When you pass your Queensland driving test, you move onto a provisional licence. If you're under 25 you get a P1 licence with red P plates. If you're 25 or older you get a P2 licence with green P plates. Both come with rules that are stricter than an open licence, designed to keep new drivers safe in their first years alone on the road.
P1 rules
On a P1 licence you must:
- Display red P plates. Not displaying P plates carries a fine and 2 demerit points.
- Keep to a zero alcohol limit.
- Not use a mobile phone at all while driving, including hands-free, if you're under 25. Drivers 25 and over may use a hands-free phone.
- Not drive a high-powered vehicle. If you passed your test in a high-powered car, you can't drive it away from the test centre.
- Between 11 pm and 5 am, not carry more than one passenger under 21 who isn't an immediate family member.
- Only drive the class of vehicle your licence covers.
You hold your P1 licence for at least 1 year before moving up to a P2.
P2 rules
On a P2 licence you display green P plates. The late-night passenger restriction no longer applies, and you can use a hands-free mobile phone. Some rules stay in place, including:
- No high-powered vehicles
- No driving while affected by drugs
- You can't supervise a learner driver
- Building up 4 or more demerit points in a year has consequences for your licence
When do you get your open licence?
How long you stay on your P2 depends on how old you were when you got your provisional licence. The Queensland Government's driver licence progression page sets out the exact hold periods for your age. Until your upgrade is processed and you receive your receipt or new card, keep following your current licence rules.
Your first months on P plates
Passing the test is a big moment, and the first months driving alone are when good habits matter most. A few tips:
- Keep your phone out of reach, on silent or in the glovebox.
- Build up to long trips, night driving and bad weather gradually.
- Give yourself extra following distance. It buys you time to react.
- If something felt uncomfortable on a drive, practise it on purpose.
A refresher when you need it
Easy L offers refresher lessons for licence holders as well as learners. If you've just got your Ps and want more confidence on highways, at night or in a new car, our female instructors can help. We're a women-only driving school covering southside Brisbane and Logan. Call 0433 190 838 to book.
