Traffic & Criminal•Traffic Offences

Licence types and restrictions (Complete Guide 2023)

Published on 27 July 2022

Last updated on 14 March 2024

Contents hide

1. What licence types are there?

2. Learner Licence – Restrictions, related demerit points and fines

3. P1 Licence – Restrictions, related demerit points and fines

4. P2 Licence – Restrictions, related demerit points and fines

5. Open Licence – Restrictions, related demerit points and fines

6. Probationary and restricted licences – Restrictions, related demerit points and fines

7. Conclusion

There are so many different licence types, and each licence type has its own restrictions. We have drafted this guide to inform you on licence types, specific licence type restrictions, and some related information on demerit points and fines. We will explore important details such as demerit point limits for each licence type, whether your licence allows you to drive high-powered vehicle, drive with passengers or drive at night.

4 Licence Types in Queensland - Restrictions and related demerit points and fines

1. What licence types are there?

There are generally 4 Licence types, namely

Learner Licence (Type Code L)
Provisional 1 or 2 licence (Type Code P1 or P2)
Open licence (Type Code O)
Probationary and restricted licences (Type Code P)

2. Learner Licence – Restrictions, related demerit points and fines

Restrictions

You must:

drive with a supervisor who must have a valid open licence
display L plates on front and rear of the car
comply with the no alcohol limit
not be affected by drugs
carry your licence at all times when you are driving

Demerit Points and Fines

You are only allocated 4 demerit points within a 1-year period.

If you exceed your limit, your licence will be suspended. If you are caught driving on a suspended licence, you’ll be charged with unlicenced driving and need to appear in court. For more information, please click here.

Some offences specifically for leaner licence holders:

Driving without appropriately licensed supervisor: 4 demerit points and $230 fine
Failing to display L plates legible at front and rear of vehicle: 2 demerit points and $230 fine

3. P1 Licence – Restrictions, related demerit points and fines

Restrictions

You must:

must display red P plates on front and rear of the car
must obey the zero-alcohol limit
not be affected by drugs
not use a mobile phone, also your passengers can’t use the loudspeaker function on their mobile phones
not drive a high-powered (performance) vehicle
not drive with more than 1 passenger under 21 who is not an immediate family member between 11pm and 5am
not supervise a learner driver
carry your licence at all times when you are driving

If you are over 25 years of age, you may use a mobile phone hands-free.

Demerit Points and Fines

You are only allocated 4 demerit points within a 1-year period

If you exceed your limit, you will have to choose between a suspension or a good driving behaviour period. For more information, please click here.

Some offences specifically for P1 licence holders:

P1 licence holder failing to display red P plates clearly legible from front and rear of car: 2 demerit points and $230 fine
P1 licence holder driving between 11pm and 5am carrying more than 1 passenger under 21 who is not an immediate family member: 3 demerit points and $431 fine
P1 licence holder driving high-powered vehicle when not holding, or not driving in accordance with, certificate of exemption: 3 demerit points and $431 fine

4. P2 Licence – Restrictions, related demerit points and fines

Restrictions

You must:

must display display green P plates on front and rear of the car

must obey the zero-alcohol limit
not be affected by drugs
not use a mobile phone, also your passengers can’t use the loudspeaker function on their mobile phones
not drive a high-powered (performance) vehicle
not supervise a learner driver
carry your licence at all times when you are driving

On a P2 licence, you no longer have passenger restrictions, and you can use a hands-free mobile phone.

Demerit points and fines

You are only allocated 4 demerit points within a 1-year period

If you exceed your limit, you will have to choose between a suspension or a good driving behaviour period. For more information, please click here.

Some offences specifically for P2 licence holders:

P2 licence holder failing to display green P plates clearly legible from front and rear of car : 2 demerit points and $230
P2 licence holder driving high-powered vehicle when not holding, or not driving in accordance with, certificate of exemption: 3 demerit points and $431 fine

5. Open Licence – Restrictions, related demerit points and fines

Restrictions

You must:

only drive the vehicles allowed on your licence class unless you are learning to drive a higher vehicle class, such as a truck
carry your licence with you, but you are allowed 48 hours to produce your licence to a police station if you failed to show it to a police officer when requested
not be affected by drugs

obey the general alcohol limit (below 0.05)

Demerit points and fines

You are allocated 12 demerit points within a 3-year period. You may receive a warning letter when you get 7 or more demerit points in a 3-year period.

If you exceed your limit, you will have to choose between a suspension or a good driving behaviour period. For more information, please click here.

6. Probationary and restricted licences – Restrictions, related demerit points and fines

Restrictions

Probationary Licence

If you were disqualified from holding a driver licence by a court and have completed the period of disqualification, you can be issued with a probationary licence.

You must:

hold the probationary licence for at least 1 year
carry your licence at all times when driving
comply with the no alcohol limit
not be affected by drugs
If you were 25 at the time of the offense, you must not drive between the hours of 11pm and 5 am.

Restricted Licence

When convicted with driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you may apply to the court for a restricted licence (work licence).

For more information on a restricted licence (work licence), please click here.

Demerit Points and Fines

When you are on a Probationary Licence, you are only allocated 4 demerit points within a 1-year period

If you exceed your limit, you will have to choose between a suspension or a good driving behaviour period. For more information, please click here.

7. Conclusion

There are a total of 4 different licence types. Each licence type has its own restrictions. If you are driving in Queensland, it is absolutely vital for you to be familiar with these restrictions and how they apply to you. As not knowing these restrictions might lead to an infringement. Every infringement is costly in both money and demerit points. If you have run out of demerit points or facing any traffic infringements that require legal assistance, please contact our experienced Traffic Lawyers now.

If you wondered how to transfer your overseas drivers licence to a Queensland drivers licence, we have written a complete guide.

Disclaimer: Ascent Lawyers owns all copyright in the text. This article is of a general nature and should not be regarded as legal advice or relied on for assistance in any particular circumstance or emergency situation. To obtain legal advice in relation to your own circumstances, please contact us for consultation.