So you are from Australia and you are determined to get your driving licence, but not quite sure how to go about it?
Here it is the step by step process on how to do that:
Step 1
Pass the written test
You need to be at least 16 years of age to be eligible to sit for the written test.
a) What to read?
You have two options for that:
1) You can prepare for the test by reading the ‘Your keys to driving in Queensland’ book
- You can buy the hard copy of this book from any QLD transport office or some news agencies or simply download the PDF versions of it for FREE here
- The actual paper book costs $15.25
- You can practice the test online on QLD Transport website or RACQ website
- 2) You can register for the 'Prep L' online course
- The cost for this course is $26.20.
b) Where to do the test?
1) If you read the actual paper book or the PDF version of it:
- You need to go to a ‘Queensland Transport Office’ in person and let them know that you are there for the ‘written road rules test’
- You don’t need to make any appointments for this test, if you don’t need an interpreter. Just turn up at any QLD transport office
If you need an interpreter for this test, you need to go to one of the QLD transport centres and let them know that you need an interpreter. They will book your written test for you, providing you with an interpreter.
Note: The interpreting services does not cost you anything. It’s FREE, and Because they need to book an interpreter, you can’t take your test on the same day.
- The list of all the ‘QLD Transport Offices’ are listed here
- Make sure you go to these centres before 4:00pm as after that they may not let you take the test.
2) If you do it through the Prep L online course:
You can do it from the comfort of your home.
c) What documents to bring?
- Australian birth certificate
- Your passport
- Your debit or credit card
- Medicare card (If you have one)
- A document that shows your proof of address, eg. a bank statement or a current lease/rental document, electricity/gas/telephone bill, your tax assessment/tax file number notice, Queensland vehicle registration certificate or an official letter from Centrelink
d) How is the test?
- The test consists of 30 multiple choice questions (3 choices)
- 10 questions are ‘give way rules’ questions. At least 9 must be correct. If you get 2 of these questions wrong, you will fail the test
- 20 questions are about traffic signs and general road rules questions. At least 18 must be correct. If you get 3 of these questions wrong, you will fail the test
- There is no specific time limitation for the test
e) How much does it cost?
- The written test costs $24.75 which you must pay at the office at the time of your test.
- The Prep L course costs $26.20.
f) What happens next?
- If you pass the written test:
1) Your photo is taken to go on your driver licence
2) You will be asked to pay $171.90 for your licence, which will be valid for 3 years
3) You will be issued an interim driver licence which you can use to drive legally (with a supervisor sitting next to you) until you get your actual licence in the mail within 2 weeks.
You are now ready to proceed to step 2.
- If you fail the test:
Repeat step 1 again. You have to wait until the next working day to take the test again. You must pay the test fee every time you take the test.
Step 2
Pass the practical test
→ Meet the requirements
1) If you are under 25 years of age, you must:
a) Be 17 or older
b) Have passed the written road rules test
c) Have had your learners logbook approved with 100 hours of supervised driving (including 10 hours of night driving between sunset and sunrise)
- After completing 100 hours of supervised driving, you need to send your logbook to any post office in QLD and they will send it to QLD transport for you.
You can locate a post office near you here.
- Allow 10 to 12 business days for your logbook to be approved by QLD Department of Transport and Main Roads if you send them your hard copy logbook.
- You can record your supervised driving on the free ‘Queensland Learner Logbook app’ which is available on Google Play and App Store.
If you use the app, the approval process is faster.
- DTMR (Department of Transport and Main Roads) will contact you to let you know whether your logbook has passed. You can choose to be notified by Email or SMS.
- You can apply for a learner logbook exemption, if you meet some certain criteria. A fee of $42.90 applies to submit this application. Apply here
Note: For up to maximum of 10 hours with a professional driving instructor is counted triple times in your logbook, which means 10 hours of professional driving lessons equals 30 hours in your logbook.
d) Have held a Queensland or interstate learner licence for one year or more
e) Have a current learner licence (not suspended, cancelled, disqualified or expired
f) Make sure you have done lots of driving with a professional driving instructor and a supervisor
g) Complete the hazard perception test (Cost: $37.70):
- You must have held your learner licence for at least 6 months before you can take the hazard perception test. DTMR will send you an email to let you know when you can take the test.
- From 1 July 2021 you must pass the hazard perception test before you can take your practical driving test.
- If you present for a practical driving test without passing your hazard perception test, your test will be cancelled and your test fee will not be refunded.
2) If you are 25 and over, you must:
a) Have passed the written road rules test
b) Have held a Queensland or interstate learner licence for one year or more
c) Have a current learner licence (not suspended, cancelled, disqualified or expired
d) Make sure you have done lots of driving with a professional driving instructor and a supervisor
Note: you are not required to complete a set number of supervised driving hours.
→Pass the practical test
a) How is the test?
- The test goes for 30 minutes
- It is on the actual roads at different traffic situations with a variety of speed limits
- You can either take your own car or hire our car. If you take your own car, make sure your car is functioning well. If you hire our car, we need to have one hour lesson before the test as well.
- You must correctly display L plates on the car you are taking for the test
c) How to book the test?
Practical test needs to be booked in advance. You can book it by:
1) Booking online on your own by clicking here
2) Paying the booking fee at a customer service centre and then booking your test by calling 13 23 80
3) Booking by calling 13 23 80. You will then receive an email with the link for paying online.
b) Where to go for the test?
d) What documents are needed for booking the test?
- Your current Australian driver licence.
- Your passport
- Your debit or credit card
- Your medicare cardNote: If you are unable to provide any of these documents, check this link for a list of more acceptable documents that you can bring.
e) What happens after the test?
- If you pass the test:1) You can choose to have your learners photo transferred to your new driver licence or get your new photo taken right there at the test centre
2) You will be asked to pay for your licence:
1 year licence: $78.90
2 year licence: $110.00
3 year licence: $136.15
4 year licence: $157.55
5 year licence: $176.75
3) You will be issued an interim driver licence which you can use to drive legally until you get your actual licence in the mail within 2 weeks.
Note: If your test is on a Saturday and you pass the test, you will be given the test report indicating that you passed the test. You, then need to take that document to any QLD transport office and present it to them.
Then, they will issue you with the interim licence which you can use to legally drive in Australia until you receice the actual driver licence in mail within maximum two weeks.
Note that you cannot use the test report document to drive in Australia. That is NOT a driver licence.4) You must remove your L Plates
5) If you are under 25, you will get a P1 Licence and you must display red P Plates correctly on your vehicle when you drive.
6) If you are above 25, you will get a P2 Licence and you must display green P Plates correctly on your vehicle when you drive
- If you fail the test:1) Repeat step 2 again.
2) If you fail the test for the first time, you can book the test for the next day, provided you can get an appointment in the centre you have in mind.
3) If you fail the test for the second time, you can only take the test again after 7 days from the date of failure.
4) If you fail the test for the third time, you can only take the test 28 days after the date of your last fail.
Note: In order to make sure everything runs smoothly and you can get your licence easily without any interruption to your work and social life, it’s best to take some driving lessons from a professional driving instructor, where they can correct your mistakes and make you ready for the test.
Failing even just once will only ruin your self-confidence and adds to your stress for the subsequent tries of the test.
Getting your driving licence is easy when you know how to operate a car, know the traffic rules and you pay attention to your surrounding while you drive.