A Victorian politician is pushing for the state’s teenage motorists to be able to get their provisional driver’s licence a year earlier, which would finally bring it into line with almost every other jurisdiction.

    Nationals Member for Northern Victoria, Gaelle Broad, wants Victorian learner drivers to move to a provisional licence when they turn 17, rather than 18.

    The Victorian MP made similar calls in August 2024.

    Victoria is currently the only state or territory which requires learner licence holders to wait until they’re 18 to be tested for a provisional licence. 

    All other states and territories allow learners to do so at 17 years old, apart from the Northern Territory where you can get a provisional licence at 16 years and six months old.

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    “Young people, especially those living in rural and regional areas are at a disadvantage by not being allowed to access their provisional license at the age of 17,” Ms Broad said in a media statement.

    “In the last week I was contacted by many young people and their families who are very keen to see the P-plate age lowered. One young driver said: ‘a lot of kids would be absolutely stoked’.

    “People who live in rural and regional areas often do not have access to public transport to get to work, apprenticeships or study.

    “They rely on their families to transport them to and from these commitments, but not everyone has someone who can drive them around when they need it.”

    Victoria currently has a requirement for learner drivers to log 120 hours behind the wheel before receiving their provisional licence. Ms Broad doesn’t intend to change this.

    Ms Broad intends to once again raise the prospect of dropping the age for provisional licence holders in the Victorian Legislative Council this month.

    State or territoryMinimum age for learner licenceMinimum age for provisional licenceMinimum age for full licence
    Australian Capital Territory15 years, 9 months17 years after completing 100 hours of supervised driving20 years
    New South Wales16 years17 years after completing 120 hours of supervised driving20 years
    Northern Territory16 years16 years, 6 months18 years, 6 months
    Queensland16 years17 years after completing 100 hours of supervised driving20 years
    South Australia16 years17 years after completing 75 hours of supervised driving20 years
    Tasmania16 years17 years after completing 80 hours of supervised driving20 years
    Victoria16 years18 years after completing 120 hours of supervised driving22 years
    Western Australia16 years17 years after completing 50 hours of supervised driving19 years
    Jordan Mulach

    Born and raised in Canberra, Jordan has worked as a full-time automotive journalist since 2021, being one of the most-published automotive news writers in Australia before joining CarExpert in 2024.

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