You must be at least 17 years old to get your ACT provisional driver licence, also called 'your Ps'.
This applies to C class (car) licences. It's a different process to get an R class (motorbike) licence. Read about getting a motorcycle provisional licence.
If you have an interstate or overseas learner driver licence there are extra requirements.
You need to hold an active (isn’t expired, suspended or disqualified) ACT learner driver licence for:
After 3 months of having your Ls, complete the online Hazard Perception Test.
Your first attempt is free.
If you fail the first time you will need to wait 24 hours and pay a fee to take the test again.
To get your Ps you need to practice driving, not only to get the required hours, but to make sure you’re a safe and confident driver.
The number of hours you need to do depends on your age:
When practicing on your Ls you must always have a fully licenced Australian driver in the passenger seat.
This can either be:
You will get 3 hours credit for each hour of driving supervised by an ACT Accredited Driving Instructor, up to a maximum of 10 hours.
This means if you drive 10 hours you will receive 30 hours credit. All other driving hours are counted one for one, as are hours driven with non-accredited instructors.
You can complete optional road safety courses for credit towards your driving hours:
Search for ACT Accredited Driving Instructors and safety course providers online.
You can complete either:
If you do the Competency based training and assessment (CBT&A) with an ACT Accredited Driving Instructor, then you don’t need to do a government practical driving assessment.
The CBT&A is often called the 'log book method'.
The Driving Instructor, over the course of lessons, will assess you against 23 competencies.
You’ll need to do a minimum of 7 lessons to complete the log book method, but most people need 10-15 lessons.
You will still need to:
If you do your assessment in an automatic car, your provisional licence will have an 'A' condition.
You can drive an automatic car without supervision.
To drive a manual car, you will need a fully licenced driver to supervise you.
If you want to drive a manual car without supervision you can either:
After 3 years, on renewal to a full licence, the A condition will be automatically removed.
When you’ve completed the CBT&A, visit an Access Canberra Service Centre and bring:
There are extra requirements for holders of interstate or overseas driver licences.
If you’re under the age of 25 you’ll be mailed a P1 driver licence.
If you’re aged 25 or older, you’ll be mailed a P2 driver licence.
Access Canberra will give you a temporary licence which you can use until your physical card arrives, which can take up to 21 business days.
Once issued, an ACT Provisional Licence must be held for 3 years before becoming a full licence.
Once the 3-year provisional period is over, you will get a renewal notice to get your full licence. You can apply for your full licence online.
Have your ACT provisional driver licence with you to complete the online application and pay the fee.
Access Canberra will give you a temporary licence which you can use until your physical card arrives, which can take up to 21 business days.
Once issued, an ACT Full Licence is a valid for up to 10 years and you can renew it online.
If you hold an ACT driver licence you must tell Access Canberra if you have a permanent or long-term illness, injury, or incapacity that might impair your driving ability.
Access Canberra may ask you to demonstrate your fitness to drive to ensure you can safely operate a vehicle. This may involve one or both: