Can I get my license with less than 100 hours of supervised driving?

Licencing

If you’re a Queenslander under the age of 25, you need to record at least 100 hours of supervised driving to be eligible for a provisional license — but there are exceptions to the rule.

The 100-hour logbooks were introduced in 2007, in a bid to improve the standards of young drivers on the roads. That’s a good thing, but there are a number of reasons why the 100-hour requirement might not be practical for some people. 

If you fall under any of the following exemptions, you can apply for a P1 provisional licence without recording 100 hours of supervised driving.  

1) You don’t have access to a car

This one’s pretty straight-forward — if there’s no car available for you to use, it’s going to be awfully difficult for you to log 100 hours behind the wheel. 

It’s important to note, however, that ‘no car’ means ‘no car’ — you won’t be eligible for the exemption if you do have access to a car, but it’s just not the transmission (manual or automatic) that you’d prefer. So if you were planning on applying for an automatic licence but you only have access to a car with a manual transmission, you’ll need to learn to drive stick. 

Unless…

2) You don’t have access to a supervisor 

Okay, so what if you’ve got a car, but you don’t have anyone to supervise you? 

A ‘supervisor’ is defined as someone who directs you while you’re learning to drive; holds an open licence (and has held that licence for at least one year); and sits next to you in the passenger seat while you drive. 

If you don’t have a mum, dad, brother, sister or family friend who fits the bill, then your only option is to drive under the supervision of a professional instructor — and that’s a prohibitively expensive way to rack up 100 hours.  

In that case, then, you’ll also be eligible for the exemption.   

Mind you, the government won’t just take your word for it. If you plan on claiming that you don’t have access to either a car or a supervisor, you’ll need a ‘supporting person’ — like an immediate family member, carer or guardian — to provide a supporting statement confirming that you’re telling the truth. 

There is one other exemption that doesn’t require a supporting statement, although if you live anywhere near a city, it’s unlikely you’ll qualify. 

3) You have limited access to a road network 

This one will only really apply to learners in remote areas, but if you can prove that you live in an area with a limited road network, you’ll be eligible for the exemption. 

A limited road network is defined as a small number of roads of the same kind — for example, an island with a single road around it. If that’s the only road you have access to, there’s little benefit for you in clocking 100 hours, because the whole point of that requirement is for you to experience a variety of road and traffic conditions. 

However, it’s not as simple as taking a vacation on a deserted island for a weekend and applying for the exemption — because in order to be eligible, you’ll need to prove that there’s no reasonable likelihood of you moving from the area, or having an opportunity to drive in an area with a diverse road network. 

In order to claim any of these exemptions (no car available, no supervisor available, or limited access to a road network) you’ll need to fill out the Exemption from Learner Logbook Requirements Application, available online here. Make sure you answer all the details accurately and provide the necessary supporting statements, because the application fee — which is currently set at $42.90 — is non-refundable! 

If you are eligible for an exemption, you’ll need to hold on to your learner licence for at least two years, instead of the usual one year. 

That’ll give you plenty of time to book in affordable driving lessons with our experienced and friendly instructors in Brisbane, so when the time comes, you can pass your practical driving test with ease! 

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