Red P platers are only permitted to travel with 1 passenger in their vehicle, or on a motorbike, at all times. Read more about the rule changes for red P platers.
In Western Australia (WA) once you pass your Practical Driving Assessment (PDA), also known as a driving test, you’ll be issued with your provisional licence, commonly known as your P plates.
You’ll be on a provisional licence for 2 years or until you turn 19 years of age, whichever period is longer.
Once you have your provisional licence, you can drive without a supervising driver or rider.
Rules for P plate drivers
Driving or riding solo is a new skill and comes with responsibilities.
While driving or riding on your P plates, you must:
- always display P plates
- have a blood alcohol content of 0.00%
- not drive between midnight and 5:00 am while on your red P plates (see Night-time driving restrictions)
- have only 1 passenger in your vehicle at all times while on your red P plates (exemptions apply)
- follow WA road rules.
Displaying your P plates
While driving or riding on your provisional licence you must display:
- red P-plates for the first 6 months your provisional licence
- green P-plates for the remaining 18 months or until you turn 19 years of age, whichever period is longer.
Red P plate expiry date
You can find out when your red P plate restrictions finish by:
- confirming your licence status via your DoTDirect account
- using our Driver's Licence Status Enquiry tool
- calling us on 13 11 56
- attending a DTMI service centre or regional agent with primary and secondary identification.
Red P plate passenger restrictions
As a red P plate driver in WA, you are only allowed to travel with 1 passenger in your vehicle at all times.
Exemptions to the new law
There are 3 exemptions to the passenger limit law. These apply if:
- your additional passengers include a driver who has held a full C-class licence for at least 4 years; or
- other passengers are your immediate family members (immediate family include a spouse, de facto partner, child, step-child, grandchild, step-grandchild, sibling, half-sibling, step-sibling, parent, step-parent, grandparent or step-grandparent of the person driving the vehicle); or
- your additional passengers are in the vehicle as a necessary requirement of your employment (paid or unpaid). For this to apply, a letter from your employer must be carried by you (the red P plate driver) for presentation on request (see the following - Employment exemption information).
You don’t need to apply for these exemptions however, you’ll be required to show proof that you and your passengers meet these requirements to WA police on request.
Employment exemption information
If your job requires driving with more than 1 passenger, you’re eligible for an exemption from the red P plate passenger limit. You don’t need to apply, but you must carry a letter from your employer to show WA Police if requested.
The Passenger Restriction Exemption Provisional Licence (Form E190) - PDF can be used by your employer to support this exemption, or as a guide for creating a letter confirming you need to drive with more than 1 passenger for work.
If your employer creates their own letter, please ensure it includes the following.
- Your full name and driver's licence details.
- Company or employer name.
- Contact information of the employer.
- ABN or ACN details (if applicable).
- Reasons for transporting more passengers.
- Who the additional passengers are (if known).
If the additional passengers already meet the requirements of the other exemptions, they don't need to be listed in this letter.
Night time driving restrictions
For the first 6 months on P plates, you mustn't drive or ride between midnight and 5:00 am unless you are travelling:
- to or from employment, or in the course of employment (by the shortest route practicable)
- to or from school (by the shortest route practicable).
If you need to travel from employment or school, start your journey as soon as possible after finishing.
If you're stopped by a police officer, you must be able to provide evidence you meet these exceptions (for example, a letter from the employer or the school/education institution.)
Penalties may apply if you can't provide evidence.
Demerit points
Under the demerit point system, you're a novice driver until you've held a driver's licence for at least 2 years. However, only the periods during which your licence is current and valid are counted toward this provisional period.
You may be a novice driver if you're:
- a first-time learner’s permit holder
- the holder of a provisional driver’s licence
- a driver from interstate and overseas who has not held a driver’s licence for at least 2 years, or
- the holder of an extraordinary driver’s licence.
A novice driver type 1: You’ve held your driver's licence for at least 1 year (including first-time learner's permit holders).
A novice driver type 2: You’ve held your licence for more than 1 year but less than 2 year or periods adding up to less than 2 years.
As a novice driver, your learner’s permit or provisional licence may be suspended or cancelled and you will be disqualified from driving if you accrue:
- 4 demerit points from when you get your learner’s permit until the end of your first year on P plates, and/or
- 8 demerit points until the end of your second year on P plates.
In WA you accrue demerit points. You start with 0 points, and points are added to your licence if you commit traffic offences.
Check your demerit points
You can check how many demerit points you have using our online demerit point tool.
How to reduce your crash risk
Learner and P plate drivers are at a higher risk of crashing due to their inexperience and potential risk-taking. Watch our videos to learn about the main causes of fatal and serious crashes and ways to stay safe on the road.
Distractions
Being distracted behind the wheel – particularly by using a mobile phone – is dangerous. Stay 100% focused on driving and stay safe.
Transcript
Video title: How to reduce your crash risk for novice drivers - mobile phones
[Sound: A phone rings and background music.]
[Visual: Animated mobile phone with emoji faces that accompany the narrator’s story. Happy face followed by kissing face.]
Narrator: Hey, it’s me, your phone! I’m hard to resist I know, but you have to when driving, because distractions like me are a major cause of serious injury and death.
[Visual: Emoji faces progressing through surprise, sadness, sweating and then a skull.)
Narrator: It’s illegal to use social media, watch videos and create, send, or read messages or emails while driving, and you can only accept or end calls if your phone is in a cradle or voice activated.
[Sound: A phone rings. Background music continues.]
[Visual: Animated person driving. Mobile phone vibrates in cradle. Person picks up the mobile and talks. The traffic lights are showing red. Police on motorbike pulls up next to driver. Driver shows sad face.]
Narrator: If it’s not, and even if stationary, by law, you’re still driving so you will be fined.
[Visual: Animation cuts to another happy person driving. Their mobile is in the cradle however; the driver looks at the mobile phone. A blindfold appears and covers the driver’s eyes.]
Narrator: Taking your eyes off the road is like driving blindfolded . . .
[Sound: A vehicle skids and crashes. The background music continues.]
Narrator: . . . so please ignore me and other distractions and stay 100% focussed and safe.
[Visual: another smiling driver pressing the off switch when their mobile phone rings.]
[Visual: Department of Transport logo. Road Safety Commission logo. Emojis: happy face; hands clapping, vehicle and number plate reading ‘Licence 2 drv’.]
[Text on screen: It’s your responsibility to know the road rules.]
[Sound: Background music fades.]
Transcript ends
Seatbelts
Wearing a seatbelt is one of the easiest ways to stay safe but wearing it the wrong way can be just as dangerous as not wearing it properly. Red P platers can only carry 1 passenger – though exemptions apply. Belt up for every trip – it could save your life.
Transcript
Video title: How to reduce your crash risk for novice drivers - seatbelts
[Sound: background music.]
[Visual: Animation of a person’s waist and belt. A seatbelt is fastened.]
Narrator: Belts are great. They keep our pants up, and they save our lives.
[Visual: Animation cuts to two happy people in a vehicle. Both are wearing seatbelts.]
Narrator: That's why seatbelts are compulsory for all drivers and passengers at all times.
[Visual: Animation of a white car crashing into a pole. Cuts to the two people with sad faces.]
[Sound: A car skids. The background music continues.]
Narrator: In a crash, your car stops suddenly, but you and your passengers keep travelling at the original speed . . .
[Visual: The seatbelt disappears. The two people get thrown around inside the car and bang their heads.]
[Sound: Crash and people falling noises.]
Narrator: . . .so if you're not wearing a seatbelt, there's nothing holding you back from serious injury or death due to hitting other occupants and parts of the car or being thrown from it.
[Visual: Car crashed into the pole with smoke rising from the engine. A person is lying on the ground, feet showing, the rest of the body out of frame.]
Narrator: Stats show that you're ten times more likely to be killed in a car crash if you're not wearing a seatbelt . . .
[Visual: A white cross on a black background. The cross animates into x 10.]
Narrator: so belt up and drive safe.
[Visual: Replicates the first scene of a seatbelt being fastened.]
[Visual: Department of Transport logo. Road Safety Commission logo. Emojis: happy face; hands clapping, vehicle and number plate reading ‘Licence 2 drv’.]
[Text on screen: It’s your responsibility to know the road rules.]
[Sound: Background music fades.]
Transcript ends
Speed
Speed affects both the risk of being involved in a crash and the outcomes if a crash occurs. Slow down and save lives.
Transcript
Video title: How to reduce your crash risk for novice drivers - speed
[Sound: A car revs as it accelerates. Background music.]
[Visual: An animation of a red demon driving a white car. Cuts to a speedometer over 110km/hr.]
Narrator: Meet the speed demon, he's a danger to himself and others.
[Visual: The demon drives the car and the passenger looks concerned. The colour palette is reds and oranges.]
Narrator: So that you're not, you have to be responsible and aware.
[Visual: The demon transitions to a happy person. The passenger is happy. The colour palette is greens and blues.
Narrator: While the number on the sign is the limit,
[Visual: A 60km/h speed sign appears. The speedometer shows 60km/h and slowing down as a number of parked cars appear on screen, followed by a 40km/h workers ahead signage.]
Narrator: you need to reduce your speed according to the conditions. Slow down when parked cars are blocking the view ahead, when road conditions are not great,
[Visual: The speedometer shows a reduction in speed as it starts raining, followed by fog, glare and pedestrians crossing in front of the car.]
Narrator: When visibility is poor due to rain, fog, smoke or sun glare, and when there are pedestrians and cyclists about.
[Visual: A sad person in a white lab coat holds a white board. Text on the board reads:
Fatal injuries more likely when:
• side impact at more than 50km/h
• front impact at more than 70km/h]
Narrator: Speed effects the risk of a crash and the outcome should a crash occur. If you're in a crash, your speed determines your risk of fatal or serious injury.
[Visual: Department of Transport logo. Road Safety Commission logo. Emojis: happy face; hands clapping, vehicle and number plate reading ‘Licence 2 drv’.]
[Text on screen: It’s your responsibility to know the road rules.]
[Sound: The background music fades.]
Transcript ends
More tips for safe driving
The first few years of driving solo as a new driver or rider is the time you are most at risk of having a crash. While you are still gaining experience as a solo driver it is important to limit the risks you take.
Always abide by the rules for novice drivers as well as the general road rules.
- Never drive after drinking or taking drugs or medication that may affect your driving.
- Avoid driving tired.
- Ask passengers to be quiet if you’re having difficulty concentrating while driving.
- Keep up safe habits, like scanning for hazards and leaving plenty of space between you and the car ahead.
Getting your full licence
When your provisional licence period is nearly finished, you’ll be sent a renewal notice with the option to renew your licence.
After paying the renewal, you’ll be issued with your full licence which will come into effect once your provisional licence period is complete.
Safe driver reward (free licence renewal)
If you don’t commit any traffic offences while on your provisional licence, you’ll be rewarded with a free licence renewal for 1 year.
When you receive your first full licence renewal notice it’ll offer a 1 year free renewal option.
The $0 fee amount must be processed using one of the following payment methods:
- using our online payment system
- DoTDirect
- by post
- by phone on 13 11 56
- in person, at a DTMI service centre or regional agent.
Drivers who don’t commit any traffic offences for a further year (i.e. a total of 3 consecutive years of driving without committing a traffic offence), will be rewarded with up to a $100 discount off their next driver’s licence renewal either as:
- a one-off discount of up to $100 for licence renewals over 1 year, or
- a 1 year free licence renewal.
Only licence holders with a provisional period expiry date on or after 1 December 2024 are eligible for second stage rewards. The first eligible participants will receive their rewards from 1 December 2025
Note: If you choose to renew your driver’s licence for the first time in a non-provisional period for longer than 1 year, you won’t get the discount on the renewal and you won’t be eligible for Stage 2 of the Safe Driver Reward Scheme.