Tasmanian Consolidated Regulations Tasmanian Consolidated Regulations
(1) A car licence or a motor cycle licence issued to a person who has the status of a learner driver must be issued as a learner licence.
(2) A driver licence (of any class) may also be issued as a learner licence if –
(a) the applicant holds a licence in the hierarchy of licence classes that is 2 or more grades lower than the licence for which the application is made; or
(b) the applicant formerly held a licence of the relevant class, but has reverted to the status of a learner driver.
(3) A learner licence may be issued subject to conditions restricting the times and places at which, and the purposes for which, a motor vehicle may be driven by the holder of the licence and other conditions the Registrar considers appropriate.
(4) A learner licence is to be issued –
(a) for 3 years in the case of a novice driver; and
(b) for 12 months in any other case.
(4A) . . . . . . . .
(5) A person who holds a licence of a particular class who wants to learn to drive motor vehicles for which a licence of the next class in the hierarchy of licence classes is required may drive such motor vehicles, as a learner driver, as if the licence were a learner licence of the relevant class.
(5AA) A heavy vehicle learner licence expires –
(a) if the licensee holds only one other driver licence (other than a learner licence), on the date on which the other licence expires; or
(b) if the licensee holds more than one other driver licence (other than a learner licence), on the latest expiry date of those licences.
(5A) A novice driver who holds an L2 learner licence for a car is to maintain a learner driver logbook.
(5B) A person is not required to maintain a learner driver logbook if the person has been regressed under section 13A of the Act from the P1 stage to the L2 stage for a car.
(6) A person must not drive a motor vehicle on a public street as a learner driver (either under a driver licence issued as a learner licence or as authorised by this regulation under a driver licence of a lower class in the hierarchy of licence classes) unless a sign issued or authorised by the Registrar displaying the letter "L" in black lettering on a yellow background (an "L-plate" ) is displayed so as to be clearly visible –
(a) in the case of a motor cycle - at the rear of the motor cycle; or
(b) in the case of any other motor vehicle - at the front and rear of the vehicle or, if the motor vehicle is towing a trailer and the trailer would obscure the letter displayed at the rear of the motor vehicle, at the front of the motor vehicle and at the rear of the trailer.
Penalty:
Fine not exceeding 5 penalty units.
(7) A person must not drive a motor vehicle (other than a motor cycle) on a public street as a learner driver (either under a driver licence issued as a learner licence or as authorised by this regulation under a driver licence of a lower class in the hierarchy of licence classes) unless –
(a) the driver is accompanied by –
(i) a person who holds a full licence (other than a restricted driver licence) of a class that would authorise the person to drive the vehicle, has held such a licence for at least 12 months, and is instructing the driver to drive; or
(ii) a driving assessment officer who is testing or assessing the driver for the purposes of these regulations; and
(ab) in the case of a novice driver who holds a learner licence for a car, the driver is accompanied by a person who –
(i) holds a full licence (other than a restricted driver licence) of a class that would authorise the person to drive the vehicle, and has not been disqualified for a traffic offence or had his or her licence suspended because of the accumulation of demerit points within the previous 2 years, and is instructing the driver to drive; or
(ii) is a driving assessment officer referred to in paragraph (a)(ii); and
(b) the person instructing the driver, or the driving assessment officer submitting the driver to a test or an assessment, is –
(i) in the case of a car or truck - seated next to the driver on a seat in the same general transverse plane as the driver's seat; or
(ii) in the case of a bus - seated directly behind the front door of the bus or seated or standing in some other appropriate position close to the driver; and
(c) there is no-one between the driver and the person instructing the driver, or the driving assessment officer submitting the driver to the test or assessment.
Penalty:
Fine not exceeding 20 penalty units.
(7A) A novice driver who holds a learner licence for a car must not tow another vehicle while driving on a public street.
Penalty:
Fine not exceeding 20 penalty units.
(8) The holder of a motor cycle licence issued as a learner licence must not drive a motor cycle on a public street carrying another person unless –
(a) the other person –
(i) has held a motor cycle licence (other than a learner licence) for a continuous period of at least 3 years and continues to hold such a licence; and
(ii) is being carried for the purpose of giving driving instruction to the driver and is seated next to the driver in a side car or behind the driver on a pillion seat; and
(b) the driver and the other person are the only persons who are being carried on the motor cycle.
Penalty:
Fine not exceeding 20 penalty units.
(9) The holder of a motor cycle licence issued on or after 1 July 2007 as a learner licence must not drive a motor cycle on a public street unless the motor cycle is a learner approved motor cycle.
Penalty:
Fine not exceeding 20 penalty units.
(9A) The holder of a motor cycle licence issued before 1 July 2007 as a learner licence must not drive a motor cycle on a public street unless –
(a) the motor cycle is –
(i) a learner approved motor cycle; or
(ii) a motor cycle with an engine capacity of 250cc or less; or
(b) the holder of the licence has the Registrar's written authorisation to drive the motor cycle.
Penalty:
Fine not exceeding 20 penalty units.
(10) If an L-plate is displayed on a motor vehicle, a person must not drive the motor vehicle on a public street unless the person is driving the vehicle as a learner driver.
Penalty:
Fine not exceeding 2 penalty units.
(11) A person must not employ, cause or permit another to drive a motor vehicle in contravention of this regulation.
Penalty:
(a) if the motor vehicle is driven in contravention of subregulation (7), (8), (9) or (9A) - fine not exceeding 20 penalty units; or
(b) in any other case - fine not exceeding 5 penalty units.