Learner drivers | Rules of the Road

What does the Learner's Licence entitle me to do?

If you have a learner's licence you may drive a car, subject to the following rules:

You must carry your learner's licence with you at all times while driving
You need to have a supervisor with you at all times who:
- Has a valid licence for the same class of vehicle
- Has to sit in the passenger seat or behind the driver's seat if s/he can't sit in the passenger seat
- Can't be under the influence of drugs or alcohol
You don't have to use L plates by law, but other drivers are more likely to be patient with you if you do (remember to remove them after each driving session)
You may have other passengers in the car, but not paying passengers
You may go on freeways.

18 months from the date on which you passed your test.

For light motor vehicles you need to be 17 years or older.
You may not have been disqualified from getting a Learner's or Driver's Licence by a court of law.
You may not apply if your licence has been suspended and you are still within the period of suspension, or your licence has been endorsed or cancelled.
You may not apply if you already have a licence for same class of vehicle.
You must have no physical or mental disability that would make it difficult or dangerous for you to drive (including uncontrolled epilepsy or diabetes). If you already have a licence and you become aware of such a defect it is your responsibility to report it to the authorities within 21 days of becoming aware of it.

You can't hold a learner's licence unless you have a Snellen visual acuity rating of
- 6/12 (20/40) in each eye
- or if one eye has a rating of less than 6/12, then other eye must be 6/9 (20/30)
You may take the eye test wearing glasses/contacts. If you do then your licence will be endorsed and you will need to wear your glasses or contacts whenever you drive.
If you fail the eye test at the traffic department you can go to be retested by a registered optometrist. If according to their test you pass then this has to be accepted by the traffic department.

Go in person to book your test at the Learner's Licence Test Centre.
Take the prescribed fee. This varies per province, so contact your test centre to find out what the fee is.
Take your valid ID book.
Take two ID photos (they can be colour or black and white).
At the test centre you will fill in Form LL1.
Your eyes will be tested at the test centre.
You will be given a date on which to come back for your test.

Your Learner's Licence test consists of a written theory test covering three main sections:
- Rules of the road, traffic control signals and principles of defensive driving
- Road traffic signs and road markings
- Motor vehicle controls
All of the questions are multiple choice.
You need to do well in all three sections. Even if you have a high score overall if you have done badly in one of the sections you could fail.
You will receive a test booklet of questions, and a sketch booklet with pictures in it, for example road signs and situations on the road. Some of the test questions refer to pictures in the sketch booklet.