Who issues an Australian driver licence, and why that decides everything
Licensing in Australia is a state and territory matter, not a federal one. The body you deal with depends on where you live: Transport for NSW in New South Wales, VicRoads in Victoria, Transport and Main Roads (TMR) in Queensland, the Department for Infrastructure and Transport in South Australia, the Department of Transport in Western Australia, and the Motor Vehicle Registry (MVR) in the Northern Territory. A licence issued in one state is recognised across the whole country, so you do not re-apply when you move. What is not shared are the tests, the fees and the minimum ages — each authority sets its own. That is why advice that works for a learner in Sydney may not match the rules in Perth or Darwin, and why the only reliable figures are the ones published by the authority in your own state.
If you already hold an overseas licence
Holding a licence from another country changes where you start, but the rules are always set by the authority in the state you are living in, not by any national standard. There are three common situations.
A short stay
If you are visiting or staying temporarily, you may be able to keep driving on your overseas licence for a limited period. How long that period runs, and the conditions attached to it, are set by your state authority — for example Transport for NSW. Check its current rule for your situation; the period is not a fixed national number.
Converting a recognised-country licence
Some authorities let you convert a licence from a recognised country with no test, or with a reduced set of tests. Whether your country of issue is on that list, and what you must do, is published by the authority — confirm it with the one in your state before you assume you can skip a test.
Experienced-driver recognition
Where an authority offers it, your overseas driving experience may count towards a provisional or full licence rather than starting as a learner. The recognition rules, and the evidence you need, belong to the authority in your state — ask it directly rather than relying on a rule from another country.
Starting from zero: the Australian licence ladder
If you have never held a licence, the path runs in much the same order everywhere: the knowledge test, the learner licence, supervised driving, the hazard perception test, the driving test, then the provisional stages before the full licence. The figures below are the New South Wales numbers from Transport for NSW (2026); every other state publishes its own.
- 1
Pass the knowledge test
In NSW the Driver Knowledge Test is 45 questions. You need 12 of 15 in general knowledge and 29 of 30 in road safety — both minimums — and the sitting ends at 4 wrong in general knowledge or 2 wrong in road safety. You can sit it in person from 16, or enrol online from 15 years and 11 months.
- 2
Get your learner licence
Once you pass, you apply for the learner licence — $32 in NSW — and begin logging supervised driving hours with a fully licensed supervisor.
- 3
Pass the hazard perception test (most states)
In most states you sit the hazard perception test before you move off your learner licence: in NSW that is 15 short videos, $58 each attempt, with unlimited attempts, and a pass valid for 15 months which must cover you through to the driving test. The Northern Territory has no separate hazard perception test today, and hazard awareness is judged inside its driving test instead.
- 4
Pass the driving test
The on-road driving test is $72 (inc GST) each attempt in NSW. Passing it moves you onto the provisional (P1 then P2) stages.
- 5
Reach the full licence
After you complete the provisional stages under their own time and condition rules, you qualify for the full licence.
The documents and the identity check
Before you can sit the knowledge test or collect a learner licence, the authority confirms who you are and where you live. It requires proof of identity and proof of residency, and each authority publishes its own list of accepted documents — so check the exact list for your state, for example Transport for NSW, before you turn up. In practice you will usually need a primary identity document (such as a passport or birth certificate), one or more secondary identity documents (such as a Medicare card or bank card), and something that proves your current address (such as a utility bill or lease). The requirement is simply that your documents satisfy the authority's published list. Bring more than the minimum rather than less, because being turned away for a missing document means rebooking.
Heavy vehicle and motorbike: the same ladder, a different first rung
The rider route and the heavy-vehicle route follow the same shape as the car ladder, but each begins with its own knowledge test. In NSW the Heavy Vehicle Knowledge Test is 45 questions in two versions — rigid (classes LR, MR, HR) and combination (classes HC, MC) — and before you may sit it you must already hold the right licence for long enough, per Transport for NSW.
- 1
LR and MR
You must have held a class C (car) licence — not a learner — for 1 year or more.
- 2
HR
You must have held a class C licence for 2 years or more.
- 3
HC
You must have held a class MR or HR licence for 1 year or more.
- 4
MC
You must have held an HR or HC licence for at least 1 year, plus complete the HVCBA and a medical assessment.
Where to practise before you book
You can prepare here for free, no sign-up, before you pay to sit any test. The car sets run to 12 topic sets (366 questions), 9 practice tests (405 questions) and 8 mock tests (360 questions). The motorbike sets cover 12 topic sets (549 questions), 13 practice tests (585) and 8 mocks (360). The heavy-vehicle sets give you 14 topic sets (365 questions), 9 practice tests (405) and 8 mocks (360). For the hazard perception side, the clip practice sits at hazard perception practice. Use them in order: work the topic sets first to learn the material, move to the practice tests to drill under test conditions, then run the mock tests until your scores come back clean. Members' premium practice is available at quiz premium if you want more once the free sets feel easy.
Official sources
The rules on this page follow the official requirements published by Transport for NSW; Transport for NSW licence fees; Transport for NSW heavy vehicle licences; Transport and Main Roads (Queensland); VicRoads; Department for Infrastructure and Transport (South Australia); Department of Transport (Western Australia); Motor Vehicle Registry (Northern Territory). Always confirm current rules and fees with the authority before you book.