Novice drivers
A novice driver is someone who has not held a driver's licence for more than 2 years.
This includes first-time learner drivers and P-platers.
Novice drivers are restricted to a zero Blood Alcohol Content level (BAC)
Novice drivers (drivers which have not held a driver's licence for at least 2 years) will be required to have a zero Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) when driving. This applies to all novice drivers including Learner's permit holders who are attempting to get their first driver's licence and Provisional licence holders (P-platers).
Questions and answers:
- I am already a P-Plater. Does this law affect me?
Yes, all novice drivers will be required to have a zero BAC when driving.
- I have recently migrated to Australia and have less than 2 years driving experience. Do these restrictions apply to me?
Yes, all novice drivers will be required to have a zero BAC when driving.
Night time restrictions for P-platers
When a novice driver passes the Hazard Perception Test they are then entitled to a provisional licence (P-plater). Driving between midnight and 5:00am is prohibited for the first 6 months of your provisional licence.
If you drive between these hours when you are restricted to do so you will be deemed to be an unlicensed driver.
This means:
- You will be issued an infringement notice and penalised $200 and
- You will accrue 2 demerit points.
Questions and answers:
- I need to drive to get to work. Are there any exceptions to this rule?
Provisional drivers can drive between midnight and 5am if:
- They are driving to or from their home to their place of work by the shortest possible route.
- Driving is required as part of their work duties.
- They are driving to or from a place of education or training where they are enrolled for tuition.
- I already hold a provisional licence. Do these rules apply to me?
If you have held your provisional licence for less than 6 months, these rules will apply to you. When you have held your provisional licence for 6 months, you will no longer be restricted from driving during these hours.
For example, if you have already held your provisional licence for 3 months before these laws take affect, you will need to drive for another 3 months before you can drive without being subjected to the night-time restrictions.
- I have recently moved to Western Australia and have limited driving experience. Do these restrictions apply to me?
No. If you are driving on your Overseas or Interstate Driver's Licence these rules do not apply to you.
- How will the Police and other road users know that I am driving under night time restrictions?
Different colour P-plates distinguish between those provisional licence holders who can or cannot drive because of night-time restrictions.
| Night time restrictions: Red |
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No night time restrictions: Green |
| Provisional licence holders who are subject to driving under the night time restrictions will need to display P plates with a white 'P' on a red background |
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After the provisional licence holder is no longer required to drive under the night time restrictions, they will need to display P plates with a white 'P' on a green background for the remainder of their provisional period. |
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Download the novice driver 'P' plates
You may print in colour, cut out and use these P plates:
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Practical Driving Assessment to the Hazard Perception Test
Six months must elapse after passing the Practical Driving Assessment before Hazard Perception Test may be undertaken.
Learner Drivers who were issued their Learners permit before June 29 2008 will fall under the ‘old system’ and will NOT have to wait six months between passing their Practical Driving Assessment and taking the Hazard Perception Test. They will only have to do 25 hours of supervised driving and be a minimum age of 17 before completing the Hazard Perception Test.
Learner drivers who were issued a Learners Permit after June 29 will be on the new system and can only undertake a Hazard Perception Test (HPT) once a minimum of 6 months has elapsed since they passed their Practical Driving Assessment (PDA). Learner drivers will still be required to complete at least 25 hours of supervised driving prior to being eligible to sit the HPT.
Questions and answers:
- I was issued a Learners permit on June 30 but I am exempt from taking the Hazard Perception Test because I live in a rural area. Do I still have to wait 6 months after passing my Practical Driving Assessment?
Yes, you will still need to wait 6 months. This is to encourage you to gain as much supervised driving experience as possible before being allowed to drive on your own.
- I am on the new system but I have taken longer than 6 months to complete my 25 hours supervised driving. What happens now, will my learners permit expire?
Taking longer than 6 months is fine. You must complete a minimum of 25 hours and wait at least 6 months but you are encouraged to get as much practice as possible before attempting the Hazard Perception Test. Learner's permits are now valid for 3 years. Please see below.
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Learner permits valid for three years
When learning to drive, the Learner's permit you are granted will now be valid for three years.
The freeway restriction has now been removed from the Learner's permit. This means when you pass the Computerised Theory Test and pay the relevant fees, you will be allowed to drive on the freeway as part of your driving practice. You may not drive on a section of the freeway which has signs prohibiting learner drivers from driving on that section, you must obey those road signs.
If you have not gained a provisional licence in the three year period that your Learner's permit is valid for, you will be required to apply for a new permit.
Questions and answers:
- I currently have a one year learner permit, do I need to attend a Licensing centre and have this changed to the new three year learner's permit?
No. You will only need to attend a Licensing centre when your current learner's permit expires.
