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Northern Territory · Theory test

The NT driving test: booking an examiner and what’s checked

It’s the practical driving test for your P plates, and you book it yourself with an authorised driving examiner. You can sit the NT driving test once you’ve held your learner licence for six continuous months.

  • 12 monthsHow long a pass stays valid
  • RecordedOn camera, inside the car and ahead
  • 40 minutesAbout how long the test takes
Read how to book a testFree practice test

Updated November 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

Booking the NT driving test

Authorised driving examiners are approved through the Registrar of Motor Vehicles. The NT Government lists examiners in these areas:

  • Darwin City, Casuarina and Palmerston
  • Alice Springs
  • Katherine
  • Nhulunbuy, Yulara, Tennant Creek and Jabiru, with visiting examiners

If you’re not enrolled in DriveSafe NT, you pay the examiner a practical driving test fee, and it may differ from one examiner to another. The NT Government’s examiner list also shows whether each examiner tests in your own car, and whether a manual or automatic hire car is available.

See the licence stages →

Getting ready

The NT Government says you should read its guide to the driving test first. If you use your own car, it must be roadworthy and registered. On the day:

  • Aim to arrive at least 10 minutes early
  • Bring your learner licence, or your licence receipt and photo ID if the card hasn’t come in the mail

What does the examiner check on the NT driving test?

The examiner sits in the front passenger seat for about 40 minutes and assesses your:

  • Observation, such as mirror use and blind spot checks
  • Speed management
  • Road positioning
  • Decision-making
  • Response to hazards
  • Vehicle control

A camera records the road in front of the car, and you and the examiner inside it. The examiner must record every test and keep the recording for up to 6 months. Aggressive behaviour or abusive language gives the examiner the right to refuse or end the test.

Mistakes that fail you straight away

These are immediate fails:

  • Not obeying traffic lights, signs or road markings
  • Not giving way
  • Driving without due care, attention or consideration for other road users, or dangerously
  • Exceeding the speed limit
  • Doing something that makes the examiner step in to prevent a crash or a dangerous situation
  • Failing or refusing to follow the examiner’s reasonable directions
See study options →

After the test

The examiner tells you at the end whether you’ve passed. If you haven’t, you can book another test.

A pass stays valid for 12 months. Take your test sheet to a Motor Vehicle Registry (MVR) office and pay the provisional licence fee before your learner licence expires. If you don’t upgrade within the 12 months, you sit the practical test again.

See the MVR page →

In a remote community

In the DriveSafe NT remote program, a DriveSafe NT testing officer runs the test, in their car or your registered car. Outside the program, you sit it at the local police station and bring:

  • Your learner licence
  • A registered car in good working order, with L plates
  • An adult driver
Sources: NT Government and 2 more. Checked November 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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