How to Get Your Driver's Licence in Victoria (2026)

You can apply for a learner permit from the age of 16. Before you get behind the wheel for the first time, you need to pass the Learner Permit Test, which is based on a free online road-rules course that VicRoads provides. The test covers road rules, signs, and safe driving knowledge. Most people work through the course materials at home before sitting the test.

Once you have your learner permit, how long you must hold it before progressing depends on your age at the time you apply for your provisional licence:

• Under 21: hold for at least 12 months
• 21 to under 25: hold for at least 6 months
• 25 or older: hold for at least 3 months

There is no shortcut to reducing those hold periods. The clock does not start until the date your permit is issued, so do not delay applying once you are ready to start learning.

If you are under 21 when you get your learner permit, you must complete a logbook with 120 hours of supervised driving, including at least 20 of those hours at night. Every hour must be recorded accurately. Your supervising driver must hold a full (not provisional) licence and must be present in the vehicle with you.

Victoria does not have a structured-lesson multiplier. Every hour counts as one hour in your logbook regardless of whether it is a professional lesson or time spent with a parent. The TAC L2P program exists to help disadvantaged under-21 learners access a supervisor and a car, but it does not multiply or reduce the required hours.

If you are 21 or older when you get your permit, the 120-hour logbook requirement does not apply to you. You still need to hold your permit for the relevant minimum period and pass the required tests, but you are not required to keep a logbook or record a set number of hours.

Making the Most of Your Hours

120 hours is a significant commitment. Spread your driving across a wide variety of conditions: freeways, country roads, wet weather, peak-hour traffic, night driving, and car parks. Learners who only practise in quiet suburban streets often struggle when they encounter more complex situations in the Drive Test or after they get their licence.

Getting some lessons with a professional driving instructor is genuinely useful, even though those lessons count as one-for-one hours just like any other supervised driving. An instructor can identify and fix bad habits early, which is far easier than unlearning them later. They also know what the assessor is looking for in the Drive Test.

Victoria uses a single pathway to provisional licences, involving two separate tests. You cannot sit them both on the same day.

1. The Hazard Perception Test (HPT)

The HPT is an online test that assesses your ability to read the road ahead and identify developing hazards. You become eligible to sit it at 17 years and 11 months of age. It is worth taking the practice tests that VicRoads makes available so you understand the format before you sit the real thing. The test presents video clips of real driving situations, and you click to indicate when you spot a hazard developing.

2. The Drive Test

Once you have passed the HPT and turned 18, you are eligible to book the on-road Drive Test. An assessor accompanies you in your vehicle and evaluates your practical driving over a set route. You will be assessed on things like observation, road positioning, speed management, and how you handle intersections, merging, and reversing tasks.

If you do not pass on the first attempt, you can rebook. There is no limit on attempts, but each test incurs a fee. General market rates for Drive Test bookings vary, so it is worth confirming the current fee with VicRoads when you book.

The provisional stages work differently depending on your age when you first get your licence.

Under 21: A Four-Year Probationary Licence

If you are under 21, your probationary licence runs for a total of four years: 12 months on P1 (red plates), followed by 3 years on P2 (green plates).

21 and Over: Straight to P2

If you are 21 or older when you pass your Drive Test, you skip P1 entirely and go straight to a 3-year P2 (green plates).

Key Conditions on Both Stages

• Zero BAC: Both P1 and P2 drivers must have a blood alcohol concentration of 0.00. There is no tolerance.
• No mobile or portable device use: P1 drivers cannot use a mobile or portable device at all while driving. P2 drivers also cannot use a portable device while driving.
• P1 peer-passenger restriction: Between midnight and 5 am, P1 drivers under 21 may carry no more than one passenger aged 16 to under 22. This rule is designed to reduce the risk of distraction and peer pressure at high-risk times.

Victoria does not impose a reduced speed limit on P-plate drivers. You drive to the posted limit like any other driver, but the zero BAC and device rules remain strict for the full probationary period.

Getting your licence in Victoria takes planning. Here is what actually makes a difference.

Start Your Night Hours Early

Twenty hours of night driving sounds manageable, but it can sneak up on you. Nights get shorter in summer, and parents are often less comfortable supervising after dark. Build night sessions into your regular routine from the start rather than leaving them until the last few months.

Vary Your Roads

The Drive Test often catches learners who have mostly practised in quiet streets. Freeway entries and exits, roundabouts, and multi-lane roads all need deliberate practice. Ask your supervisor or instructor to take you somewhere unfamiliar occasionally.

What a Driving School Offers

Professional instructors teach in dual-control vehicles, which means they can intervene safely if something goes wrong. That is particularly useful in the early stages and for higher-speed practice. An instructor can also give you a pre-test lesson on familiar local roads and provide honest feedback on if you are ready to sit the Drive Test. Rushing the test when you are not ready costs time and money.

Lesson prices vary between schools and regions. As a rough guide, individual lessons in Victoria generally range from around $70 to $110 or more per hour, depending on the school, the area, and what is included. Package rates can be lower per lesson. Always confirm actual pricing directly with the school when you book, as rates change.

Keep Your Logbook Accurate

Both the learner and the supervisor must sign off each entry. Inaccurate or incomplete logbooks can cause problems when you go to book the Drive Test. Get into the habit of recording each session immediately after it happens, not days later from memory.