Roads
Have they driven beyond the same local streets and familiar route?
AUSTRALIAN LEARNER HOURS GUIDE
How many learner driver hours
do you need?
There is no single Australian answer. Supervised driving requirements vary by state or territory and, in several jurisdictions, by the learner’s age. Here is a quick comparison using current government guidance.
Australian guide · Reviewed 17 September 2026
QUICK COMPARISON
Supervised hours across Australia.
These are headline requirements for a standard car learner pathway. Exemptions, credits and special circumstances can apply, so use the official links to check your exact situation.
NSW
Under 25: 120 supervised hours, including 20 hours at night. Learners 25+ do not have to log driving hours.
Victoria
Under 21: 120 hours of driving experience, including 20 hours at night, before the driving test.
Queensland
Under 25: 100 supervised hours, including 10 night hours. Learners 25+ do not have to complete a logbook.
ACT
Licence issued before 25: 100 supervised hours including 10 at night. 25+: 50 hours including 5 at night.
Tasmania
80 hours in the learner logbook, including 15 hours at night, on the standard current pathway.
South Australia
75 hours of supervised driving experience, including 15 hours at night, over at least 12 months.
Western Australia
Under 25: 50 supervised hours, including 5 hours at night. Learners 25+ do not have to log hours before the driving test.
Northern Territory
The NT Learner Drivers’ Guide states there is no minimum number of supervised driving hours required before attempting the driving test, although extensive varied practice is encouraged.
Rules can change, and credits or exemptions may alter an individual learner’s requirement. Always confirm your current requirement with the relevant state or territory transport authority.
The number matters.
The variety matters too.
Minimum hours are part of the licensing system in most Australian jurisdictions, but government guidance repeatedly encourages learners to build experience in a range of traffic, roads, times and weather conditions.
NSW tells learners to practise on different types of roads, at different times of day and in different traffic levels. Queensland and Western Australia likewise emphasise broad experience rather than treating the minimum as the finish line.
That is the gap Waylo is designed to help families see.
BEYOND THE TOTAL
120 hours can still be 120 similar hours.
A logbook tells you how much supervised driving has been completed. It does not necessarily tell you how broad that experience has been.
Conditions
Have they experienced night, rain, glare, dusk or other changing conditions when appropriate?
Traffic
Have they gradually experienced different traffic levels rather than only quiet roads?
Situations
Have they encountered unfamiliar intersections, merging, parking and varied everyday situations?
Track the hours officially.
Track the experience with Waylo.
Waylo does not replace an official learner logbook. It gives learners and families a clearer picture of the breadth of real-world experience being built between professional driving lessons.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Learner driving hours FAQs.
Do all Australian learner drivers need 120 hours?
No. Requirements vary significantly. NSW and Victoria use 120-hour requirements for specified younger learners, while Queensland requires 100, South Australia 75, Western Australia 50 for under-25s, and the Northern Territory does not prescribe a minimum number of supervised hours in its learner guide.
Do professional driving lessons count towards learner hours?
Rules differ by jurisdiction. Some states provide bonus or credited hours for eligible professional lessons or approved courses. Check the official rules linked above for the state or territory that issued the learner licence.
Does Waylo count as an official learner logbook?
No. Waylo tracks breadth of driving experience rather than replacing the official logbook or licensing record required by your state or territory.