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New Zealand · Theory test

Learner licence rules in New Zealand

A learner licence lets you learn to drive a car, van or ute, and learn on a moped, but only with a supervisor in the front passenger seat beside you. You show L plates, carry your learner licence every time you drive, and may take passengers if your supervisor agrees. You get it by passing the theory test at 16 or older, and under the system before 25 January 2027 it’s the first of three stages to a full licence: learner, restricted, then full. Motorcycles need a licence of their own.

  • 44Driving skills in the free Drive Go app
  • 2 yearsYour supervisor’s full licence, at least
  • 120 hoursPractice Drive suggests aiming for
Read Drive’s learner guide (PDF)

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

What are the learner licence conditions?

Drive, the learning site of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA), lists these conditions for every learner under the system before 25 January 2027:

  • You can’t drive on your own: a supervisor sits in the front passenger seat beside you
  • You display L plates on the front and back of the car
  • You carry your learner licence whenever you drive, and your supervisor carries theirs
  • You may carry passengers if your supervisor agrees, because they’re responsible for them

If you break a condition, the Police can stop you driving until you meet it, send you straight home, take your keys, or clamp or move the car.

Who can supervise a learner driver?

Under Drive’s rules for the system before 25 January 2027, anyone who has held a full New Zealand driver licence for at least 2 years can supervise you. If their New Zealand full licence is newer than that, they need to have held an equivalent overseas full licence for at least 2 years.

Your supervisor is legally in charge of the car and responsible for everyone in it, so they must be fit to drive: not asleep, and not over the legal alcohol limit. They can be a friend or family member, a paid driving instructor, or a mix of both.

Alcohol and drugs on a learner licence

  • Under 20: the alcohol limit is zero, so one drink puts you over it
  • 20 or over: no more than 250 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath, or 50 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood
  • Any illicit drug use before driving is illegal
  • If you take a medicine, including a traditional remedy, ask a health professional how it may affect your driving

Moving on to a restricted licence

Once you’ve held your learner licence long enough, you move on to the restricted licence driving test, and the driving test page gives Drive’s rules for it. Drive’s learner licence guide suggests aiming for 120 hours of practice before you go for it.

The government changes the car licence system on 25 January 2027. For the rules from that date, Drive points to NZTA’s page on the changes, and the driving test page explains what Drive says about them.

The restricted and full driving tests →NZTA: Changes to getting a car licence ↗

Practising with the Drive Go app

Drive Go is Drive’s free app for learners and their supervisors. It has 44 driving skills in 8 chapters, each with key points, diagrams and videos, from setting up the car to motorway driving. You can track your drives by GPS and move up through six ranks, from Bronze to Champion.

Use it once you have your learner licence. The road code course isn’t in the app; that stays on the Drive website.

Drive: Drive Go app ↗Practice tests for the theory test →
Sources: Drive and 6 more. Checked October 2026.

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

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