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Western Australia · Theory test

Getting your WA driver’s licence, step by step

It starts with the road rules and ends with two years on P plates. The Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure (DTMI) sets out a WA driver’s licence for a car in 7 steps, and the theory test is the third. You can begin at 16, but you can’t take the driving assessment until you’re 17. The State Government has announced longer learner and P plate periods, with no start date yet.

  • 16Age for a car learner’s permit
  • 17Age for the driving assessment
  • 2 yearsMinimum time on P plates today
Where to study

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

How do you get a WA driver’s licence?

  1. Learn the road rules from Drive Safe, DTMI’s handbook.
  2. Apply for your learner’s permit at a DTMI service centre or regional agent, from age 16.
  3. Pass the Computerised Theory Test (CTT): 24 of 30 questions.
  4. Learn to drive with a supervisor and log your hours: 50, including 5 at night, if you’re under 25.
  5. Sit the hazard perception test, after 6 months on your permit and from age 16 and a half.
  6. Pass the practical driving assessment (PDA), from age 17.
  7. Get your provisional licence and drive on P plates.
The theory test →The driving test →

If you’re 25 or older

You follow the same steps, but you don’t have to log any supervised hours before the PDA for a car licence. You still need the theory test, 6 months on your permit and the hazard perception test.

You still go on P plates. The P plates page explains who gets a provisional licence and for how long.

P plate rules →

Medical conditions and your licence

On the application form you declare any medical condition or medication. DTMI then tells you whether you need a medical assessment, and you have to get it done before your application can go ahead.

Changes announced for WA learners and P platers

In April 2026 the State Government announced a 12-month learner period, 80 supervised hours with 10 at night, and 3 years on P plates, along with a phone ban for learner and P plate drivers and a zero alcohol limit for supervisors. No start date has been set, so the steps above are still the ones that apply.

More on the changes, in the theory test FAQ →

Other licences

A car licence comes in two classes, manual and automatic. Motorcycles, mopeds and trucks each have their own steps and tests.

Car licence classes →Motorcycle theory test →HR licence theory test →
Sources: Transport WA · WA Government and 7 more. Checked October 2026.

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

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