a learner driver while on a P2 licence. Only open licence holders who have held their licence for at least 1 year can supervise.

The length of time you need to hold P2 depends on your age (see age pathways above).

Getting Your Open Licence

Once you've held your provisional licence for the required period and you're at least 20 years old, you can upgrade to an open licence. There's no additional test required — no driving test, no HPT. You simply visit a TMR centre or apply online and pay for your new licence.

The open licence removes all provisional restrictions: no P plates, no high-powered vehicle ban, standard 0.05 BAC limit, full phone use allowed (hands-free only while driving, as per general road rules), and the standard 12 demerit points per 3-year period.

Open licences are available in 1 to 5-year terms, with fees ranging from $91.55 (1 year) to $205.05 (5 years). The 5-year option is the best value per year.

Insurance tip: Your car insurance premiums should drop when you upgrade from provisional to open — insurers treat open licence holders as lower risk. It's worth requesting a requote from your insurer as soon as you make the switch.

What It Costs

Here's the minimum you'll spend on government fees to get from learner to open licence (starting under 25):

Item	Cost
PrepL or written road rules test	$28.70
Learner licence (3 years)	$77.55
Hazard perception test	$41.30
Practical driving test	$67.15
P1 licence (1 year)	$91.55
P2 licence (2 years)	$127.70
Open licence (1 year)	$91.55
Total (government fees)	~$526

All fees are effective 1 July 2025. These are licensing fees only — they don't include driving lessons, which typically run $60–90 per hour in South East Queensland. Ten instructor lessons (the maximum for the 3-for-1 scheme) would add roughly $600–900 to the total.

If you're 25 or older, the total is lower — you skip the P1 licence fee ($91.55) and go straight to P2. Your minimum government fees would be roughly $434.

There are no concessions available for Queensland licence fees, though concession card holders may be eligible for discounted vehicle registration.

Quick Reference: The Queensland Licensing Timeline

Standard Path (Starting at 16)

Learner (L) — Age 16+ / Hold 12 months minimum / 100 hours + HPT + practical test →
P1 (Red) — Age 17+ / Hold 12 months / Zero BAC, phone restrictions, night passenger limit, high-powered ban →
P2 (Green) — Age 18+ / Hold 12–24 months (age-dependent) / Zero BAC, hands-free phone OK, no passenger limits →
Open — Age 20+ / No additional test / Standard road rules apply

Over-25 Path

Learner (L) — Hold 12 months / No logbook requirement / HPT + practical test →
P2 (Green) — Hold 12 months / Zero BAC, hands-free phone OK, no passenger limits →
Open — No additional test

What Makes Queensland Different

No speed restrictions on any licence class. Unlike NSW (where learners are capped at 90 km/h and P2 at 100 km/h), Queensland learners and provisional drivers can drive up to the posted speed limit. If you drive interstate, you must follow that state's speed restrictions.

Phone rules split by age, not just licence class. P1 drivers under 25 have a total phone ban. P1 drivers over 25 — and all P2 drivers — can use hands-free. This age-based split is unusual compared to other states.

The HPT happens during your learner phase. Since July 2021, you must pass the hazard perception test before you can take your practical driving test. This is different from the old system (and some other states) where the HPT sits between P1 and P2.

25+ learners skip P1 entirely. If you pass your practical test at 25 or older, you go straight to P2 and can hold an open licence within 2 years total.

100 hours, not 120. Queensland requires 100 supervised hours (vs 120 in NSW and Victoria). Combined with the 3-for-1 scheme, you can reach the target with as few as 80 actual hours of driving.

Complex open licence age rules. Unlike states where you simply hold P2 for a set period, Queensland's required hold time for P2 varies depending on how old you were when you got P1. Check the age pathways section for your specific timeline.

Automatic-only condition doesn't expire. In NSW, the automatic condition drops when you reach P2. In Victoria, it drops when you finish your Ps. In Queensland, it follows you to your open licence — you need to pass a manual test to remove it at any stage.

Finding a Driving Instructor

A good instructor makes a real difference — not just for passing the test, but for building safe habits from day one. When choosing an instructor in Queensland, look for someone who is TMR-accredited (required to qualify for the 3-for-1 scheme), drives a dual-controlled vehicle, and ideally knows the test routes in your local area.

Most instructors offer single lessons ($60–90/hour) and discounted packages (often 5–10% off when you buy a block of 5–10 lessons). If you're planning to use the 3-for-1 scheme, booking your first 10 lessons early in your learner phase gets you the maximum logbook benefit while building strong foundations.

Ask about test-day packages too — many instructors offer a pre-test lesson followed by use of their car for the actual test, which saves you worrying about whether your own car will pass the examiner's safety check.

If you're looking for a driving instructor in Queensland, DriveBuddy can help. You can search by suburb, compare instructors, and read reviews from other learners to find someone who's the right fit for you.

All fees, rules, and restrictions in this guide are verified against official Queensland Government sources. We re-check these after each 1 July fee update. If you spot anything that's changed, contact us.