DriveBuddy
Getting your driver's licence in Victoria means working through the state's Graduated Licensing System (GLS) — a structured pathway from learner permit to full licence designed to build your skills in low-risk conditions before giving you full independence on the road. Victoria's system has some notable differences from other states, including no special speed limits for P-platers (you can drive the posted limit) and a generous Motorist Package that makes many of the upfront costs free.
Here's what the journey actually looks like, what it costs, and where the common trip-ups are.
The short version:
- Steps: learner permit at 16 or older (pass the online course test), then hold it for 12 months and log 120 hours, 20 at night, if you're under 21 (6 months if you're 21 to 24, 3 months from 25, with no logbook), then the hazard perception test and drive test, then your Ps (P1 then P2 if you're under 21; straight to P2 if you're 21 or older), then a full licence with no further test.
- Government fees: $75.30 in total if you pass the online tests first time, because the Motorist Package waives everything except the drive test.
- Fastest time to a full licence: about 6 years if you start your Ls at 16, about 3.5 years if you start at 21 to 24, and about 3.25 years from 25.
Last updated: October 2026. Fees are VicRoads' rates from July 2026; requirements verified against VicRoads and Transport Victoria.
Getting Your Learner Permit
You can apply for a learner permit once you turn 16. The process starts online and finishes at a VicRoads Customer Service Centre.
The Learner Permit Test
Victoria's learner permit test isn't a quick multiple-choice quiz — it's a 4-to-6-hour online course that teaches road rules and safe driving principles, with a test at the end. You enrol through your myVicRoads account, work through the course material at your own pace, then complete the assessment.
Your first attempt at the online test is free under the Motorist Package. If you fail and need to retake it, further attempts cost $28.70 each (VicRoads fees, as at July 2026). The course is currently only available in English online, but if you want the test in another language or don't have computer access, you can take it in person at a VicRoads Customer Service Centre for $50.80 ($28.70 for the test plus a $22.10 appointment fee).
A practical tip: the online course is based on the Road to Solo Driving handbook. You can download it free from Transport Victoria's handbooks page and read it before starting the course. The course itself includes interactive elements, but having already read the handbook means you won't be seeing the material for the first time during the assessment. To check what's stuck, DriveBuddy's free VIC learner practice test has questions written from VicRoads' rules, each with an explanation.
Visiting VicRoads
Once you pass the online test, you'll fill out the learner permit application through myVicRoads and receive an email with a QR code and a list of identity documents you need to bring. You then visit a VicRoads Customer Service Centre (no appointment needed) with:
- The QR code from your completed online course (on your phone is fine)
- A Category A identity document — your passport or birth certificate (originals only, not copies)
- A Category B identity document — your Medicare card or other approved document
- Proof of your current address, if it's not shown on your ID documents
At VicRoads, you'll complete an eyesight test and have your photo taken. If everything checks out, you'll get a temporary learner permit on the spot. Your plastic card arrives in the post, but you can download a digital learner permit in the myVicRoads app, which takes 1–2 days to load. Since 3 April 2025 a digital licence counts the same as the card in Victoria; carry the card when you drive interstate. Your digital licence carries through to P1, P2, and full licence — so set it up once and it stays current. Keep your plastic card as backup in case your phone dies.
Your learner permit is valid for 10 years, so there's no renewal pressure while you're learning.
Cost: The learner permit issue fee is waived under the Motorist Package. If you pass the online test on your first attempt, the entire process costs nothing.
Logging Your 120 Hours
If you're under 21, you must log a minimum of 120 hours of supervised driving, including at least 20 hours of night driving, before you can sit your driving test. If you're 21 or older, you're exempt from the logbook requirement entirely (your learner period is also shorter — see Your Age Changes Your Pathway below). If you're over 21, skip ahead to the rules that apply to all learners and testing sections.
How to Track Your Hours
You have two options: the official myLearners app (free, available on iOS and Android) or a printed logbook you can collect from a VicRoads Centre. The app tracks your progress automatically, submits hours electronically, and shows how far through the 120 hours you are. Most learners now use the app — it eliminates the risk of losing a paper logbook with months of entries.
No Hour-Reduction Schemes in Victoria
Unlike NSW, which offers a 3-for-1 scheme where professional instructor hours count triple, Victoria requires all 120 hours to be genuine supervised driving time. Every hour with an instructor counts as one hour, same as driving with a parent. The only way around the 120 hours is a formal exemption, for undue hardship or previous driving experience, which you apply for through VicRoads.
That said, professional lessons are still valuable. Your supervisor must hold a current, full (not probationary) Australian or overseas licence for that type of vehicle and sit beside you in the front passenger seat. Their BAC must be no more than 0.05, or zero if they're an authorised driving instructor or have a Z condition on their licence. While family and friends are great for building hours, instructors teach structured techniques — particularly around hazard perception and manoeuvres that come up in the driving test.
Making the Most of 120 Hours
The point of the requirement isn't just hitting a number — it's gaining experience in varied conditions. To pass the drive test you'll need to handle busy roads, multi-lane roads, different speed zones and a range of traffic conditions, so use your hours to cover residential streets, freeways, roundabouts, wet weather and peak traffic. If your 120 hours are all the same 10-minute loop around your suburb, you'll pass the hour requirement but likely struggle with the driving test.
VicRoads' myLearners program says new solo drivers with at least 120 hours of driving experience have a crash risk 35% lower than those with only about 50 hours. The hours aren't bureaucracy — they measurably reduce your risk.
If you don't have access to a supervising driver or a car, the TAC L2P program can match you with a volunteer mentor and a vehicle. It's worth looking into if your circumstances make the 120 hours difficult to achieve on your own.
Rules for All Learner Drivers
Whether you're 16 or 36, the following applies to every learner permit holder in Victoria.
Learner drivers must display L plates visible from 20 metres, carry their permit at all times, maintain zero BAC, and cannot tow. You can only drive a car — not a truck, bus, or motorcycle on a car learner permit. You must always have a supervising driver beside you who holds a full licence. Unlike some states, Victorian learners can drive on freeways, which is worth doing while you have a supervisor — you'll need the experience for solo driving on your Ps.
Learner drivers face the same demerit limit as P-platers: 5 points in any 12 months, or 12 in three years. That's a tight margin: a single phone offence is 4 points, which leaves you one point from the limit. Learners can drive up to the posted speed limit in Victoria (there's no special learner speed restriction), but that's no reason to push it early on.
The Hazard Perception Test and Driving Test
Before you can get your probationary licence, you need to pass two tests: the Hazard Perception Test (HPT) and the practical driving test. The HPT must be completed first.
Hazard Perception Test
The HPT takes up to 45 minutes and shows 25 short videos of real driving situations. For each one, you decide whether to slow down, stop or keep your speed. Respond too late or make the wrong decision and you won't pass.
The online HPT is free on your first attempt under the Motorist Package. If you fail, each online retry is $22.10. In person, the test is $21.90 plus a $22.10 appointment fee, $44.00 in total.
The key to the HPT is reading each situation early enough to choose the right response, not just reacting once a hazard is obvious. Transport Victoria has free practice tests, and DriveBuddy's free VIC hazard perception practice gives you six interactive traffic scenarios to warm up on.
The Driving Test
The practical driving test assesses whether you can drive safely and independently in everyday traffic. You'll need to book an appointment at a VicRoads Centre, and the test costs $53.20 plus a $22.10 appointment fee, $75.30 in total.
Bring your learner permit (digital or card) and, if you're under 21, your completed logbook or myLearners hours. You also need a car that's clean, registered, roadworthy and showing L plates, with a centrally mounted handbrake the tester can reach. Cars with an electric or foot park brake aren't allowed unless it's a dual-control car with the instructor beside you, which is one reason most learners use their instructor's car.
Testers assess observation, signalling, gap selection, speed choice, following distance, road position, stopping position, parking and car control. Speeding by 5 km/h or more, or running a stop sign or red light, ends the test immediately. The test isn't designed to trick you — it's assessing whether you drive the way you should when no one's watching.
If you fail, you can rebook, but you'll need to pay the appointment and test fees again. Give yourself proper practice time between attempts rather than rebooking immediately.
Your Age Changes Your Pathway
One of the biggest differences between Victoria and other states is how much your age affects the licensing pathway. There are three distinct routes:
Under 21
This is the standard pathway for most young drivers. You must hold your learner permit for at least 12 months, log 120 hours (20 at night), pass the HPT and driving test, then progress through P1 (12 months) and P2 (3 years) before reaching your full licence. You must be at least 18 to sit the driving test and receive your P1.
If you get your Ls at 16, you'll meet the 12-month minimum at 17 but can't test until 18 — so you'll be on your Ls for two years. Then 1 year on P1 plus 3 years on P2 means the earliest you can hold a full licence is age 22, roughly 6 years after getting your learner permit. If you get your Ls at 17, the timeline shortens to about 5 years total.
Aged 21 to 24
You only need to hold your learner permit for 6 months (no logbook requirement), then pass the HPT and driving test. The key difference: you skip P1 entirely and go straight to a P2 probationary licence. You'll hold P2 for 3 years before getting your full licence. Minimum time: approximately 3 years and 6 months.
Aged 25 and Over
The fastest pathway. Hold your learner permit for just 3 months, pass the HPT and driving test, then go straight to P2. Same 3-year P2 period applies. Minimum time: approximately 3 years and 3 months.
The logic behind this is straightforward: older learners bring general life experience, maturity, and better risk assessment to driving, even without the structured multi-year progression younger drivers need.
P1: Red Provisional Licence
P1 applies to drivers who obtained their probationary licence before turning 21. You must hold it for a minimum of 12 months before progressing to P2 — no additional test is required for this progression.
P1 Restrictions
P1 is the highest-risk period for new drivers. The restrictions reflect this. You must display red P plates on the front and rear of your vehicle, visible from 20 metres. You must carry your licence at all times. Zero blood alcohol concentration applies — not 0.05, but absolute zero. Even trace amounts from the night before can put you over.
Phone use is heavily restricted. You can use a phone securely mounted in a commercially designed cradle for navigation or streaming music — but only if it's set up before you start driving. Once the car is moving (or stationary in traffic), you cannot touch the phone for any reason: no changing destinations, no skipping songs, no answering calls, no texts, no scrolling. You can make brief adjustments using your car's built-in infotainment controls (e.g. volume), but not the phone itself. Hands-free calls, voice commands, and any interaction with the phone screen are all banned.
This isn't a rule that goes unenforced. Victoria switched on mobile phone detection cameras in April 2023 and began fining drivers from 1 July 2023. A phone offence carries 4 demerit points — and on a P1 licence with a 5-point threshold, one offence puts you one point away from suspension.
Peer passenger restriction: You can carry only one passenger aged 16 to under 22 at any time. This applies around the clock (not just at night, as in NSW). However, your spouse or domestic partner and siblings or step-siblings are exempt from this count, regardless of their age.
You cannot tow a trailer or another vehicle unless it's for work and requested by your employer, it's used for agriculture, horticulture, commercial fishing or similar, or you have a fully licensed driver beside you. You cannot drive a high-powered vehicle — anything with a power-to-weight ratio above 130kW per tonne or a modified engine. Check the VicRoads prohibited vehicle database before buying or borrowing a car.
No P1 speed restriction in Victoria. Unlike NSW (where P1 drivers are limited to 90 km/h), Victorian P1 drivers can drive up to the posted speed limit, including 100 and 110 km/h zones. This is more freedom, but it also means you need to be genuinely comfortable at freeway speeds before you drive on one solo. If you drive interstate, check that state's rules for visiting P-platers. NSW P1 drivers have to keep to 90 km/h even when they're driving in Victoria.
If you tested in an automatic vehicle, your P1 licence carries an automatic-only condition. You cannot drive a manual until your entire probationary period ends (4 years for under-21s) unless you pass another driving test in a manual car. If you think you might want to drive manual at some point, consider testing in a manual vehicle — it keeps your options open from day one.
P2: Green Provisional Licence
P2 lasts a minimum of 3 years. If you came through the under-21 pathway, you'll transition from P1 to P2 automatically after 12 months with no additional test. If you're 21 or older, P2 is where you start.
P2 Restrictions
You must display green P plates and maintain zero BAC. The high-powered vehicle ban applies throughout your probationary period. If your licence has an automatic-only condition, it persists until your probationary period ends.
You can carry as many passengers as your vehicle has seatbelts for — there's no peer passenger restriction on P2. Towing is permitted.
The phone restrictions are the same on P2 as P1. This catches people out. You can still use a mounted phone for navigation and music if it's set up before driving, but you cannot touch it while driving — no hands-free calls, no voice commands, no interacting with the phone screen. The restrictions only lift when you get your full licence, at which point you can use a mounted phone for calls, navigation, and audio while driving.
You still cannot accumulate 5 or more demerit points in any 12-month period, or 12 or more over three years. Full licence holders only have the 12-in-three-years limit with no annual cap — so the 5-point annual threshold on Ps is what catches people. Any licence suspension during your P2 period does not count toward the 3-year minimum — the clock stops and restarts when your suspension ends.
Insurance Tip
If you transitioned from P1, contact your car insurer when you move to P2 and request a requote. Some insurers adjust premiums based on your licence class, and P2 is rated as lower risk. Don't wait for renewal — ask proactively. If you're starting directly on P2 (21+), shop around before committing — premiums vary significantly between insurers for probationary drivers, and some are notably cheaper for over-21s than others.
Getting Your Full Licence
Once your probationary period ends you become a fully licensed driver, with no further driving or theory test. VicRoads sends a renewal notice 4 to 6 weeks before your Ps expire; you choose a 3- or 10-year full licence, pay, and update your photo if asked. A suspension pushes back the date your P2 period ends.
The Free Licence Scheme
If you'll be under 25 when your probationary licence ends, have held a Victorian probationary licence for 4 years, and committed no traffic offences on your Ps, you can get a free three-year full licence through the Free Licence Scheme. Because it needs 4 years on Ps, drivers who start on P2 at 21 or older don't qualify. VicRoads will mail you a form to complete. Make sure your mailing address is up to date in your myVicRoads account so you don't miss it.
Safe Driver Discount
When it's time to renew your full licence, drivers of all ages get a 25% discount if they've held a Victorian licence for at least 39 months and 1 day, with no demerit points or serious driving offences in the 3 years ending 3 months before the licence expires.
Quick Reference: The Victorian Licensing Timeline
Under 21 pathway:
Learner — Age 16+ / Hold 12 months / Log 120 hrs (20 night) / Pass HPT + Drive Test →
P1 (Red) — Age 18+ / Hold 12 months / Zero BAC, phone restrictions, 1 peer passenger, no towing →
P2 (Green) — Hold 3 years / Zero BAC, phone restrictions (same as P1), no passenger limits →
Full — No further test / Renewal notice from VicRoads
21–24 pathway:
Learner — Hold 6 months / No logbook / Pass HPT + Drive Test →
P2 (Green) — Hold 3 years / Same P2 restrictions →
Full
25+ pathway:
Learner — Hold 3 months / No logbook / Pass HPT + Drive Test →
P2 (Green) — Hold 3 years →
Full
What Makes Victoria Different
These are the rules people most often get wrong by confusing VIC with NSW or other states:
No special speed limits on Ps — P1 and P2 drivers can drive the posted speed limit, including 110 km/h zones. (NSW caps P1 at 90 and P2 at 100.)
Strict phone restrictions on ALL Ps — P1 and P2 have the same rules. You can use a mounted phone for navigation and music if set up before driving, but you cannot touch it or make calls while driving. Full hands-free use only unlocks on your full licence.
No hour-reduction scheme — All 120 hours must be genuine driving time. No 3-for-1, no Safer Drivers Course credits. (NSW offers both.)
Over-21s skip P1 — If you're 21+ when you get your Ps, you go straight to P2. (NSW requires all ages to do both P1 and P2.)
Almost free to get licensed — Under the Motorist Package, learner permit, online tests, and probationary licence issue fees are all waived. The only unavoidable government cost is the driving test ($75.30).
What It Costs
Victoria's Motorist Package has made the licensing process significantly cheaper than most other states. Here's what you'll actually pay for the standard under-21 pathway:
Learner permit issue fee — Free (Motorist Package)
Online learner permit test — Free (first attempt)
Online HPT — Free (first attempt)
Driving test — $75.30 (test fee + appointment fee)
P1 licence issue — Free (Motorist Package)
P2 licence issue — Automatic progression, no additional fee
Full licence — Free under the Free Licence Scheme if eligible, otherwise the standard renewal fee (see VicRoads' licence fees)
Realistic total for the standard pathway: $75.30 in government fees if you pass everything online on the first attempt. Sitting both theory tests in person and the drive test once comes to $170.10, and each drive-test retake adds $75.30.
The bigger cost is driving lessons. Melbourne driving schools' own published prices put a one-hour lesson at about $70, so ten one-hour lessons, a reasonable baseline, come to around $700. DriveBuddy's driving lesson cost survey has the full breakdown.
For current exact fees, check the VicRoads Ls and Ps fees page.
Finding an Instructor
Professional instruction gives you structured skill development that casual practice with family can't replicate. A good instructor will prepare you specifically for the driving test format and help you build habits around the exact behaviours assessors look for — mirror checks, head checks, speed management, and smooth vehicle control.
If you're in Victoria and looking for a driving instructor, DriveBuddy lets you search local instructors by area, compare pricing, and read reviews from other learners.