Victoria's 120 hours, explained properly

If you're under 21, Victoria asks for 120 hours of supervised driving — including 20 at night — before your drive test. Here's every rule that governs those hours, and a calculator that tells you exactly where you stand.

Total hours
120
At night
20
Lesson multiplier
None
Permit tenure
12 months (under 21)
Rules by
VicRoads

How many logbook hours do you have left?

In Victoria you need 120 supervised hours (including 20 at night) before your test.

120 hours to go

0% complete · about 0 weeks at this pace · 0/120 hrs counted

  • 20 night hrs left

Estimates are a guide based on VIC requirements — check your transport authority for the rules that apply to you.

Your hours so far

Hours you can drive per week: 3 hrs
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The catch interstate movers miss: no 3-for-1 in Victoria

In NSW and Queensland, one hour with a professional instructor records three hours in the logbook (capped at 10 instructor hours). Victoria has no multiplier — an instructor hour is one hour, the same as an hour with a parent. Families moving interstate plan around a discount that doesn't exist here.

State Hours required Night hours Instructor lesson counts as
Victoria120 (under 21)201 hour
NSW120 (under 25)203 hours, max 10 instructor hrs
Queensland100 (under 25)103 hours, max 10 instructor hrs

The rules that govern your 120 hours

Where the hours live

Record every drive in the myLearners app or the paper Learner Log Book from your Learner Kit. Your log is checked before the drive test — you and your supervising driver both declare it's complete and correct.

Who can supervise

Their licence has to be current, full, and cover the vehicle you're driving — an overseas full licence qualifies, a learner permit or P1/P2 licence doesn't. The supervisor sits beside you for every hour, and their blood alcohol must be under 0.05 while supervising.

Night means night

At least 20 hours between sunset and sunrise. Spread them across your learner period — night driving in the final weeks before your test is a common scramble.

Variety beats volume

VicRoads' four-stage plan works from quiet streets up to complex conditions — rain, freeways, heavy traffic, unfamiliar suburbs. 120 identical loops around the block passes the count but fails the test.

Common questions

Do professional driving lessons count for extra logbook hours in Victoria?

No. Unlike NSW and Queensland, where an hour with an instructor records 3 logbook hours (capped at 10 instructor hours), Victoria has no multiplier — one hour with a professional instructor counts as one hour. Lessons still tend to accelerate progress because you practise the exact skills the drive test assesses.

Do I need 120 hours if I'm 21 or over?

No. The 120-hour logbook requirement applies if you're under 21 when you go for your drive test. From 21 you don't have to log hours — but you still need enough real experience to pass the drive test, and VicRoads encourages using the same four-stage plan.

What counts as night driving?

Driving between sunset and sunrise. At least 20 of your 120 hours must be completed at night, recorded like the rest in the myLearners app or the paper Learner Log Book.

Who can supervise my hours?

Anyone whose licence is current, full, and covers the vehicle you're driving — an overseas full licence counts, a learner permit or probationary (P1 or P2) licence doesn't. Your supervising driver must be beside you for every logged hour, with a blood alcohol reading under 0.05.

How long do I have to get the hours done?

Your learner permit is valid for 10 years, so there's no rush from that side. The binding minimum is how long you've held the permit, and it scales with age: 12 months under 21, 6 months from 21 to under 25, and 3 months at 25 or older. Holding a Victorian motorcycle permit or licence for over 12 months can shorten it, and VicRoads accepts exemption applications on undue-hardship or previous-driving-experience grounds — for the minimum period and for the 120 hours themselves.

Sourced from the Road to Solo Driving handbook (April 2023 edition) and VicRoads, with minimum permit periods and exemptions from Transport Victoria's probationary licence guidance — always check current requirements before you book a test.

Working through your hours?

Test yourself with the free Victorian learner practice test (48 questions, plus a Hazard Perception Test guide), or find a Melbourne driving instructor whose lessons make the hours count.

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