L and P Plate Rules in Australia: NSW, VIC and QLD Compared

In Australia, learner (L) and provisional (P) drivers follow stricter rules than fully licensed drivers: zero blood alcohol, tight limits on phone use, late-night passenger limits for P1 drivers, lower demerit point limits and, in NSW, lower maximum speeds. P1 plates are red and P2 plates green. The exact conditions are set by each state, so a P plater from one state should check the rules before driving in another.

This guide compares the rules in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland as of 2026.

Quick comparison

Learner (L) rules

In all three states, learners must:

• display L plates on the front and back;
• have a zero BAC;
• drive with a supervisor holding a full licence (not a provisional licence) in the front passenger seat.

State details:

• NSW: learners are limited to 90 km/h and can't use any function of a mobile phone. Under-25s must log 120 hours of supervised driving including 20 at night.
• Victoria: learners can't tow a trailer or another vehicle and can't operate portable devices in any way, including for calls and navigation. The supervisor's BAC must be under 0.05, or zero for driving instructors and drivers with a "Z" condition.
• Queensland: the supervisor must hold an open licence for the vehicle class and have held it for at least one year. Under-25s must log 100 hours including 10 at night.

P1 (red P) rules

NSW

• Display red P plates clearly on the outside of the car, front and back.
• Zero alcohol.
• No more than 90 km/h, even where the limit is higher. Any speeding offence takes you over your demerit limit and leads to a suspension of at least three months.
• No mobile phone use at all, including hands-free, waiting at lights or in traffic.
• Under 25: no more than one passenger under 21 between 11 pm and 5 am. Exemptions exist for work, family and volunteer needs.
• Hold your P1 for at least 12 months before moving to a P2.

Victoria

• Display red P plates front and back, visible from at least 20 metres.
• Zero BAC.
• No more than one peer passenger (aged 16 to under 22). A spouse or domestic partner and siblings don't count.
• No portable devices in any way, including calls and navigation.
• No towing (with some work and supervised exceptions) and no probationary prohibited vehicles unless an exemption applies.
• If you passed in an automatic, you get an A condition and must drive automatics.

Queensland

• Display red P plates.
• Zero alcohol.
• No mobile phone use for any reason, and passengers can't use loudspeaker. Drivers over 25 may use a phone hands-free.
• Under 25: between 11 pm and 5 am, no more than one passenger under 21 who isn't immediate family.
• No high-powered (performance) vehicles, no supervising learners, and you must not accumulate 4 or more demerit points in any one-year period.
• Hold your P1 for at least 1 year. If you're 18 or older, you're automatically upgraded to a P2 after one year on your P1 if your licence is in order.

P2 (green P) rules

• NSW: green P plates, zero alcohol, 100 km/h maximum, still no phone use, and hold your P2 for at least 24 months before a full licence. The NSW handbook sets the P2 demerit limit at 7 points.
• Victoria: green P plates, zero BAC, no portable devices, and no probationary prohibited vehicles. Transport Victoria offers drivers who finish their four years on P plates without traffic offences a free three-year licence.
• Queensland: green P plates, zero alcohol, no passenger restrictions, hands-free phone use allowed, but still no high-powered vehicles and no supervising learners.

Demerit points for new drivers

New drivers have much lower demerit limits than full licence holders. In NSW, the Road User Handbook sets limits of 4 points for learners, 4 for P1 and 7 for P2 drivers, compared with 13 for full licence holders over three years. In Queensland, P1 and P2 drivers must not accumulate 4 or more points in any one-year period. Check your state's rules for what happens when you reach the limit; in NSW, for example, a single speeding offence on a P1 licence leads to a suspension of at least three months.

Why the rules exist

Transport Victoria notes that P plate drivers are four times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash if they carry more than one passenger, and that risk is also high late at night (10 pm to 6 am). The passenger, night and phone limits target exactly those situations. Our after you pass guide and night driving tips cover how to build experience safely.

Summary

L and P plate rules in Australia always include zero alcohol, visible plates and strict phone limits, but the details differ: NSW caps speeds at 90 km/h (L and P1) and 100 km/h (P2) and bans phones for all P platers; Victoria limits P1 drivers to one peer passenger at any time; Queensland restricts P1 passengers late at night but allows P2 drivers to use phones hands-free. Check your state's transport website for the current rules.

About Co-Drive

Co-Drive is an iOS app for learner and new drivers. Its driving technique lessons and defensive driving habits apply on any road; it does not yet include Australian state-specific content, and it isn't affiliated with any government agency. Find out more.