P-plates
P1 licence holders
Red P-plates (PDF**, 22KB) must be clearly displayed on your vehicle during the P1 period. This applies to:- P1 provisional licence holders
- P1 probationary licence holders
- P1 restricted licence holders.
P2 licence holders
Green P-plates (PDF**, 21KB) must be clearly displayed on your vehicle during the P2 period. This applies to:- P2 provisional licence holders
- P2 probationary licence holders
- P2 restricted licence holders.
| Red P-plates (PDF**, 22KB) | Green P-plates (PDF**, 21KB) |
|---|---|
| Car (class C) Under 25 years of age | Car (class C) Under 24 years of age P1 provisional and hazard perception test is completed |
| Car (class C) Over 25 years of age Date of first issue of P1 licence is before turning 25 years of age Has not successfully passed a hazard perception test | Car (class C) Over 25 years of age (progress from learner licence to P2 provisional) |
| Car (class C) P1 probationary licence holders Red P-plates to be displayed for at least a cumulative 12 month period. This period must not include any further suspensions or disqualifications. | Car (class C) P2 probationary licence holders Green P-plates to be displayed for at least a cumulative 12 month period. This period must not include any further suspensions or disqualifications. |
P-plate requirements
A P-plate is a plate that features an uppercase red letter 'P' or an uppercase green letter 'P' on a white background. You can buy P-plates from service stations, major retailers and automotive outlets. Check with your local supplier for cost. You can also download and print a colour template† [red P-plate (PDF**, 22KB) / green P-plates (PDF**, 21KB)]. Plates are to be fitted to the front and rear of your vehicle and must be clearly visible from 20 m at any point within a 45 degree arc (the same requirement as your number plates). The minimum size and colour of a P-plate is 14.6 cm x 14.6 cm. The P-plate may be larger than the minimum size requirement of 14.6 cm x 14.6 cm but not so large that it will obscure your view when driving.
Penalties
The display of P-plates lets other drivers know that you are a novice driver. It also assists enforcement officers identify which drivers are placed on restrictions and what these restrictions are. Failure to display P-plates incurs a A$120 fine and two demerit points.
It is an offence to display P-plates on a vehicle if you are not the holder of a P1 or P2 provisional or probationary licence. Doing so carries a penalty of A$60.
†When printing the P-plate template, use white A4 paper or card and ensure the page scaling is set to "None".
**While this department has taken every possible precaution with the creation of these files, they are downloaded and used at your own risk. Adobe Reader is required to open and print Portable Document Format (PDF) files and is free to download from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html. Various tools to enable access to these files for people using a screen reader can be found at http://access.adobe.com. Further information is available from our "Help with downloading, reading and printing PDF" web page.
Last updated 16 July 2008
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