A car learner permit allows you to drive a car on the road with a supervising driver while you are learning to drive. The permit is valid for 10 years or until you obtain a driver licence.
Select one of the links below for more information.
How old must I be?
General Restrictions
Holding period restrictions prior to 1 July 2007
Additional restrictions from 1 July 2007
Applying for an Exemption from the minimum time a permit must be held
Study material
Make an appointment for your test
The Test
Fees
The Learner Kit
Cancelling or changing an appointment
Evidence of identity
Forms
Driving on your learner permit
Supervising driver
You must be at least 16 years of age and a Victorian resident to get a learner permit.
To get your permit you need to pass a Car Learner Permit Knowledge Test and an eyesight test at a VicRoads Customer Service Centre.
All learner drivers will be subjected to the following restrictions or conditions:
- must display 'L' plates on the fornt and rear of the vehicle
- must be accompanied by a fully licensed driver at all times when driving (See Supervising Driver section below)
- must not drive a vehicle which is towing a trailer
- must have a zero blood alcohol content at all times when driving
- must carry the learner permit at all times when driving
- will be banned from using a mobile phone, including hands free, hand held and all messaging while driving
If you got your learner permit prior to 1 July 2007 , the following restrictions will also apply:
- if you are under 25 years of age, you must hold your learner permit for at least six months
- if you are 25 years of age or over, you must hold your learner permit for at least three months
If you get your learner permit on or after 1 July 2007, the following restrictions will also apply:
- if you are under the age of 21, you will be required to undertake a minimum of 120 hours (including at least 10 hours of night driving) of supervised driving before you can take your licence test. You must record these hours in the official learner log book which must be signed by you and your supervising driver
- if you are under 21 years of age, you must hold your learner permit for at least twelve months
- if you are 21 years of age or over but under 25 years of age, you must hold your learner permit for at least six months
- if you are 25 years of age or over you must hold your learner permit for at least 3 months
Exemptions may only be granted by VicRoads if the nature of a person's occupation, employment or family circumstances are such that compliance with the minimum holding period would impose undue hardship on the person or their family.
VicRoads must also have regard to the likely effect of the exemption on the safe, efficient and equitable road use in Victoria.
If an exemption is issued, it will be made conditional and include restrictions. This information will be sent to the probationary driver in writing and must be carried by the driver at all times when driving.
VicRoads may cancel an exemption if the probationary driver's licence is cancelled or suspended.
Applications will only be considered where the completed
application form and supporting documentation has been provided. Send applications to:
VicRoads
Exemptions
Locked Bag 5000
Kew, Victoria 3101
To prepare for your test you need to study the
“Road to Solo Driving” handbook which is
available to view online (English, read only version). The handbook is available in English and in 4 other languages and can be purchased from VicRoads online bookshop, VicRoads Customer Service Centres, RACV offices, some newsagents and bookshops. Languages available are Vietnamese, Chinese (Mandarin), Arabic and Turkish.
To make an appointment:
- Call VicRoads on 13 11 71 (Mon-Fri 8.30am - 5.00pm, Sat 8.30am - 2.00pm). You can pay by credit card (Visa or Mastercard); OR
- Visit a VicRoads Customer Service Centre. You can pay by cash, cheque, EFTPOS or credit card.
Important: You must bring the appropriate evidence of identity documents with you when you sit for your learner permit test. If you do not have the appropriate evidence of identity documents, you will be unable to sit the test and forfeit your appointment and test fees.
To get your permit you need to pass a Learner Permit knowledge test and an eyesight test at a VicRoads Customer Service Centre. The test consists of 32 multiple choice questions, you will need to correctly answer 78% of the questions to pass. It is conducted on computer and is based on the Road to Solo Driving handbook. Before you attempt the learner permit test, you can also do a practice learner permit test online.
The test can be conducted in 20 different languages including English. The languages available are:
| Albanian |
English |
Macedonian |
Sinhalese |
| Arabic |
German |
Polish |
Somali |
| Cambodian |
Greek |
Romanian |
Spanish |
| Chinese (Mandarin) |
Italian |
Russian |
Turkish |
| Croatian |
Laotian |
Serbian |
Vietnamese |
Top of pageRefer to driver licence and learner permit fees for the information on the following fees:
- Appointment
- Learner permit test
- Learner permit card
There are no fee concessions available for test or learner permit fees.
The learner kit which includes the Guide for Learners with a learner log book and the Guide for Supervising Drivers are available free of charge to all learner drivers who obtain their learner permit for the first time from 1 July 2007. These guides outline the roles and responsibilities for both the supervising driver and the learner driver. Go to Learner Kit for more information.
If you want to change an appointment you will need to pay another appointment fee. The test fee can be transferred to a new time (or refunded if the test is cancelled) if 24 hours notice is given.
On the day of your test you need to bring original evidence of identity documents. You must provide:
- one primary evidence document (e.g. Australian birth certificate or passport)
- one secondary evidence document (e.g. Medicare card, credit/account card, student identity card, bank statement)
- evidence of residence (if not indicated in the primary or secondary documents)
One of these documents must have your signature on it.
Refer to the Licence or Learner Permit application form.
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After you get your learner permit you can drive a car under certain conditions. When driving you must:
- have a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of .00%
- have a fully licensed driver with you who must have a BAC of less than .05% while in the car with you (see below for further requirements and conditions)
- display your ‘L’ plates on the front and back of the car
- have the learner permit in your possession
- not tow another vehicle or trailer
- not use a mobile phone, including hands free, hand held and all messaging
When you are learning how to drive, you must have a supervising driver seated beside you at all times. The supervising driver must have:
- A current full (non-probationary) Victorian car driver licence, or a current full (not probationary or provisional) interstate or overseas driver licence.
The supervising driver must also:
- carry their licence with them at all times, and
- have a blood alcohol concentration of less than .05% (authorised Driving Instructors must have a blood alcohol concentration of .00%), and
- complete their details in the List of Supervising Drivers in the Learner log book. The supervising driver must also complete the Declaration of Completion in the learner log book.
Note: A supervising driver with licence restrictions such as hand controls, automatic transmission, alcohol interlock etc is not prohibited from being the supervising driver for a learner driver. The supervising driver must not contravene any provision of the restriction. If the supervising driver has an alcohol interlock restriction applied to their licence, they must have a BAC of 0.00 when acting in the role of a supervising driver for a learner driver.
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