Using your Learner Driver Log Book

If you're under the age of 25, you will need to complete 120 hours of supervised driving with a supervisor or licensed driving instructor.

There are two ways you can record your hours:

• the paper log book – given to you when you get your learner licence, or
• the official Roundtrip log book app accepted by Transport for NSW and Service NSW.

Paper log book

You'll be given a log book when you are issued your learner licence. You will need to bring your completed log book with you when you take the Driving Test.

If you choose to use a paper log book, make sure you take care of it. If you lose your learner log book you'll lose your driving record.

You can get a replacement log book at a service centre after paying the $18 replacement fee.

Log book app

Using the digital log book is an easy way to log your hours and achieve your driving goals. It also means you won't have to worry about losing your log book. Once you've finished recording your hours, you can submit your log book to Service NSW through the app.

From 29 June 2024, Roundtrip will be the only official app which will be accepted by Transport for NSW. Existing learner drivers using Licence Ready or previously using the L2P app please refer to the information below regarding changes.

Roundtrip learner driver log book app

The Roundtrip digital log book provides learner drivers with an easy and convenient way of logging their hours.

If you are a new learner driver, download and use the Roundtrip learner log book app to log your learner driver hours.

New users can download the latest version for Apple iOS and Android phones.

Licence Ready learner driver log book App

Licence Ready ceased to be accepted by Transport for NSW as an official app for submitting learner log book hours on 29 June 2024.

If you were previously using Licence Ready before 29 June 2024, you will need to transfer your hours using one of the following two options:

1. Transfer and submit your hours via the official Roundtrip App, or 
2. Transfer and record your hours via a paper logbook available from Service NSW.

Submitting your hours via the official Roundtrip App:

1. Download the Roundtrip app and accept the Terms and Conditions to consent to Transport for NSW to transfer your hours to Roundtrip. Make sure you have the latest version of the app, v1.13.1 (Android) or v1.22.0 (iOS) or later
2. Completed hours logged in Licence Ready up to and including the 28 June can be transferred to Roundtrip. Please note: It may take up to 2 weeks for data migrated from Licence Ready to appear in Roundtrip after 28 June
3. Commence logging your hours in Roundtrip from the time you download the app. Do not continue to log hours in Licence Ready if you have commenced in the new app.
4. From 29 June 2024 any hours logged in Licence Ready will not be accepted.

If you have booked a driving test after the 29 June, and your hours have not been transferred, please contact info@service.nsw.gov.au for assistance.

For further information please visit the Learner driving log book apps website.

If you are transferring to a paper logbook:

Visit a Service NSW Centre with the paper log book you were issued. If you no longer have a log book, the service centre will supply you with one at no extra cost.

The Service centre will transfer your completed hours to a paper logbook.

If you need more support contact 13 77 88 or visit a Service NSW Centre.

L2P learner log book

L2P ceased to be accepted by Transport for NSW as an official app for submitting learner log book hours on 29 February 2024.

If you have log book hours logged in the L2P app, your hours can be transferred into a paper log book by Service NSW.

To transfer your hours:

1. Visit a Service NSW Centre with the paper log book you were issued. If you no longer have the paper log book, the service centre will supply you with another one at no extra cost.
2. Present your device with the L2P app to show the hours logged in the app to the Service Centre Staff. The Service centre will transfer your completed hours to a paper logbook, OR
3. Bring a PDF export of your hours from the L2P app of your driving record. You may also need to provide evidence of completed learning goals and credited Safer Driver Course hours if applicable. OR
4. If you no longer have access to the app and do not have a PDF copy of your logged driving hours, simply visit a Service NSW centre to retrieve your driving hours.

The service centre will transfer your completed hours into the log book for you. You may then continue to add your hours in the paper log book.

For further information and support, please email info@service.nsw.gov.au 

How many hours you must log

• If you are under 25 – you must log at least 120 hours of supervised driving. This needs to include at least 20 hours of night driving (between sunset and sunrise). You need to complete these requirements before you can take a driving test, unless you are exempt. Completing the Safer Driver Course and 3 for 1 bonus hours can help you reach the 120 hours faster.
• If you are 25 or over – you don't have to log driving hours. However, you should still do lots of supervised driving to build your skills. You can still use a log book or log book app but do not need to submit it to Service NSW.

Why you need practical driving experience

Learner drivers who have more supervised, on-road driving practice lower their chances of being involved in crashes.

Getting supervised driving experience in a range of conditions is important.

It's often not until the later stages of supervised driving that more challenging driving situations, including driving at night, are introduced.

Practice driving planner

The Practice drives weekly planner (PDF 83.5KB) is available to supervisors and learner drivers to help plan on-road driving practice.

Remember:

• Plan to practice on different types of roads with different levels of traffic
• Ensure the learner driver is driving at different times of the day
• Make sure you plan some night drives.

You do not have to complete a Learner Driver Log Book if you:

• are 25 or over
• previously held a NSW or interstate driver licence (other than a learner licence)
• previously held an overseas licence (other than a learner licence)
• hold an overseas licence (other than a learner licence) and are issued with a learner licence after failing one driving test
• are specifically exempted by Transport for NSW.

Recognising interstate experience

If you’ve held a learner licence in another Australian state or territory, we'll recognise the hours you've logged in an interstate learner driver log book.

You will need to provide evidence of your driving hours when applying for a NSW learner licence.

When you have a structured lesson with a driving instructor, you may be able to record bonus driving time in your log book.

This initiative allows you to log multiple hours when a structured driving lesson is completed.

Important information:

• Driving with a licensed NSW driving instructor – you can record triple the time of your lesson in your log book. For example, if you have a 1-hour lesson, you can log 3 hours of driving practice.
• Applying bonus hours – a maximum of 10 hours with a driving instructor can be applied. This means that you can only log up to 20 bonus hours.
• Number of lessons you can have – there is no limit to how many lessons you can have with a driving instructor. There is only a limit on the number of bonus hours you can log for those lessons.
• Driving lessons at night – if you have a driving lesson at night, the bonus hours do not count towards your ‘night driving hours’ in your log book. They can only count as daytime driving hours.
• Lessons with an interstate instructor – the 3 for 1 bonus hours only apply when you drive with instructors who are licensed in NSW. If the instructor doesn’t hold a NSW instructor licence, you cannot log the extra driving time.

Lesson criteria

To be eligible for 3 for 1 bonus hours, each lesson with an instructor must aim to develop your skills according to the principles in your log book.

NSW Safer Drivers Course

An additional 20 hours of log book credit can be earned when you complete the NSW Safer Drivers Course.

The NSW Safer Drivers Course teaches people aged under 25 who have their learner licence to develop safe driving skills.

This course can help you understand speed management, gap selection, hazard awareness, safe following distances and how to keep driving safely when you get distracted.

The course has been designed for a learner to attend once, so the 20 hours of bonus log book credit will only be deducted once.

Logging your bonus hours

• Recording hours in a log book – If you use the paper log book, make sure you and the driving instructor record your bonus hours.
• Recording hours on a digital log book app – If you are using a digital log book app, the app will calculate the 3 for 1 bonus hours once you complete a driving lesson with a licensed driving instructor. You will need to enter the details of the instructor, as well as your lesson information.

You and your supervisor can face heavy penalties if you are found to have made false entries in your log book. These hours will be rejected. You may be fined for every false entry that you have made, and barred from attempting the driving test for up to 6 weeks.

Getting your 120 hours can be a long and sometimes difficult process. But these hours are set to ensure you have enough supervised driving experience before you start driving solo.

If you fail the practical driving test, you don't need to record any more log book hours. However, you should consider getting more driving practice to help you pass your next test.

You can book another driving test straight away, but you'll need to wait at least 7 days between your last test and the next.