Provisional P1 licence

The provisional P1 licence (or red Ps) is the next step after your learner licence.

The P1 licence is the first licence allowing you to drive without a supervisor.

To apply for your red Ps, you must first:

• pass the Hazard Perception Test (HPT)
• pass the driving test.

If you're under 25 – you must also have held your learner licence for at least 12 months and recorded 120 hours of driving time.

If you're 25 or over – you can attempt the HPT and driving test when you're ready. You do not need to complete a log book.

To progress from a learner driver licence to a P1 licence, you need to pass the HPT.

You should book your HPT when you're close to being ready for the driving test.

If you're under 25, this can be at any point after you've held your learner licence for 10 months.

If you're 25 and over, you can attempt the HPT and driving test as soon as you're ready. You do not need to complete a learner driver log book.

Book a Hazard Perception Test

You'll need to pay the test fee when you make your booking.

You can take the test as many times as you need, but you must pay the test fee each time.

When you meet the conditions to apply, you can take the driving test.

Booking the driving test

When you feel ready to book your test, you need to:

• submit the information in your log book app to Transport for NSW (if you used an app to log your driving practice)
• prove your identity
• pass an eyesight test
• pay the licence and test fees – you may be eligible for a concession.

If you fail the driving test, you must wait at least 7 days before you attempt the test again.

After you pass

After you pass the driving test, an attendant at the testing centre will take your photo for your licence card.

We'll post your licence to you if it's not given to you on the day. In this case, you'll receive a temporary paper licence, which you can use until your new licence card arrives.

You can also choose to get a digital licence.

Drivers on their red Ps must obey the NSW Road Rules. There are some other conditions and restrictions that apply as well.

When on your red Ps, you must:

• only drive cars
• display red P plates clearly on the front and back of the car, on the outside
• only tow trailers up to 250 kilograms of unloaded weight, and you must display your red Ps on the back of the trailer
• ensure everyone in the car is in a seat with a seatbelt or approved restraint – each person must use a seatbelt or restraint
• only drive solo in the kind of car you took your driving test in. If you drove an automatic transmission or clutchless manual car in your test, that is the only type of car you may drive on your Ps unsupervised.

You must not:

• drive above the speed limit of 90 km/h
• have any alcohol in your system when driving
• supervise a learner driver
• drive a high-performance vehicle
• use any mobile phone while driving, or while your vehicle is stopped but not parked. This includes hands-free devices or loud speakers.

You must comply with these requirements when you are driving outside NSW. You should also find out about any driving laws that may apply to you while in another jurisdiction.

There are special conditions that apply when P1 drivers carry passengers.

The peer passenger condition

If you're under 25 and are on your red Ps, you must not drive with more than one passenger who is under 21 between 11pm and 5am.

You may apply for an exemption at a service centre. Complete the P1/P2 passenger or vehicle exemption form (PDF, 361.04 KB) (PDF 342.42KB) and pay the application fee.

An exemption from the peer passenger condition may be granted if:

• your employment requires you to transport passengers between 11pm and 5am
• you can demonstrate that you need to drive family members between 11pm and 5am
• you volunteer in community service work where you transport passengers between 11pm and 5am.

You must notify Transport for NSW within 14 days if the circumstances that affect your exemption have changed. This may include you no longer requiring the exemption, or if your exemption letter needs to be replaced. A further fee may apply.