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Free Printable Driving Logbook (Australia)
Get Your State’s Official Logbook
If you want paper, use the official logbook from your state’s licensing authority. The staff at the licensing centre know what their form looks like, and handing them something familiar goes smoother than a random printout from the internet.
Every state designs their logbook differently. Columns vary. Some want odometer readings, some don’t. Some have separate sections for instructor bonus hours. Using the correct format for your state avoids questions at submission time.
Official Logbook Sources by State
New South Wales
Where to get it: Service NSW centre (physical booklet) or download from service.nsw.gov.au. Format: Physical booklet issued when you get your Ls. Replacement copies available at any Service NSW centre. Digital alternative: Roundtrip app (official, free) replaces the paper booklet entirely. Hours required: 120 total, 20 night.
Victoria
Where to get it: VicRoads or vicroads.vic.gov.au. Format: Physical booklet. Digital alternative: myLearners app (official, free). Third-party app exports also accepted at most centres. Hours required: 120 total, 20 night.
Queensland
Where to get it: Department of Transport and Main Roads or qld.gov.au/transport. Format: Physical booklet and downloadable PDF. Digital alternative: QLD Learner Logbook app (official, free). Hours required: 100 total, 10 night.
South Australia
Where to get it: Service SA or sa.gov.au. Format: Physical booklet. Digital alternative: LogMyDrive app (official, free). Printed third-party exports accepted. Hours required: 75 total, 15 night.
Western Australia
Where to get it: Department of Transport or transport.wa.gov.au. Format: Physical booklet. Digital alternative: Learn&Log app (official, free). Hours required: 50 total, 5 night.
Tasmania
Where to get it: Service Tasmania or transport.tas.gov.au. Format: Physical booklet. Digital alternative: Plates Plus app (official, free). Hours required: 80 total, 15 night.
ACT
Where to get it: Access Canberra or accesscanberra.act.gov.au. Format: Physical booklet. Digital alternative: No official ACT app. Third-party app exports accepted as printed summaries. Hours required: 120 total, 20 night.
Northern Territory
Where to get it: Motor Vehicle Registry (MVR) or nt.gov.au/driving. Format: Physical booklet. Digital alternative: No official NT app. Third-party exports accepted. Hours required: 50 total, 10 night.
Most states hand you the logbook when you get your learner licence. If you’ve lost yours or run out of pages, grab a replacement at the same place. Some states charge a small fee for replacements.
What Your Logbook Needs to Include
Every state’s logbook asks for roughly the same information per entry:
- Date of the drive
- Start and end time
- Start and end odometer reading (most states require this)
- Total duration in hours and minutes
- Day or night classification
- Supervisor’s name and licence number
- Supervisor’s signature
Some states also want the suburb or area where you drove, the vehicle’s registration plate, and the type of road (residential, highway, rural).
Digital Logbooks Are Accepted in Most States
You don’t need paper. Most states accept digital logbooks through their official app or through third-party apps that export a clean PDF.
NSW’s Roundtrip replaces the paper booklet entirely. VicRoads accepts myLearners and printed third-party exports. QLD, SA, TAS, and WA each have their own official apps. The ACT and NT accept printed digital logbook summaries at the test.
If your state accepts digital logbooks, there’s very little reason to use paper. Digital logbooks auto-calculate totals, can’t get coffee-stained, and don’t run out of pages.
Why Paper Logbooks Fail
You already know the answer. You’ll start strong. By week three, you’re writing entries from memory. By month two, the logbook is under the seat with a water ring on it.
The maths is the worst part. Subtracting start times from end times for every entry, recording odometer readings before and after every trip, keeping running totals for day hours, night hours, and total hours. One arithmetic mistake and your numbers are wrong when you hand them in.
Then there’s the page problem. Standard logbooks have a fixed number of rows. If you’re diligent about logging every short trip (which you should be, because a 10-minute drive to the shops adds up to hours over months), you can fill the booklet well before 120 hours. Second booklet time. Carry both.
If both parents supervise, you need one logbook travelling between cars or two logbooks that you combine later. Neither works well in practice.
The Alternative
Moda replaces the paper logbook. Tap start, drive, tap stop. Duration calculated automatically. Day and night hours tagged using actual sunset times for your GPS location. Running totals always accurate. Both parents log from their own phones with family linking.
When you hit your required hours, export a complete logbook PDF. Every session, supervisor details, day/night classification, weather conditions, and totals. Print it and bring it to your licensing appointment.
$4.99 once. No subscription. Your location data stays on your phone.
Tips for Paper Logbook Users
If you do stick with paper:
Use a pen, not pencil. Licensing centres may question pencil entries since they can be erased and changed. Blue or black pen.
Fill it in immediately. Log every drive the moment you park. Not that evening. Not on the weekend. Right now, while the times are fresh.
Check the odometer before you start the car. The most commonly forgotten field. Get in the habit of glancing at it while adjusting mirrors.
Keep the logbook in the glovebox. Pick one car, keep it there. If both parents supervise, the logbook lives in whichever car the learner drives most often. The other parent writes details on their phone and transfers them later.
Photocopy regularly. Every month, photograph every page with your phone. If the booklet gets lost or damaged, you’ve got a record to work from.
Do the maths as you go. Don’t wait until 120 entries to add them up. Keep a running total on the inside cover. Update after every drive.
If you want paper, get the official booklet from your licensing authority. If you want something that actually works across 12 months of logging without running out of pages, losing your totals, or getting a coffee stain on month six, use an app.