Getting your Ps

You will get your P1 licence once you have:

• held your L2 learner licence for at least a minimum continuous period of 9 months
• logged at least 50 hours in your L2 logbook and ensured your supervisory driver has verified your logged hours and signed the statutory declaration contained in the middle of the logbook
• passed the P1 driving assessment.

Your L2 learner licence lasts for three years, so there’s no need to rush things.  It is strongly recommended that learner licence holders log at least 80 logbook hours (including 15 night hours) in the combined L1 and L2 learner stages.   This is consistent with previously announced changes to the eligibility requirements for the P1 driving assessment which are expected to be implemented from December 2020.

If you need to progress to your P1 licence sooner, you can apply to get an exemption. You must still hold your L2 licence for a minimum continuous period of 6 months before your application will be assessed. You need to provide evidence that you will:

• lose your employment or potential employment
• be unable to get medical attention for a medical illness (for you or a dependent)
• have no way of get to school, TAFE, university or another recognised training institution
• have no way to get your children or dependents to school or child care.

To be eligible to apply for a P1 Exemption, you will need to:

• hold a current L2 learner licence
• have held your L2 licence for minimum continuous period of 6 months
• be 17 years or older
• have logged at least 50 hours as a L2 learner driver in your logbook

To apply, please fill out the exemption application form.

See here for more information on booking a driving assessment.

The P1 driving assessment assesses whether you’re ready to safely drive on your own.

It will look at how well you can automate your car controls without thinking about them, make safe decisions when driving and respond to hazards.

The assessment has six sections, with five minutes given for briefing before and feedback after the assessment. Each section will take roughly six minutes, other than exercise four, which takes five.

Feedback and Briefing

• Briefing:
  • your driving assessor will undertake a pre-briefing. This includes a vehicle suitability check
• Feedback:
  • you will be given a debrief of the assessment including feedback to you and your supervisory driver/instructor

Assessment Sections  

• Section 1: Point-to-Point
  • you will drive from one point to another performing a range of manoeuvres. You will need to drive around the assessment route and make decisions on specific driving tasks at various locations- following the directions of the Driving Assessor.
• Section 2: Exercise
  • you will perform an exercise involving common manoeuvres linked together that reflect everyday driving tasks.
• Section 3: Point-to-Point
  • you will again drive from one location to another as in section 1
• Section 4: Exercise
  • you will perform another exercise involving common driving manoeuvres
• Section 5: Highway Merge and Drive
  • you will undertake manoeuvres including merging and point-to-point driving on a high-speed highway (with a minimum speed limit of 80km/h). You will need to show your skills and decision making in choosing when and where to merge.
• Section 6: Point-to-Point
  • you will need to demonstrate hazard identification during a point-to-point drive over two intersections. The Driving Assessor will mark hazards on the assessment sheet that you will need to identify.

You need to bring:

• your L2 drivers licence
• your completed L2 logbook.  Ensure your supervisory driver verifies your logged hours and signs the statutory declaration contained in the middle of the logbook
• a supervisory driver, and
• a suitable vehicle

When you get your P1 licence, you have to obey the following conditions:

• always carry your licence on you
• ensure your P plates can be seen from the front and back of your car
• drive no faster than 90km/h in 90km/h zones, 90km/h in 100km/h zones and 100km/h in 110km/h zones
• have a blood alcohol content of 0.00
• obey all Tasmanian Road Rules.

If you hold your P1 licence for 12 continuous months and drive safely (and not receive any P1 restart offences, disqualifications or suspensions), you’ll automatically progress to your P2 licence.

As a P2 driver, you no longer need to display P plates and can drive at the posted speed limit. However, you must:

• have a blood alcohol content of 0.00
• obey all the road rules.

From 1 December 2020 there will be changes to the Graduated Licensing System for drivers to make the process of getting a full licence safer and cheaper. For information on these changes please refer to “I am a novice driver on my Ls or Ps, what do the changes mean for me?”