The Cost of Getting Your Driving Licence in Every State [2026]

Getting your driver’s licence is a big milestone - one that opens the door to real independence and the freedom to go wherever you need to go. But what often catches people off guard is just how much the process can cost before you even get there.

To understand where in Australia it’s most affordable to get your full driver’s licence, we compared the cost and accessibility of the licensing journey across all states and territories. This includes licensing fees, testing requirements, and the average cost of driving lessons, along with local earnings to show how affordable the process is for young drivers.

Key Takeaways

• South Australia is the most expensive state to secure your driver's licence, with total licensing costs exceeding $1,300 when including driving lessons and multiple test stages.
• Victoria is the cheapest state for obtaining a driving licence, with the lowest overall fees and additional savings from safe driver incentives.
• The time required to obtain a full licence ranges from around 2.5 years in the NT and WA to up to 5 years in Victoria for younger drivers.
• When adjusted for income, South Australia remains the least affordable state, while the Northern Territory and Victoria are comparatively the most accessible for young drivers.

 

 

How much does it cost to get a licence in Australia?

 

 

Across Australia, the cost of moving from a learner licence to a full licence varies significantly, shaped by government fees, testing requirements, lesson costs, and, in some cases, safe driver incentives. Without lessons, Victoria is the cheapest state at $104.63, largely due to the Motorist Package, which removes most government fees.  Meanwhile, South Australia is the most expensive at $675.00, driven by higher testing and licence costs across the journey.

Once six driving lessons are included, the gap widens further. South Australia remains the most expensive overall at $1,356.49, making it the only state to pass the $1,000 mark. Victoria also retains its position as the cheapest, at $558.52, dropping to $527.19 once a safe driver discount is applied. While lessons represent the biggest single investment for most learners, they're also the part of the journey that makes the biggest difference. Professional lessons build genuine confidence behind the wheel, improve first-time pass rates, and help young drivers develop the habits that keep them safe long after they've got their licence.

Looking at each stage of the licensing journey also highlights how costs shift depending on the state. South Australia stands out at the practical driving test stage, with an average cost of $265.00, nearly three times the national average, largely because it’s the only state where private examiners set their own fees. Western Australia records the highest learner licence cost at $150.80. This is largely because the learner’s permit application fee includes one Practical Driving Assessment (PDA), while New South Wales has the most expensive provisional licence phase at $485. At the final stage, Queensland is the most expensive for a one-year full licence costing $91.55, while Victoria remains the cheapest at $31.33, well below half the cost of QLD.

Safe driver discounts add another layer of variation, but their impact is inconsistent across the country. Five states and territories offer some form of reward for maintaining a clean driving record, with Victoria and the ACT providing the most noticeable savings over time. However, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia offer no safe driver discount, meaning drivers in these states receive no financial incentive beyond avoiding fines or demerit points.

Cost of getting a manual vs an automatic licence

 

 

The licensing costs are the same whether you choose automatic or manual, but the difference comes through in the cost of driving lessons.

Across most of Australia, automatic lessons are only slightly cheaper than manual, with the gap staying under $80 in all states except one. In Queensland, there’s almost no difference at all, at just $6.84, while Victoria ($42.72) and Western Australia ($37.81) also show relatively small gaps.

New South Wales ($67.06) and the ACT ($77.15) see a slightly bigger premium for manual lessons, though still relatively modest in the context of total licensing costs.

South Australia is the clear outlier. Six manual lessons cost $688.24 more than automatic, more than double the price, making it by far the most expensive state for manual learners.

Where are driving lessons the most expensive in Australia?

 

 

As we’ve seen above, driving lesson prices vary quite a bit across Australia, and the differences between regions are just as important as state averages. Adelaide is the most expensive region nationally at $113.58 per hour, sitting well above the national average of $80.31. This points to fewer instructors and tighter availability - and when you add in the state's already high licensing fees, Adelaide learners face the steepest overall costs in the country.

New South Wales shows a notable pattern where regional areas are often more expensive than Sydney itself. Newcastle ($88.01), Shoalhaven ($87.76) and Coffs Harbour ($84.53) all sit above Sydney’s $77.55, which points to fewer instructors and less competition outside the capital. It means learners in regional NSW can actually face higher costs than those in the city.

At the more affordable end, Melbourne ($75.52) sits below most other major capitals, while Hobart ($73.52) and Bendigo ($71.58) are the cheapest regions overall. Queensland, meanwhile, is the most consistent state, with all major regions, including Brisbane, sitting tightly between $81 and $84 per hour, suggesting a more balanced and competitive market. Perth sits at $79.15, reflecting a similarly competitive market among major capitals.

Overall, the data shows lesson costs aren’t simply higher in cities or cheaper in regions. Instead, they’re shaped more by local supply and competition, which can sometimes leave regional learners paying more than their capital-city counterparts.

Where in Australia does it take the longest to get a licence?

 

 

We also looked at how long it takes to move through each stage of the licensing system, because the journey to a full licence isn’t just about cost, but time as well. Across most states, drivers can expect a fairly structured pathway, with a set period on a learner licence followed by multiple years on provisional licences, along with supervised driving requirements that can range from 75 to 120 hours depending on where you live.

Victoria has the longest overall pathway at a minimum of five years for drivers under 21, driven by its three-year P2 stage and 120 hours of supervised driving. At the other end of the scale, the Northern Territory has no mandated minimum supervised driving hours, as well as the shortest minimum pathway to a full licence, at two and a half years. However, this doesn’t take away from the value of structured practice, and many learners still choose to complete professional lessons to build confidence and safe driving habits before progressing.

Most other states, including NSW, Queensland, South Australia and the ACT, sit in the middle at around four years to reach a full licence.

How much does a driver’s licence cost compared to the average income in Australia?

 

 

Not everyone has parents who can cover the cost of driving lessons or licence fees, meaning for many young Australians this is an out-of-pocket expense. That makes it important to look at licensing costs not just in dollar terms, but as a share of what young people actually earn.

When comparing total costs (including six driving lessons) against median earnings before tax for 20–24 year olds, South Australia is the most expensive relative to income. The total cost accounts for 2.61% of annual earnings, or around 1.36 weeks of pay. Queensland and New South Wales also sit towards the higher end at around 1.9% and 1.8% of income. 

At the other end of the scale, the Northern Territory is the most affordable at just 1.12% of annual earnings, followed by Victoria at 1.19%. Tasmania sits mid-range at 1.33%, showing a fairly steady step-up across most states once income is taken into account.

Overall, the picture changes slightly when affordability is measured against earnings. States with similar headline costs can feel very different depending on local wages, shaping how accessible the licensing journey really is for young drivers.

How has the cost of learning to drive changed?

 

 

To understand how the cost of getting a licence is shifting over time, we compared this year’s figures with our previous ones from 2024. It helps show whether changes are isolated or part of a broader upward trend in the cost of learning to drive across Australia.

Overall, costs have increased in most states. South Australia remains the most expensive and recorded the largest dollar increase, rising from $1,301.68 to $1,356.49. Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania and the ACT also saw steady increases, with the ACT posting the biggest proportional rise at 5.3%, driven mainly by higher testing and licence fees.

New South Wales saw a smaller increase of 2.8%, while Victoria was the only state to record a slight decrease, falling by $10.57, remaining the cheapest state overall.

Taken together, the data suggests a gradual upward drift in licensing costs across most of the country, largely driven by incremental fee rises and higher lesson costs, rather than any major structural changes.

Ross Rivalland, Sales Manager at EzLicence, comments:

“When you look at the full picture, it becomes clear that the cost of getting a licence in Australia is driven far more by driving lessons than by government fees alone, with lessons making up the biggest share of the total expense in most states. As more learners are responsible for covering these costs themselves, the financial pressure can add up quickly.

While lessons are a significant part of the upfront investment, they remain one of the most valuable parts of the learning journey. They not only help build confidence behind the wheel, but can also reduce longer-term costs by improving the likelihood of passing first time and lowering the risk of accidents or costly retests.

In a system where both time and money vary significantly depending on where you live, investing in proper instruction can make the overall journey more efficient and, in many cases, more cost-effective.”

About the Data

Pricing & Methodology: All prices are in Australian dollars (AUD) and include GST where applicable. Costs reflect the cheapest available option at each stage, for example, online tests in Victoria are free, while in-person alternatives may incur additional fees. All prices assume a first-time pass at each test and are correct as of April 2026. Prices are modelled for drivers under 25 years old, beginning their licensing journey at the minimum eligible age in each state.

Where states require both a hazard perception test and a practical driving test to obtain a P1 licence, these costs are combined into a single P1 testing figure. Logbook costs are excluded as free digital alternatives are available in all states.

Driving Lesson Costs: Lesson costs reflect the average price per hour of driving lessons booked through the EzLicence platform between January 2025 and February 2026. As EzLicence does not operate in the Northern Territory, NT lesson costs are based on a sampled average of driving schools, weighted to reflect the dominance of automatic transmission vehicles in the territory.

Income Comparison: To contextualise costs, total licence and lesson fees are expressed as a percentage of annualised gross median weekly earnings for 20 to 24 year olds, sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Employee Earnings publication (2025). This age bracket was selected as the most representative proxy for drivers completing the full licensing journey. All earnings figures are before tax — the real proportion of take-home pay represented by these costs will be higher.

Safe Driver Discounts: Five states and territories offer discounts for drivers who maintain a clean record throughout their provisional period. Where a discount applies to a licence term longer than one year, the saving has been capped at the equivalent 1-year licence fee for consistency across states. Discounts that apply only at subsequent renewal cycles — such as Victoria's Safe Driver Discount and WA's Stage 2 reward — fall outside the scope of this analysis.

State-Specific Notes

New South Wales & Queensland — No safe driver discount scheme is available at the time of obtaining a full licence.

Victoria — Learner permit, online knowledge test, online hazard perception test, and probationary licence fees are all waived under the Victorian Government's Motorist Package. As Victoria does not offer a 1-year full licence, a per-year equivalent of $31.33 (one-third of the 3-year fee of $94.00) is used for comparability. Drivers under 25 who complete their full 4-year probationary period without any traffic-related offences receive a free 3-year full licence under the Free Licence Scheme.

Western Australia — The learner licence fee includes one Practical Driving Assessment. As no 2-year provisional licence option exists to cover the full 2-year provisional period, two separate 1-year licences are required. Graduation to a full licence is automatic with no additional fee. Drivers who incur no traffic offences during their provisional period receive a free first-year full licence renewal under WA's Stage 1 Safe Driver Reward.

South Australia — The P1 practical driving test may be completed as either a Vehicle on Road Test (VORT) or a Competency Based Training and Assessment (CBT&A). The VORT price used reflects the average examination-only fee across a sample of driving schools, using the candidate's own vehicle and excluding any warm-up lesson. SA has no safe driver discount scheme.

Northern Territory — The $110 DriveSafe NT enrolment fee covers the theory test, learner licence, provisional licence and two practical driving assessment attempts. NT has a single 2-year provisional licence with no separate P1/P2 distinction. Drivers who hold their provisional licence for a minimum of 12 continuous months with no traffic infringements or suspensions qualify for a free 10-year full licence under NT's Free Licence for Safe Novice Drivers scheme.

Tasmania — The learner knowledge test is free of charge. Drivers who complete both P1 and P2 without committing any offence receive a free 3-year full licence valued at $89.31 under Tasmania's Safer Driver Reward, introduced in December 2020.

Australian Capital Territory — The Pre-Learner Licence Course and Road Rules Knowledge test is free through school or approved providers. The P1 practical test cost reflects a one-off assessment with an ACT Government Licence Examiner. Alternatively, there is a Competency Based Training and Assessment through an ACT Accredited Driving Instructor. ACT offers two stacked clean-record discounts: a 50% refund of the P2 licence fee for a clean P1 record ($53.44), and a 30% discount on the full licence fee for a clean overall provisional record ($15.69 on a 1-year licence), giving a combined maximum discount of $69.13.