Media Release

From licence fees to learning hours, what you need to know about getting your driver’s licence in Australia

New research from car insurance comparison site iSelect reveals the costs for a driver’s licence and the increase as of July 2025 for each Australian state and territory. South Australia came in as the most expensive state, with $570 for a 10-year licence, a 3.6% increase from the previous financial year. 

The second most expensive state for a driver’s licence was the Australian Capital Territory at $439.80, with the highest year on year increase with 3.8%. Closely followed by New South Wales with a cost of $422, both for a 10-year licence. The Northern Territory had the cheapest licence, coming in less than half the price of the top three most expensive states with a fee of $204. 

In most cases the best value is to pay for a 10-year licence. But in Queensland and Tasmania the only option is to purchase a one through to five-year licence. Where in Western Australia you can only buy a licence for either one or five years.   

Learning to drive

Significant differences exist across Australia in the requirements for obtaining a learner’s permit and the amount of driving mandated before taking the practical driving test.  

However, one consistency across all states and territories is that to apply for a learner’s licence, you must pass both a road safety theory test and an eye test. While the details differ, most states and territories require learner drivers to log a specific number of driving hours before they can take their practical driving test.  

New South Wales and Victoria had the highest number of driving hours, with 120 hours required to practice before going for the practical test. Western Australia had the lowest with less than half both those states with 50 hours required. In both scenarios, the required hours are inclusive of night driving. However, in the Northern Territory there is no requirement for supervised driving hours or a logbook to be filled in, but it is still recommended to get as much practice as possible. See hours required to be logged for each state and territory below.  

Bonus hours

Some states allow learner drivers to have the option to use the three-for-one bonus hours scheme; this only applies when driving with a licensed driving instructor. They can log a one-hour lesson as three hours of driving, with a maximum of 10 lessons, totaling 30 hours. This only applies to learner drivers in New South Wales, Queensland, and the Australian Capital Territory. In South Australia, they can log 5 lessons, with a total of 15 bonus hours.   

Additionally, once drivers from ACT, QLD and NSW complete 50 hours of supervised driving, they can complete the ‘Safer Driving Course’, which is worth 20 driving hours, to help speed up their path to becoming a provisional driver.

Sources

Get your provisional driver licence | Licences – Access Canberra
Licence fees | Transport and motoring – Queensland Government
Driver and rider licence fees | learner driver licence -NSW Government
Driver and rider licence fees – NT.GOV.AU
Find driver’s licence and permit fees – SA.GOV.AU
Licensing and assessment fees | Transport Services – Tasmania Government
Summary of novice car licensing pathway – Plateplus
Driver licence and learner permit fees – VicRoads
Renew your driver’s licence | Department of Transport – Government of Western Australia

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