ACT Driving Licence Information

Learner Licence

The requirements to obtain a learner driver licence are:

• The applicant must be at least 15 years and nine months of age.
• Complete a Pre-learner Licence course, including passing the ACT Road Rules based computerised knowledge test.
• Clients under the age of 25 are required to hold their ACT Learner Licence for a minimum of 12 months.
• Clients aged 25 or above are required to hold their ACT Learner Licence for a minimum of 6 months.

Provisional Licence

ACT Learner licence holders may choose to obtain their provisional licence by completing either:

• Competency Based Training and Assessment with an ACT Accredited Driving Instructor (contact details can be found online or in the Yellow Pages under driving schools); or
• Booking a practical driving assessment with a Government Licence Examiner (who will only assess learners).

The minimum age to obtain a provisional car or motorcycle licence is 17.

After 1 Jan 2020

The GLS requirements to obtain a provisional driver licence are:

• Hold an active ACT Learner Driver Licence for a minimum of 12 months (6 months if aged 25 or older at the time of getting your ACT Learner Licence).
• Complete the online Hazard Perception Test (can only be completed after 3 months of holding an active ACT Learner Licence).
• Complete the required driving hours and record in your paper logbook.
• Successfully complete the one-off practical driving assessment with a Government Assessor or the Competency Based Training and Assessment through an Accredited Driving Instructor.

The Hazard Perception test is available at the Safe Plates Testing website.

The driving hours required in the logbook depend on the age of the learner licence holder:

• Drivers under 25 years of age are required to complete 100 supervised driving hours including 10 at night.
• Drivers 25 years of age or older are required to complete 50 supervised driving hours including 5 at night.

Learner Interstate Driver Licence Holders

If you already hold a learner driver or motorcycle licence in another jurisdiction and want to use the licence tenure to sit a driving test in the ACT, you must obtain a licence history from the interstate jurisdiction. From the date you receive this licence history, you have 7 calendar days to provide it to an Access Canberra Service Centre to book your practical driving assessment with an ACT Government licence examiner.

If the assessment is unsuccessful, you will be required to undertake and pass the Pre-Learner Licence course and Road Rules Knowledge Test before being issued an ACT learner driver or rider licence.

Overseas Driver Licence Holders Moving to the ACT

If you are a holder of a full driver licence from an approved country or jurisdiction, or from an experienced driver recognised country or jurisdiction and are 25 years of age or older, no tests are required.

Full driver licence holders from non-approved countries or jurisdictions, or from an experienced driver recognised country or jurisdiction but under 25 years of age must undertake and pass a road rules knowledge test and complete the Pre-Learner Licence Course before completing a one-off practical driving assessment.

If you do not wish to use your overseas driver licence experience, you may apply for an ACT Learner Licence. You will need to provide proof of identity and residency and produce your existing licence.

For overseas licence holders from a non-approved country, you must complete the full Pre-Learner Licence Course before booking the Government Driving Assessment. If you have failed the driving assessment, you will need to apply for an ACT Learners licence at an Access Canberra Service Centre.

If you are 25 or older when issued with your provisional licence, you will go directly to the P2 stage. This means you are not subject to the late-night peer passenger restrictions and are required to display green P plates for the duration of your provisional licence (three years).