To get a car licence in the ACT you complete the Pre-Learner Licence Course, pass the road rules knowledge test, and collect a learner licence from Access Canberra from 15 years and 9 months of age. You then record 100 hours of supervised driving if you are under 25, or 50 hours if you are 25 or older, pass the hazard perception test after holding your learner licence for three months, and prove your driving either through an accredited instructor's logbook assessment or a government driving test. From age 17 you are issued a provisional licence: P1 red plates for a year, then P2 green plates for two.
Requirements and fees are set by the ACT Government. Access Canberra is the authority for the current rules, fees and assessment bookings.
The seven steps, in order
Complete the ACT Pre-Learner Licence Course
Sit the ACT Pre-Learner Licence Course, a 10-hour road safety program often called Road Ready. Most Canberra students complete it through their school or college; everyone else does it through an approved provider. You can do it before you turn 15 years and 9 months, and the result stays valid for two years.
Pass the ACT road rules knowledge test
Pass the computer-based ACT road rules knowledge test. Like the course, you can sit it before you are old enough to hold a licence, and the result is valid for two years.
Get your learner licence at Access Canberra
From 15 years and 9 months of age, attend an Access Canberra service centre with your proof of identity, pass the eyesight test and pay the licence fee. You leave with your ACT learner licence and your logbook.
Build your supervised driving hours
Record supervised driving in your ACT learner logbook. If you were under 25 when the licence was issued you need 100 hours including at least 10 at night. If you were 25 or older you need 50 hours including at least 5 at night. Your first 10 hours with an ACT accredited driving instructor are credited as 30 hours.
Pass the hazard perception test
Once you have held your learner licence for three months, sit the online hazard perception test. It shows around 25 short video clips, takes roughly 20 to 30 minutes, and the first attempt is free. It is required for anyone whose learner licence was issued or renewed on or after 1 January 2020.
Prove you can drive, by logbook or by assessment
Choose one of the two ACT pathways. Under competency-based training and assessment, an ACT accredited driving instructor assesses you against 23 competencies across your lessons and signs off a final assessment; the minimum is 7 lessons. Alternatively, book a practical driving assessment of about 45 minutes with a government licence examiner.
Collect your provisional licence
From age 17, with the hours, the hazard perception test and your assessment complete, Access Canberra issues your provisional licence. Under 25 you start on P1 red plates for a year, then P2 green plates for two more. From 25, you are issued a P2 licence directly.
How many supervised hours do you need?
The requirement depends on how old you were when your learner licence was issued, not how old you are now.
| Age at issue | Total supervised hours | Night driving |
|---|---|---|
| Under 25 when your learner licence was issued | 100 hours | At least 10 hours at night |
| 25 or older when your learner licence was issued | 50 hours | At least 5 hours at night |
Professional lessons are worth triple at the start
Your first 10 hours with an ACT accredited driving instructor are credited as 30 hours in your logbook, a bonus of 20 hours. Every instructor hour after that counts as one. For a learner under 25 chasing 100 hours, those first 10 professional hours clear a fifth of the requirement on their own — which is why most learners book them early rather than saving lessons for the end.
Logbook method or government driving test?
The ACT gives you two ways to prove you can drive. Both end in the same provisional licence.
Logbook method (CBT&A)
- Assessed by
- An ACT accredited driving instructor, across your lessons
- Format
- 23 competencies signed off progressively, then a final assessment
- Minimum
- 7 lessons; most learners need 10 to 15
- Waiting
- None — you progress at the pace of your own bookings
- Suits
- Most learners, and anyone who would rather not sit a one-off test
Government driving assessment
- Assessed by
- A government licence examiner
- Format
- A single practical driving test of about 45 minutes
- Minimum
- One assessment, if you pass it
- Waiting
- There is usually a wait for an assessment slot
- Suits
- Already-skilled drivers who want the fastest possible route
ACT licensing questions, answered
How old do I have to be to get a learner licence in the ACT?
How do I get my learner licence in the ACT?
How many supervised driving hours do I need in the ACT?
Do driving lessons count for extra logbook hours in the ACT?
What is the hazard perception test in the ACT?
What are the two ways to get your P plates in the ACT?
How old do I have to be to get my P plates in the ACT?
How long do you stay on P plates in the ACT?
How long does it take to get a licence in Canberra?
Start your logbook hours with an accredited instructor
ACT Capital Driving School teaches competency-based training and assessment across Canberra at $100 an hour, with free door-to-door pickup. Your first 10 hours with us count as 30 in your logbook.