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Speed Limits for Learner Drivers in Every Australian State
It Depends on Your State
Not every learner driver in Australia can drive at the posted speed limit. Some states impose a maximum speed for L-platers regardless of what the road sign says. Others let learners drive at whatever the limit is.
Get this wrong and you’re breaking the law without realising it. Here’s every state and territory.
The Rules
| State/Territory | Learner Speed Limit | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | 90 km/h max | Can’t exceed 90 km/h even if the posted limit is higher |
| Victoria | Posted limit | No special cap. Drive at the posted speed. |
| Queensland | Posted limit | No special cap. Drive at the posted speed. |
| South Australia | 100 km/h max | Can’t exceed 100 km/h even on 110 km/h roads |
| Western Australia | 100 km/h max | Can’t exceed 100 km/h even on 110 km/h roads |
| Tasmania | 80 km/h max | Lowest cap in Australia. Can’t exceed 80 km/h on any road. |
| ACT | Posted limit | No special cap. Drive at the posted speed. |
| Northern Territory | 80 km/h max | Can’t exceed 80 km/h. On NT roads with 130 km/h limits, that’s a 50 km/h gap. |
Four states cap learners below the posted limit: NSW (90), SA (100), WA (100), TAS (80), and the NT (80). Three states plus the ACT let learners drive at posted limits: VIC, QLD, and ACT.
What This Means in Practice
NSW: 90 km/h Maximum
On a 110 km/h motorway, your learner tops out at 90. On a 100 km/h highway, still 90. On any road posted at 90 or below, the posted limit applies as normal.
Highway driving in NSW as a learner means getting overtaken. A lot. Your learner needs to get comfortable in the left lane at 90 while everyone else does 110. Stick to the left lane. Don’t panic when trucks pass. Use mirrors. Keep steady.
The same 90 km/h cap applies to P1 (red P plate) drivers in NSW too. It doesn’t lift until P2.
Victoria and Queensland: Posted Limits
No special cap. If the sign says 100, your learner does 100. If it says 110, they can do 110.
This gives VIC and QLD learners more realistic highway experience during their supervised hours. They’re practising at the same speeds they’ll use on P plates. When they eventually drive solo, the speed isn’t new.
South Australia and Western Australia: 100 km/h Maximum
Learners can’t exceed 100 km/h. On most roads, this makes no difference because the posted limit is 100 or below. But on 110 km/h highways and freeways, your learner sits at 100.
The 10 km/h gap between 100 and 110 is less noticeable than NSW’s 20 km/h gap. You’ll still get overtaken on highways, but it’s less dramatic.
Tasmania: 80 km/h Maximum
The lowest learner speed cap in Australia. Your learner can’t exceed 80 km/h on any road. On a 100 km/h highway, you’re doing 80. That’s a 20 km/h difference from surrounding traffic.
This also applies to P1 drivers in Tasmania. The 80 km/h cap stays until P2.
Stay in the left lane on highways. Other drivers are generally patient when they see L plates, but the speed difference is real. Display your L plates clearly.
Northern Territory: 80 km/h Maximum
The NT caps learners at 80 km/h. Given that the NT has roads with 130 km/h limits (the Stuart Highway, for instance), that’s a 50 km/h gap between the learner and surrounding traffic.
Practically, this means NT learners should avoid the highest-speed roads until P plates. Stick to urban and suburban roads where limits are 60-80 km/h. Use lower-speed rural roads for country driving practice.
ACT: Posted Limits
No special cap. Canberra and surrounding roads have posted limits up to 100 km/h on some arterials and the Federal Highway. Learners drive at whatever the sign says.
Why Speed Caps Exist
Higher speeds mean less reaction time and more severe crashes. Learner drivers are still building hazard perception, braking judgement, and lane positioning. Capping their speed reduces the consequences of the mistakes they’ll inevitably make.
The research supports this. Young driver crash severity correlates directly with speed at impact. A crash at 80 km/h is significantly more survivable than one at 110 km/h. The caps keep learners in a lower-risk speed range while skills develop.
How This Affects Your Logbook Hours
Speed caps don’t change logbook requirements. A 45-minute drive at 90 km/h in NSW counts the same as 45 minutes at 60 km/h in suburbia. Time is time.
But speed caps affect how much ground you cover. A highway hour in VIC at 110 km/h covers more kilometres than the same hour at 80 km/h in Tasmania. This matters if you’re planning long drives to build hours quickly.
P-Plate Speed Limits
The speed caps don’t all disappear when you get your Ps. Some carry into the provisional stages:
| State/Territory | P1 Speed Limit | P2 Speed Limit |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | 90 km/h | 100 km/h |
| Victoria | Posted limit | Posted limit |
| Queensland | Posted limit | Posted limit |
| South Australia | 100 km/h | Posted limit |
| Western Australia | 100 km/h | Posted limit |
| Tasmania | 80 km/h | Posted limit |
| ACT | Posted limit | Posted limit |
| Northern Territory | Posted limit | Posted limit |
NSW is the most restrictive through the provisional stages. You don’t drive at the full posted limit until you have your full licence. That’s a minimum of 4 years from Ls to unrestricted speed.
Practical Tips
Know the cap before you drive. Families who’ve moved states sometimes don’t realise the rules have changed. NSW to VIC? Your learner just gained 20 km/h on the highway. VIC to TAS? They just lost 30 km/h.
Stay left on highways. If your learner is capped below the posted limit, faster traffic will pass. Left lane. Let them through.
Display L plates clearly. Other drivers are more patient when they can see the L plates. Make sure they’re visible, clean, and not hidden behind a dirty window or obscured by a roof rack.
Practise at the cap speed. Your learner needs to be comfortable at their maximum allowed speed. If the cap is 90 km/h, get them practising at 90 on appropriate roads. They shouldn’t sit at 70 on a highway because they’re nervous. Confidence at speed is a skill.
Understand the transition. Moving from L plates to P1, the speed cap might stay the same (NSW: 90), change slightly (TAS: stays at 80), or disappear entirely (VIC: posted limits). Know what’s coming so your new P-plater isn’t surprised on their first solo highway drive.
Moda tracks session data at any speed. It doesn’t enforce speed caps (that’s the supervisor’s job), but duration, day/night classification, and weather logging work the same whether you’re at 50 km/h in a suburb or 90 km/h on the M1.