Probationary licence

The probationary kit

Congratulations on getting your P plates! This page will provide you with important information and helpful tips to guide you on your driving journey.

If you finish your four years on P plates (3 years if you’re over 21) with no traffic-related offences, you will be rewarded for your safe driving by being offered a free three-year driver’s licence.

The rules and restrictions outlined on this page — they are your obligations as a probationary driver. If you don’t follow all probationary rules and restrictions you may get a fine, lose demerit points or have your vehicle impounded.

View more on road rules and safety.

Displaying your P plates

You must display P plates with a probationary licence.

Don’t make your own P plates - you can buy them from a VicRoads Customer Service Centre or other retail outlets.

Attach your P plates to your front and back windscreens. Your plates must be visible from at least 20 metres away, on the front and back of your vehicle.

If you don’t do this, you could be fined.

You should use P plates that attach to external parts of your car (other than your front and back windscreens) if:

your windows are so tinted it’s hard to see the plate
you’re worried you might damage the demister lines on your back windscreen.

Probationary licence restrictions

P1 licence - red P plate

You must:

carry a driver licence when driving.
show red P plates that can be seen from at least 20 metres away, on the front and back of your vehicle unless you’re:
- a member of the police force driving a vehicle for work
- a member of the Country Fire Authority (CFA) driving a vehicle for fire fighting operations
- driving an ambulance service or a Victorian State Emergency Service (SES) vehicle for work.
have a zero blood alcohol concentration (BAC)
drive an automatic vehicle if you were tested in one (you will have an A condition on your licence). If you want to remove the A condition and drive a manual transmission vehicle while on your P’s, you will have to be re-tested in a manual vehicle. Visit licence conditions and refer to the A - Automatic transmission section for more information.

You can’t:

drive with more than one passenger aged between 16 and under 22 years of age (this is the peer passenger restriction). A 'peer passenger' is someone who’s at least 16 but less than 22 years old, but doesn’t include:
- your spouse or domestic partner
- your sibling or step-sibling. (You won’t need to get an exemption if you’re a P1 driver carrying the above listed people).
touch and operate any portable devices in any way while driving, including for phone calls and navigation. See details in the learner and probationary drivers distracted drivers road rules fact sheet (PDF). Rules for probationary drivers are different to the rules for fully licensed drivers. You can download a summary of the changes in the distracted driver road rules 2023 (PDF) or see rules for using portable, wearable, mounted and inbuilt devices to learn more.
tow another vehicle or trailer unless:
- in the course of your employment as requested by your employer
- it’s solely used for agriculture, horticulture, dairy, pastoral, commercial fishing or similar
- there’s a full licence driver sitting beside you
drive a probationary prohibited vehicle unless you’re:
- a member of the police force driving a vehicle for work
- driving the vehicle for work as requested by your employer
- driving for your business or to and from the work place of that business, and there’s an active Australian Business Number (ABN)
- learning to drive a heavy vehicle with a person who holds a full licence sitting beside you
- granted an exemption from this restriction by VicRoads.

P2 licence - green P plate

You must:

carry your P2 licence when driving
show green P plates that can be seen from at least 20 metres away, on the front and back of your vehicle unless you’re:
- a member of the police force driving a vehicle for work
- a member of the Country Fire Authority (CFA) driving a vehicle for fire fighting operations
- driving an ambulance service or a Victorian State Emergency Service (SES) vehicle for work
have a zero blood alcohol concentration (BAC)
drive an automatic vehicle if you were tested in one (you will have an A condition on your licence). If you want to remove the A condition and drive a manual transmission vehicle while on your P’s, you will have to be re-tested in a manual vehicle. Visit licence conditions and refer to the A - Automatic transmission section for more information.

You can’t:

touch or operate portable devices in any way while driving, including for phone calls and navigation. See details in the learner and probationary drivers distracted drivers road rules fact sheet (PDF). Rules for probationary drivers are different to the rules for fully licensed drivers. You can download a summary of the changes in the distracted driver road rules 2023 (PDF) or see rules for using portable, wearable, mounted and inbuilt devices to learn more.
drive a probationary prohibited vehicle unless you’re:
- a member of the police force driving a vehicle for work
- driving the vehicle for work as requested by your employer
- driving for your business or to and from the work place of that business, and there’s an active Australian Business Number (ABN)
- learning to drive a heavy vehicle with a person who holds a full licence sitting beside you
- granted an exemption from this restriction by VicRoads.

Interstate drivers

If you’re an interstate driver in Victoria, conditions on your driver’s licence still apply. This includes probationary conditions.

Useful resources

View more on:

Using mobile phones and devices while driving
Alcohol, drugs and driving
The rules for probationary drivers are published in Road Safety (Drivers) Regulations 2019.

Safe driving tips

P plate drivers are four times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash if they carry more than one passenger.

The risk is also high if a probationary driver is driving late at night (10pm to 6am). Many first year P plate drivers involved in fatal crashes are carrying two or more passengers.

These situations are more dangerous because:

peer passengers can be distracting to an inexperienced driver, and encourage risk taking behaviour
at night, drivers are often tired, and it's harder to see what's around you.

View more on driver handbooks and logbooks, including books for probationary drivers.

TAC Safer P platers website helps parents understand probationary driver risks. It gives parents a range of strategies to improve their child's driver safety behaviour.

Tip	More detail
Choose a safe car	Buy a car with safety features such as airbags and autonomous emergency braking.
Reduce distractions in the car	During your first year of driving, drive with no more than one friend as a passenger. Do not operate mobile devices (PDF) while driving.
Drive to the condition of the roads and speed limit	Always obey speed limit signs. Allow for heavy traffic, weather conditions, road works, curves and slippery roads, shops, parked cars and pedestrians.
Always wear a seat belt	Drivers are responsible for ensuring that each passenger wears a seatbelt and / or uses a suitable child restraint or booster seat.
Drive with a supervisor at night	P plate drivers are much more likely to be involved in a crash late at night (10pm-6am). If you can, drive with a supervisor, especially when you first get your P plates. Avoid driving during the time you would normally be asleep or if you haven't slept in the last 18 hours.
Do not drive after drinking or taking drugs	P plate drivers must have a zero blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and can't have illegal drugs in their system. Read more about alcohol, drugs and driving.
Don't drive, or don't drive unsupervised, in high-risk situations	Get a lift with a more experienced driver, such as a fully licensed driver or someone who has been driving on Ps for at least a year. Ask parents for supervision when driving at night. (Driving supervision can still be helpful to develop skills for probationary drivers!). Share a taxi with friends. Stay the night if safe and drive home in the morning. Use public transport with friends, including night rider buses, where available.