How licensing works in South Australia
South Australia uses a Graduated Licensing Scheme. You start with a learner's permit, move to a P1 provisional licence, then a P2 provisional licence, and finally a full licence. If you drive safely, you can have a full licence in about four years.
| Stage | Minimum age | What you need to move on |
|---|---|---|
| Learner's permit (L) | 16 | Hold it 12 months (under 25) or 6 months (25 or over); 75 hours logged, 15 at night; Hazard Perception Test; VORT or CBT&A |
| P1 provisional | 17 | Hold P1 for 12 months |
| P2 provisional | 18 | Hold P2 for 2 years (3 years on Ps in total) |
| Full licence | 20 | No Hazard Perception Test needed at this step |
The learner's theory test
To get your L's you must pass a learner's theory test. It checks road rules and road safety. There are two ways to do it.
Option 1: myLs online
- myLs is an online course that takes about four hours. It covers road rules, road safety, and driver attitudes and behaviour.
- You can start at 15 years and 9 months. You enrol and pay once at a Service SA centre.
- You have 12 months to finish the course and pass the test.
- The test takes about 30 minutes and must be done in one sitting. If you close the browser, your progress is lost.
- You can retry the test as many times as you need at no extra cost.
- Some questions have more than one correct answer. You must pick all the correct ones.
Option 2: test at a Service SA centre
You can sit the test on paper or computer at some Service SA centres. Book by phone first, bring proof of identity and your application form, and pay for each attempt. This option also suits people who need a translator.
Service SA does not publish the number of questions or the pass mark. The official practice test on myLicence gives 14 random questions from the real test, including give-way questions. Every answer is explained in the Driver's Handbook.
Learner's permit rules
- Alcohol and drugs: zero. No alcohol, THC, methylamphetamine or MDMA in your blood or saliva.
- Speed: never over 100 km/h. Going 10 km/h or more over any limit breaches your conditions.
- L plates: black L on yellow, visible from the front and rear.
- Phones: no use of any phone function while driving, including hands-free and Bluetooth.
- Supervisor: a qualified supervising driver must sit right next to you.
- Demerit points: you must not build up 4 or more.
- Carry your permit and drive only the vehicle class on it.
Who can supervise you
- Has held a full licence for that vehicle class for the past 2 years (L or P licences do not count).
- Has not been disqualified in the past 2 years and is not on a good behaviour condition.
- Has a blood alcohol concentration below 0.05 and no prescribed drugs. Police can breath test the supervisor.
Logbook hours
Record at least 75 hours of supervised driving, with at least 15 hours at night. Practise in different light, weather, traffic and road types. Your supervisor signs each session. Hand in the logbook when you apply for P1.
Moving to P1 and P2
Before P1 you must pass the Hazard Perception Test. Then you earn a certificate of competency in one of two ways:
- VORT (Vehicle On Road Test): one practical driving test with a VORT-licensed instructor. If you fail, wait at least 13 days before trying again.
- CBT&A (Competency Based Training and Assessment): a series of lessons where an instructor assesses each skill.
P1 rules
- Red P on a white background, front and rear.
- Zero alcohol, maximum 100 km/h, and no phone use while driving.
- If you are under 25: no driving between midnight and 5 am, and no more than one passenger aged 16 to 20 (not counting immediate family), unless a qualified supervising driver sits next to you or you have an exemption.
- Under 25: no high-powered vehicles without an exemption certificate.
P2 rules
P2 drivers do not display P plates and the full phone ban ends; you may use phone functions the road rules allow. Zero alcohol, the 100 km/h maximum, the under-25 high-powered vehicle ban and the 4-demerit-point limit still apply.
South Australian road rules to know
In a built-up area the default limit is 50 km/h. Outside built-up areas it is 100 km/h unless signs say otherwise. Some roads are signed 110 km/h, but L and P drivers must still keep to 100 km/h.
The 25 km/h rules
South Australia has several places where you must slow to 25 km/h:
- In a school zone when a child is present, at any time of day. A child is anyone under 18, or anyone in school uniform.
- At a school (koala) crossing when the lights are flashing.
- When passing a school bus that has stopped to pick up or drop off children, in either direction.
- When passing a stopped emergency vehicle with flashing blue or red lights, or driving between two sets of these lights.
- When passing a stopped breakdown vehicle with flashing amber lights.
- Where a 25 km/h sign is shown, such as at road works.
Other points
- Give cyclists at least 1 metre when the limit is 60 km/h or less, and 1.5 metres when it is over 60 km/h.
- If you pass a stopped tram where there is no safety zone and no one is crossing, go no faster than 10 km/h.
- Speeding by 45 km/h or more means immediate loss of licence for every driver.