Licences issued before 1 July 2007
The graduated licensing system applies to drivers who were issued with a learner or provisional licence, or renewed their Queensland learner licence on or after 1 July 2007. However, if you were issued with a learner or provisional licence prior to 1 July 2007, these laws may affect you.
If your learner licence was issued before 1 July 2007, you will continue under the previous learner licensing system rules while you are still a learner, but progress into the P1 and P2 licensing system. You will then need to follow the P1 and P2 rules and restrictions.
If your provisional licence was issued before 1 July 2007, you will continue under the previous provisional licensing system rules to an open licence class without needing to follow the P1 and P2 rules and restrictions. However, if you are a provisional or open licence holder and incur a good driving behaviour period, licence suspension or a disqualification some of the new penalties might apply to you.
Learner drivers licensed before 1 July 2007
If you hold a learner licence that was issued before 1 July 2007, you will not need to follow the current learner requirements, unless you renew your learner licence.
You must only follow the rules that applied to you when you were first issued your learner licence as detailed below:
- Hold your learner licence for at least six months before you are eligible to take a practical driving test. The six month period may be made up of a single continuous period or a number of individual periods. These individual periods must be within a two year period immediately before you apply to take the test.
- Display an L-plate conspicuously at the front and rear of the vehicle that you are learning to drive in—however, if you are learning to ride a motorbike, you are only required to display the L-plate at the rear of the motorbike.
- Be taught by a person who holds an open licence for the class of vehicle you are learning to drive or ride—they must have held this licence for at least one year.
- Keep your learner licence with you at all times when you are learning to drive or ride and show it immediately to a police officer when required.
- Obey any conditions stated on your learner licence.
- Have a zero (0.00) blood alcohol concentration if you are under 25 when learning to drive or ride—if you drink and drive, you will be fined, and/or disqualified from driving.
When applying for a provisional licence, the current provisional licence laws will apply to you.
You will be issued your licence under the P1 and P2 system and be required to follow the rules and restrictions of this system.
To apply for a provisional licence you must:
- be at least 17 years of age and hold a learner licence for the class of vehicle you want to drive or ride—and, have held this licence for at least six months (in total) in the last two years
- pay the practical driving test fee and book the test
- complete the Driver Licence Application/Renewal form (F3000)
- show your evidence of identity
- pass an eyesight test, if required
- declare that you are medically fit to drive the class of motor vehicle—note: if you have a medical incapacity that is likely to affect your ability to drive or ride safely, you will be required to provide a medical certificate from your doctor stating that you are medically fit to drive, or ride, safely
- pass a practical driving test in a vehicle that belongs to the appropriate licence class
- pay the licence fee.
Provisional drivers licensed before 1 July 2007
The only change for provisional licence holders, known as P licence holders, and open licence holders is you will have a late-night driving restriction between the hours of 11pm and 5am for one year, if you:
- have a demerit point suspension, a good driving behaviour period or a high speed suspension (where the date of the latest offence that attributed to the suspension or good driving behaviour period occurred after 30 June 2007 while you were under 25).
- are disqualified from driving, and the offence date was after 30 June 2007, and you were under 25 and return to a probationary or restricted licence.
How long do I have to hold a provisional licence if it was issued before 1 July 2007?
The amount of time you need to hold your provisional licence depends on the age you were when you took the practical driving test.
If you were:
- under 23 years of age—for at least three years.
- at least 23 years but under 24 years of age—for at least two years.
- 24 years of age and older—for at least one year.
This period may be a single continuous period, or made up of a number of individual periods. This time must be accumulated over the five years immediately before you apply for your open licence. Any licence suspension will not be included in calculating this period.
What conditions apply to my provisional licence if it was issued before 1 July 2007?
- You must have a zero (0.00) blood alcohol concentration if you are under 25 when driving or riding. If you drink and drive you will be fined and/or disqualified from driving.
- You must keep your provisional licence with you at all times when you are driving, or riding, and show it to a police officer when asked to do so.
- You must obey any conditions stated on your provisional licence.
- You may only drive, or ride, the class of vehicle stated on your provisional licence.
- You may learn to drive or ride the next higher eligible class of vehicle to the class of vehicle stated on your provisional licence.
Last updated 21 April 2008
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