Licence types, classes and conditions

Your licence has information about you, which vehicles you can drive and the conditions you must follow while driving.

If you are a provisional or learner licence holder, you must carry your licence with you when you are driving and show it to a police officer if asked. However, if you hold an open licence and are driving a car or riding a motorcycle, you may be given 48 hours to present your licence at a police station.

Personal information

Information recorded on your licence includes a photo of your face and your:

• name
• date of birth
• residential address
• gender (not after 1 October 2016)
• height (not after 1 October 2016).

Driver licence classes

The class on your licence shows the types of vehicle you are allowed to drive.

Your licence will show the highest class you can drive—you may drive any vehicles in the lower classes. But, if your licence shows a condition code you must comply with the condition at all times when driving any motor vehicle.

Note: A specially constructed vehicle may not be driven on a class C learner licence.

• A class C vehicle
• A bus or truck (including a prime mover or a mobile crane) not more than 8t GVM.

Note: You may also tow a trailer with a maximum weight of 9t GVM.

Note: You may also tow a trailer with a maximum weight of 9t GVM.

Note: You may also tow a trailer with a maximum weight of 9t GVM.

• An articulated bus (a bus that can bend in the middle).

Motorcycles

Motorcycle licence classes are listed separately on your licence.

• A moped—fitted with an electric motor or an internal combustion engine (with a maximum capacity of 50mL) with a maximum manufacturer’s top rated speed of 50km/h that is not a bicycle. Any other vehicle with a larger engine or faster top rated speed is classed as a motorcycle
• A learner approved motorcycle (2 or 3 wheel), with or without a trailer

Note: A learner approved motorcycle is a production motorcycle that is fitted with an electric motor, or has an internal combustion engine with a maximum engine capacity of 660mL and:

• has maximum power to weight ratio of 150kW per tonne (t)
• has not been modified other than for an allowable modification
• is included on our learner approved motorcycle list.

An allowable modification, for a learner approved motorcycle is a modification:

• designed to enable a person with a physical impairment to ride the motorcycle
  or
• to the seating capacity of the motorcycle.

Either of these modifications must be approved under the Vehicle Standards and Safety Regulation.
Modifications that increase the maximum engine power of the motorcycle are not considered allowable.



• A motorcycle (2 or 3 wheel) with unlimited engine size, with or without a trailer.

Specially constructed vehicle class

The specially constructed vehicle licence class, class UD, may be listed separately on your licence. However, the class UD is no longer issued to new applicants—specially constructed vehicles may be driven under the authority of a class C provisional, probationary or open licence regardless of gross vehicle mass (GVM). Mobile cranes over 4.5t GVM cannot be driven on a class C licence—you will need the appropriate class of heavy vehicle licence to drive a mobile crane.



A specially constructed vehicle with or without trailer.

A specially constructed vehicle is:

• an agricultural machine (such as a tractor or harvester) which is a self-powered machine built to perform agricultural tasks and used for agricultural purposes (such as harvesting)
• a crane, other than a mobile crane of more than 4.5t GVM, or a hoist or load shifting equipment (see note)
• earthmoving equipment
• any other motor vehicle that is not constructed to carry passengers or a load, except things used in performing the vehicle's function.

This class does not include a motor vehicle with a chassis that is substantially the same as a truck chassis, or a motorcycle.

Note: A person must not carry out high risk work unless they hold a licence for that class of work. A high risk work licence may be needed to operate mobile machinery such as cranes, hoists or forklifts. Find out more about high risk work licences.



Marine licence

Your marine licence will be shown on the back of your driver licence. A separate blue marine licence indicator card will only be given to you if you don’t have a Queensland driver licence.

Your marine licence will show if conditions apply.

‘Y’ = Yes. This means that conditions apply to your marine licence which you must comply with. You should have been given a letter stating the applicable conditions. If you are unsure, you can call the Department of Transport and Main Roads on 13 23 80 or visit a transport and motoring customer service centre. Your marine licence conditions are different to your driver licence conditions.

‘N’ = No. This means that there are no conditions that apply to your marine licence.

Licence types

Your licence type affects when and how you can drive.

Your licence type is shown on your licence as a licence code.

Type code	Licence type
L	Learner licence
P	P probationary or restricted licence
P1 or P2	P1 or P2 provisional, probationary or restricted licence
O	Open licence

Licence conditions

You must obey any condition codes listed on your licence at all times while driving.

You may only drive a motor vehicle that has been adapted or fitted with driver aids in order to obey a written notice given to you by the Department of Transport and Main Roads. You must have this notice with you while driving.

Automatic (A) condition

If you have an automatic (A) condition on your licence you must not drive a manual transmission vehicle.

If you want to learn to drive a manual transmission vehicle you must:

• be supervised by a person who has held an open licence for at least 1 year in that class
• display L plates on the vehicle while learning.

If you want to remove the A condition from your licence, you will need to pass a practical driving test in a manual transmission vehicle.

Last updated: 3 April 2023
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