How to get your Victorian learner permit is one of the first questions every new driver in Victoria asks — and it's worth getting right from the start. At Lessons2Drive, we help learners understand not just the permit process, but what comes after it. Our founder is an ex-VicRoads Licence Testing Officer who conducted over 1,800 official drive tests, and every lesson we teach is built around what VicRoads actually assesses when the time comes to sit your test.
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Written by
Chamitha Lokuwithana — Ex-VicRoads Licence Testing Officer
1,800+ official drive tests conducted · Founder, Lessons2Drive
Whether you're a teenager counting down to your 16th birthday or a parent trying to figure out what happens next — this guide covers every step of the Victorian learner permit process clearly and completely. And because our founder spent years on the other side of the clipboard, we've added what most guides leave out: what the permit period is actually preparing you for.
Before You Start — Eligibility Requirements
Minimum Age
16
You must be at least 16 years old to apply for a Victorian Learner Permit
You Can Start LPT At
15yr 9m
You can begin the online Learner Permit Test 3 months before your 16th birthday
Victorian Residency
Required
You must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or hold an eligible visa
No Existing Licence
Required
You must not currently hold a driver licence in Victoria or anywhere else
The Complete Step-by-Step Process
1
Create a myVicRoads Account
Do this first — everything else requires it
Before you do anything else, you need to create a free account at vicroads.vic.gov.au. This is your central hub for the entire process — booking the LPT, accessing study materials, booking the HPT, scheduling your permit appointment, and eventually booking your drive test.
Tip: Use an email address you check regularly — all VicRoads communications, booking confirmations, and test results go to this address. Don't use a school email that might expire.
2
Complete the Learner Permit Test Online (LPT)
4–6 hours · Can start at 15 years 9 months
The LPT is a comprehensive online course that covers Victorian road rules, safe driving habits, and hazard awareness. It takes approximately 4–6 hours to complete and must be finished within 12 months of starting. You access it through your myVicRoads account.
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Covers road rules, traffic signs, and Victorian-specific laws
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Includes video scenarios and interactive questions
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Can be completed in multiple sessions — you don't have to do it all at once
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No pass/fail — you must complete all modules to proceed
Don't skip this. The LPT content directly relates to what the VicRoads drive test assesses. Students who treat the LPT as a box to tick and don't engage with the content often arrive at the drive test without understanding why certain road rules exist — and that matters in the assessment.
3
Pass the Hazard Perception Test (HPT)
At a VicRoads Customer Service Centre · Minimum pass mark required
After completing the LPT, you must pass the Hazard Perception Test at a VicRoads Customer Service Centre. The HPT shows video clips of real road situations and assesses how early and accurately you identify developing hazards. You must achieve a minimum pass mark to proceed.
Important: If you fail the HPT, you must wait before you can attempt it again. Don't go in under-prepared. Practice using the free HPT practice tests on the VicRoads website before booking.
LTO insight: Hazard perception is not just a test requirement — it's one of the most important skills a driver can have on Australian roads. From our drive test experience, students with good hazard awareness make smoother, safer decisions throughout the entire test. Building this skill early in the permit period pays dividends.
4
Attend Your VicRoads Appointment — Collect Your Permit
In person · Must bring specific documents
Once you've passed the HPT, book an appointment at a VicRoads Customer Service Centre to receive your learner permit. You must bring the correct identity and residency documents — missing even one can delay the process.
What to Bring to Your VicRoads Appointment
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Proof of identity — Australian birth certificate, passport, or ImmiCard
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Proof of Victorian residency — utility bill, bank statement, or school enrolment letter showing your Victorian address
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Medicare card or another secondary ID — VicRoads uses a points system; bring as many documents as possible
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Payment for the permit fee — check current fees on vicroads.vic.gov.au before attending
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Eyesight check — VicRoads will conduct a simple eyesight test at the centre. Bring glasses or contact lenses if you wear them
You'll have your photo taken at the centre. Your learner permit will either be issued on the spot or mailed to you depending on the centre. Once issued, you can legally begin supervised driving immediately.
⚡ From the Examiner's Side
"The permit period is not just about clocking 120 hours. It's about building habits that become automatic. The students who came to their drive test having driven with intention — understanding why they check mirrors, why they signal early, why they position correctly — consistently performed better than students with more hours but less understanding. The permit period is your window to build the right habits before the test reveals whether you have them."
— Chamitha Lokuwithana, Ex-VicRoads Licence Testing Officer · Founder, Lessons2Drive
Your Logbook — 120 Hours of Supervised Driving
Once you have your learner permit, you must complete a minimum of 120 hours of supervised driving — including at least 20 hours at night — before you can book your practical drive test. These hours must be recorded in your logbook or through the myLearners app.
Download the free official VicRoads myLearners App to log your hours:
Both the learner and supervising driver need a free myVicRoads account to start logging. Each drive is recorded with date, time, duration, weather, road conditions, and supervisor details.
Your 120 Hours — What Counts and What Doesn't
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All supervised driving counts — with a parent, relative, or professional instructor
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Professional lessons count — and in some states can count as 3x logbook hours per hour (check current VicRoads rules)
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Night hours must be logged separately — minimum 20 hours between sunset and sunrise
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Driving without a supervising driver does not count — and is illegal on a learner permit
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Your supervising driver must hold a full (not provisional) Victorian driver licence and be seated next to you at all times
How to Use Your Permit Period Properly
120 hours is a lot of time. The question is how you use it. Here's a framework based on what we've seen from 1,800+ drive tests — what separates students who are ready when they book their test from those who aren't.
Hours 0–20
Build the foundations
Focus on local streets at 50 km/h. Build the mirror–signal–head check sequence until it's completely automatic. Master basic intersections, simple roundabouts, and left/right turns. Book your first professional lesson early — a qualified instructor identifies bad habits before they become ingrained. Building correct habits in the first 20 hours is far easier than unlearning them in the final 20.
Hours 20–60
Expand conditions and environments
Introduce busier roads, multi-lane driving, and 60 km/h zones. Begin parking practice — reverse parallel park and angle park. Start accumulating night hours from this stage — don't leave all 20 hours to the end. Drive in rain, at peak hour, and in unfamiliar areas to build adaptability.
Hours 60–100
Build higher-speed confidence
Stage 2 of the drive test uses 60–80 km/h roads with medium to heavy traffic. Introduce freeway, dual carriageway, and arterial road driving. Focus on lane changes, merging, and maintaining appropriate following distances at higher speeds. Continue professional lessons to check your assessment-readiness against the actual criteria.
Hours 100–120
Test preparation
Book a mock drive test with a professional instructor using the VicRoads marking criteria. This is the single most effective preparation step — it replicates the test environment and identifies any remaining gaps. Complete your night hours. Drive through the area near your intended VicRoads test centre to build familiarity with the roads you'll be assessed on.
When You're Ready — Booking the Drive Test
Once your logbook shows 120 hours (with at least 20 at night), you can book your practical drive test through your myVicRoads account. You can use your own car or book a drive test package with Lessons2Drive — which includes a pre-test warm-up lesson, use of our dual-control vehicle, and our instructor accompanying you to the test centre.
VicRoads Drive Test Centres Covered by Lessons2Drive:
Werribee
Deer Park
Melton
Sunbury
Bundoora
Coolaroo
For Parents and Supervising Drivers
Your Role in the 120 Hours Is More Important Than You Think
As a supervising driver, you're not just filling logbook hours — you're either reinforcing good habits or building bad ones. If you've been driving for 20 years, some of your own habits may not align with what VicRoads now assesses.
The most effective thing you can do: attend the first professional lesson and watch. You'll see exactly how your learner is being taught, what language the instructor uses, and what the assessment criteria actually requires. Then you can reinforce the same approach at home.
✓ Stay calm — your emotional state transfers directly to the learner
✓ Give instructions early and clearly — "turn left at the next street" not "turn left NOW"
✓ Let them make small mistakes in safe situations — recovery is part of learning
✓ Don't override the professional instructor's teaching — if they do something differently, ask why
Why Your First Professional Lesson Matters More Than Most Permit Holders Realise
The first professional lesson sets the foundation for everything that follows. A qualified instructor who understands the VicRoads assessment criteria will identify any issues from day one — before they become habits that take far longer to fix later.
Without Early Professional Instruction
Bad habits form quietly over 30–50 hours of supervised practice. By the time you arrive at lessons, the instructor is spending time unlearning rather than building.
With Early Professional Instruction
Every hour of supervised driving after the lesson reinforces the correct habits. The 120 hours compounds the right techniques instead of the wrong ones.
Quick Reference — Victorian Learner Permit at a Glance
| Item |
Requirement |
| Minimum age to apply |
16 years old |
| When you can start LPT |
15 years 9 months |
| Supervised hours required |
120 hours minimum |
| Night hours required |
20 hours minimum (between sunset and sunrise) |
| Permit validity |
10 years from issue date |
| Speed limit on permit |
Maximum 100 km/h (lower of posted limit or 100) |
| Blood alcohol limit |
Zero — no alcohol permitted at all |
| Mobile phone use |
Zero — completely prohibited on a learner permit |
| Supervising driver requirement |
Full Victorian licence (not provisional), seated next to learner at all times |
Start your permit period the right way
Learn from the People Who Used to Test You
Your first professional lesson with Lessons2Drive sets the foundation for everything that follows. Book early — the habits you build in the first 20 hours are the habits you'll carry into the test.
✓ 304 five-star Google reviews
✓ Founded by ex-VicRoads LTO
✓ 1,800+ official tests conducted
📞 0400 008 706
✉ Info@Lessons2Drive.com.au
