Barnes Driving School Canberra

Getting a Drivers Licence in the ACT    (Click here for NSW)

 

There are four stages in getting a licence to drive a car in the ACT:

 

1. Pre-learner

 

Age: Before 15 yrs 9 mths

 

Before you are old enough to drive a vehicle you can learn to 'co-pilot' a car as a passenger with a parent or supervising driver. This enables you to become aware of the road environment and the complexity of driving.

 

2. Learner driver licence

 

Age: At least 15 yrs 9 mths

 

To get a learner licence you must successfully complete a Road Ready program in Year 10 at school or through a Road Ready Centre. You must then pass a computer based Road Rules Knowledge Test.

 

3. Learning to drive

 

Age: From 15 yrs 9 mths to 17 yrs

 

During the learner licence period of up to 2 years, you are encouraged to work together with professional driving instructors and parents/supervising drivers to ensure that you gain plenty of experience.

 

4. Provisional driver licence

 

Age: At least 17 yrs

 

There are two ways to get a provisional licence either by taking a practical driving test or by using the logbook scheme. You are on provisional licence for 3 years and must display "P" plates for this period, unless you complete the Road Ready Plus (P..off) course you also get an additional 4 demerit points allowance if you do this course.

 

Requirements for a Learner's Licence

 

To get a learner driver licence in the ACT you must:

 

 

Most ACT secondary schools offer the course as part of the year 10 program. For those who have already left school the course can be taken at a Road Ready Centre.

 

How to make a booking for the Road Safety Course (Road Ready Centre)

 

On-Line

 

On-line bookings can be made by selecting one of the following links:

 

For northside residents click HERE

For southside residents click HERE

 

All available course dates are displayed, a Visa or MasterCard payment is required at the time of booking.

Over the Phone

 

Telephonebookings can be made by contacting North office (02) 6162 5152 or South office (02) 6282 8990 Monday to Friday 9am-5pm and Saturday 9am-12pm. A Visa or MasterCard payment is required at the time of booking.

In Person

 

In person bookings can be made by visiting Road Ready Centre North office, Canberra Technology Park, 47 Phillip Av, Watson or Road Ready Centre South office, 72 Townshend St, Phillip, Monday to Friday 9am-5pm and Saturday 9am-12pm. An EFTPOS, Cash or Cheque payment is required at the time of booking.

Refunds

 

Cancellations without 48 hours notice will incur a $50 Fee. All refunds are issued by cheque which will be forwarded to you within 2 working days.

 

When you have completed the course and passed the Road Rules Knowledge Test you will be given a certificate that you take to a Canberra Connect Shopfront or the Road User Services office at Dickson, with proof of identity, to be issued with your learner driver licence.

 

What happens once you have a Learner's Licence?

 

Once you have your learner driver licence you can learn to drive with a driving instructor, parents, relations or friends provided that the licensed driver holds a full Australian driver licence. The full driver licence must be the type required for the vehicle the learner is driving.

 

A learner licence lasts for 2 years, but must be held for at least 6 months being able to obtain a provisional driver licence. You must display "L" plates at all times when driving.

 

You must be at least 17 years of age and have held a learner licence for a minimum of 6 months before being able to obtain a provisional driver licence.

 

Getting your P's

 

There are two methods you can use to get your provisional driver licence:

 

1. The Competency Based Training and Assessment Scheme (CBT&A), which uses a logbook system through an Accredited Driving Instructor. You can find Accredited Driving Instructors though the list of driving schools in the Yellow Pages telephone book or online. When selecting a driving instructor ask to see their Accreditation Certificate before taking any driving lessons.

 

2. Take a practical driving test with an ACT Government Licence Examiner.
Learner drivers wishing to obtain their licence with a Government Examiner can book an assessment by visiting a Canberra Connect Shopfront or the Road User Services office at Dickson in person and pay an $86.80 fee to book an assessment. The licence applicant or his or her representative can also book an assessment

 

You will be on a provisional driver licence for 3 years and must display a 'P' plate for this period - unless you take the optional Road Ready Plus (P..off) course after six months or more on a provisional driver licence. During the 3 year provisional licence period your Alcohol Concentration (BAC) must be zero. So do not drink alcohol if you are intending to drive.

 

What happens once you have your Provisional Licence

 

Provisional Licence holders must display ‘P’ plates at all times and your demerit point limit is four points. This means that your licence will be suspended for three months if you accumulate four or more demerit points.


After six months, you may attend an optional ‘Road Ready Plus (P-off)’ course. Once you successfully complete this course, you may remove your ‘P’ plates and your demerit points limit will be increased to eight points. If you do not undertake the ‘Road Ready Plus (P-off)’ course, you must display your ‘P’ plates for the full three-year provisional licence period and your demerit points limit will remain at four points.


If you are 26 years of age or olderand have held your provisional licence for at least six months, your ‘P’ plates can be removed from your vehicle and your demerit points limit will be increased to eight points. You are not required to complete the ‘Road Ready Plus (P-off)’ course