P2 licence NSW: green P plate rules and conditions
A P2 licence is the second and final provisional stage in New South Wales. It is applied for after 12 months on a P1 licence, it is valid for 36 months, and it must be held for at least 24 months before a full licence can be applied for. Two conditions ease at this point — the speed condition rises to 100 km/h and the peer passenger condition falls away — while the rest continue unchanged. Because P2 is the longer of the two stages, most of a provisional driver's time is actually spent here, and the rules that govern suspension are what decide when it ends.
What is a P2 licence in NSW?
A P2 licence is the second provisional stage of a NSW driver licence, held between a P1 licence and a full licence. It is known as the green Ps, after the green P plates displayed on the vehicle.
P2 is a transitional stage in a literal sense: it is the period in which a driver operates under a reduced set of conditions before those conditions are lifted entirely. It is also the longest single stage in the scheme.
What changes when you move from P1 to P2?
Two conditions change and one threshold widens. Nothing else does.
Ends with P1
- The 90 km/h condition is replaced by 100 km/h
- The peer passenger condition no longer applies
- The 4-point demerit limit rises to 7
- The solo-driving restriction to the transmission type tested in is not stated as a P2 condition
Continues on P2
- No alcohol in the driver's system
- No mobile phone use of any kind while driving
- No supervising a learner driver
- No high-performance vehicles
- P plates displayed front and back, outside
- Seatbelts for every occupant
A full row-by-row comparison, including the figures that differ, is on the P1 and P2 comparison page.
How do you apply for a P2 licence?
Three things are required: the P1 licence must have been held for at least 12 months, identity must be proved, and the licence and test fees must be paid unless a concession applies. The application can be made online or in person at a service centre.
Green P plates are supplied when the application is approved in person. Once the fees are paid, a temporary licence is issued to drive with until the new licence card arrives.
Transport for NSW describes the payment as "the licence and test fees". This site does not interpret that phrase as confirming a test at the P2 application stage, because the page does not describe one. Confirm the current fees and requirements with the NSW Government P2 page before applying.
What conditions apply to a P2 driver?
Green P plate holders must obey the NSW Road Rules, as all drivers must, and are additionally subject to the conditions below.
- Display the correct P plates clearly on the outside of the front and back of the vehicle
- Display a P plate on the back of any trailer being towed
- Ensure everyone in the vehicle is in a seat with a seatbelt or approved restraint fitted
- Do not drive over the maximum speed limit of 100 km/h
- Do not have any alcohol in your system when driving
- Do not supervise a learner driver
- Do not use any mobile phone, including hands-free or loudspeaker, while driving or while stopped but not parked
- Do not drive a high performance vehicle
The high-performance vehicle definition is the same one that applies on P1: a power to tare mass ratio above 130 kilowatts per tonne, a significant engine modification, or other specifications indicating high risk for novice drivers. It applies to all P2 holders at any age, including interstate.
Do passenger restrictions apply on green Ps?
Not as a standing condition. The peer passenger condition is a P1 condition and does not carry over to P2.
One passenger restriction can still apply to a P2 driver, but only after a disqualification. Where a P2 licence is disqualified, the driver must not carry more than one passenger for 12 months once the licence is regained. If the driver is disqualified again while that condition is in force, it applies for a further 12 months from the new licence.
Exemptions from the one passenger condition are available in exceptional circumstances only, by attending a service centre in person, completing the exemption form, giving reasons and paying the application fee.
How long do you stay on a P2 licence?
At least 24 months, and the licence itself is valid for 36 months.
These two figures are both correct and they answer different questions. 24 months is the minimum period that must be held before applying for a full licence. 36 months is how long the P2 licence remains valid; after that it expires and must be renewed or converted to a full licence.
The gap between the two exists because progression is a choice, not an automatic event. A driver who has held P2 for 24 months and does nothing simply continues on green Ps until the licence expires.
What happens if a P2 driver is suspended?
A suspension on P2 has two separate effects, and they add together.
First, the period of the suspension itself does not count toward the 24 months. Second, a demerit point suspension or a suspension for a high-risk driving offence requires the P2 licence to be held for an extra six months for every suspension received. A P2 driver who is suspended for three months therefore waits at least nine months longer for a full licence than they otherwise would have.
A court disqualification goes further: the P2 licence is forfeited, and when the disqualification period ends a new P2 licence must be applied for and the 24 months completed again from the start.
The demerit threshold on P2 is 7 points. How that interacts with speeding offences, which carry a minimum of 4 points for provisional drivers, is set out on the demerit points page.
What do you need for a full licence?
Four things: the P2 licence must have been held for at least 24 months, identity must be proved, an eyesight test must be passed, and the licence fee paid unless a concession applies. Transport for NSW also states that the upgrade is available only where the driver has not been suspended for unsafe driving.
A full licence removes the provisional conditions. The speed condition, the plate requirement, the total phone prohibition, the zero alcohol requirement, the prohibited vehicle restriction and the bar on supervising a learner all end at that point, and the ordinary NSW rules for full licence holders apply instead.
The sequence and the timing are covered in more detail on going from P1 to P2.
Common questions
How long are you on green Ps in NSW?
A P2 licence must be held for at least 24 months before a full licence can be applied for. The licence is valid for 36 months. Suspension periods do not count toward the 24 months, and each demerit point or high-risk driving suspension adds a further six months.
What speed can a P2 driver do in NSW?
A P2 driver must not drive over the maximum speed limit of 100 km/h. Where the posted limit is lower than 100, the posted limit applies.
Can P2 drivers use hands-free or Bluetooth in NSW?
No. A P2 driver must not use any mobile phone, including hands-free devices or loudspeaker, while driving or while the vehicle is stopped but not parked.
Do P2 drivers have a passenger limit in NSW?
No standing passenger limit applies on a P2 licence. The peer passenger condition applies only to P1 drivers under 25. A one passenger condition applies to a P2 driver for 12 months after a disqualification.
Can a P2 driver drive a high-performance vehicle?
No. The prohibited vehicle restriction applies to all P1 and P2 licence holders at any age, and continues to apply when driving interstate.
Sources
- NSW Government, Provisional P2 licence
- NSW Government, Full driver licence
- NSW Government, Learner and provisional driver demerit points
- NSW Government, Prohibited vehicles for P plate drivers