In the ACT the first step to driving a car is to get your learner driver licence (Ls) which allows you to drive under close supervision. Learner drivers can then progress to the 2-stage provisional driver licence (Ps) which allows you to drive unsupervised. At the completion of the 3-year provisional period you will get a renewal notice to get your full licence. You can apply for your full licence online.
Your learner driver licence (your Ls) allows you to drive a car with a supervising driver. To get an ACT learner driver licence you must:
The Pre-Learner Licence Course is a 10-hour course that educates new drivers about safe driving practices and road laws. You must successfully complete the course and pass the Road Rules Knowledge Test to be eligible to apply for an ACT learner driver licence. The course is taught by most ACT schools free of charge as part of the Year 10 curriculum. It is also available from the following approved training providers in the ACT:
Read the ACT Road Rules Handbook [PDF 5.5 MB] [DOCX 4.7 MB] to prepare for the Road Rules Knowledge Test and to understand the road rules that apply when driving in the ACT.
Visit an Access Canberra Service Centre to apply for a learner driver licence and provide:
You will receive your learner licence, logbook and set of L plates in the mail from Access Canberra.
As a learner car licence holder, you have no passenger restrictions but you must always drive with a supervising driver in the front passenger seat. You must also:
Your supervising driver must:
Once you are at least 17 years old and have completed the ACT learner driver licence period and any other mandatory requirements detailed below, you can apply for a provisional driver licence. This is a 3-year licence which allows you to drive a car unsupervised and consists of the following two stages:
If you are issued a provisional driver licence when you are 25 years or older, you will be a P2 for the entire 3-year provisional licence period.
Discounts on licence fees can apply if you complete your provisional licence phases without demerit points, traffic infringement notices and court-imposed traffic penalties.
To apply for an ACT provisional car licence, you must meet the following requirements.
You must be 17 years or older and have held your learner licence for:
You must complete the online Hazard Perception Test as part of your learner licence requirements. You cannot attempt it until after 3 months of having your Ls. Your first attempt is free. If you fail the first time you will need to wait 24 hours and pay a fee to retake the test.
To get your Ps you need to practice driving and do a minimum of 100 driving hours including 10 hours at night. If you were 25 years or older when your ACT learner licence was issued then you only need to do 50 driving hours including 5 hours at night.
If you complete driving lessons with an ACT accredited driving instructor, you will be credited 3 hours for each hour of supervised driving, up to a maximum of 10 hours. All other driving hours are counted one for one, as are hours driven with non-accredited instructors. You can also get credit towards required driving hours by completing any optional training courses: Safer Driving, Vulnerable Road User and Learner Driver First Aid.
After you have completed your required driving hours and held your learner licence for the minimum required time, you will need to either do a one-off assessment or complete the competency based training and assessment as follows:
Once you have a provisional car licence you must:
If you hold a P1 licence you also must:
Good driving behaviour can also save you money. By keeping a clean driving record with no demerit points, traffic infringement notices and court-imposed traffic penalties, you can get discounts applied to your full licence fee.
The above discounts are applied when you apply for renewal of your full driver licence. If you do not keep a clean driving record during your P1 stage you will need to pay the full licence fee.
There are 3 optional courses available for learner drivers to increase road safety skills. The courses provide credit towards the required driving hours needed to get an ACT provisional driver licence.
The Safer Driver Course is available for learner drivers aged under 25 when their learner licence was issued. It consists of a theory component of 2.5 hours in a workshop, and a one hour practical driving component. The course aims to help young learner car licence holders to understand and develop safe driving behaviours. This includes reducing road risk when transitioning to independent driving by learning how to anticipate hazardous situations. The practical driving component is undertaken through an approved course provider with an ACT Accredited Driving Instructor. It is designed to have 2 learner car licence holders per vehicle.
Learner car licence holders must have completed either:
Completing this course will give you 20 of your required driving hours.
To book your place on this course, please contact one of these approved providers:
The Vulnerable Road User Program is available for all learner drivers. It includes self-directed learning which must be completed before attending a 2 hour workshop. The course is focused on safely sharing the road with cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians.
Completing this course will give you 10 of your required driving hours.
To book your place on this course, please contact one of these approved providers:
The Learner Driver First Aid Program teaches post-crash care. Completing one of the approved courses will give you 5 of your required driving hours. To claim these hours you must:
The approved courses are listed below. Check the course details to decide what best suits your needs, noting the format varies (in person, online). Fees apply unless otherwise noted.
Organisations interested in participating in the Learner Driver First Aid Program should contact tccs_roadsafety@act.gov.au for more information.
When you apply for your provisional driver licence, take a copy of the course certificate with you to an Access Canberra shopfront. You can print out the certificate or show the original electronic copy to Access Canberra staff. Photographs of the certificate will not be accepted.
If you have any questions please contact Access Canberra on 13 22 81.
We acknowledge the Ngunnawal people as traditional custodians of the ACT and recognise any other people or families with connection to the lands of the ACT and region. We acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this city and this region.
To see how we are building stronger relationships with the Traditional Custodians of the ACT view the Reconciliation Action Plan.