There’s nothing quite like passing your hazard tests and finally receiving your learner's licence – a symbol of entry into adulthood marked by the first time you get behind the wheel of a car.
While learning how to drive can be daunting, particularly while you’re familiarising yourself with local road rules, by the time you've come close to the legal hour requirement, it's common to feel impatient if you feel like you're ready for your provisional licence test.
Though most Australian states and territories require learner drivers under a specific age to log a set amount of day and night-time driving, if you’re a novice driver in these Australian states and territories, you are eligible for its ‘3-for-1’ bonus hours scheme.
What is NSW's 3-for-1 bonus hours driving program?
According to the NSW state government, learner drivers can record triple the time of a driving lesson, provided they're conducting driving lessons with a qualified NSW driving instructor.
As an example, a learner driver who has finished a one-hour lesson with a certified driving instructor can record three hours in their logbook. However, the program does come with a few rules, such as a maximum 10-hour driver instructor limit, with 20 bonus hours available.
While there’s no limit on how many lessons a learner can do, there is a restriction on “the number of bonus hours” they can log.
The 3-for-1 driving hours scheme only applies to daytime driving and does not count towards the 20 hours of night-time driving requirement, meaning learners still need to manually accrue the necessary hours before applying for their driving test.
Additionally, learners must seek out NSW-qualified driving instructors in order to be deemed eligible for the bonus hours
According to an August 2025 report by the ABC, NSW is currently experiencing long delays for driver testing, with Service NSW telling the national media outlet the lengthy wait times were the result of a recent policy change.
Under the new laws, Australian citizens and permanent residents who hold an overseas licence must pass an Australian driving test within three months if they wish to continue driving on local roads.
“About half the overseas drivers fail the test and then try to rebook, adding to the demand,” the ABC reported.
Further compounding the problem is the severe shortage in qualified testing officers, with a Service NSW spokesperson telling the national news site it hired an extra 20 officers “on a temporary basis” to help clear the backlog.
Amanda Butler, Head of Marketing from national driving school EzLicence, acknowledged the delays in NSW driving tests are “understandably frustrating”, but said the state’s 3-for-1 licensing program is still beneficial for young drivers.
“While there’s no way to speed up the official test bookings, learners can still take advantage of NSW’s 3-for-1 logbook hours scheme to progress faster towards meeting their required driving hours,” Butler said in a media statement.
“Taking professional lessons under this scheme is a practical way to shorten the learning timeline and stay on track, even during extended test centre delays.”
What is Queensland's 3-for-1 bonus hours driving program?
Like NSW, Queensland also offers a 3-for-1 bonus hours scheme for learner drivers in the state, meaning novice motorists can record extended hours during their lesson with a qualified instructor.
While NSW has a 20-hour limit, the Sunshine State is a little more lenient, offering learners up to “a maximum of 10 actual hours or 30 logbook hours”.
The state government said "Any hours with a trainer after the 10 actual hours [of driving] must be recorded in your logbook in real time".
What other states offer 3-for-1 bonus hours for learners?
The initiative has proven to be so popular in NSW and Queensland that other states like South Australia implemented the program in November 2024, with South Australian learner drivers eligible to receive up to 15 hours in credited hours if they conduct lessons with a qualified instructor.
According to Tom Koutsantonis, Minister for Infrastructure and Transport South Australia, the new laws “recognised the importance of professional training and the role it can play in improving road safety outcomes”.
“That is why we want to reward and encourage learner drivers who are able to train with qualified instructors,” he added.
Similarly, the Australian Capital Territory also offers a 3-for-1 bonus hours program for learner drivers, with novice motorists eligible to receive up to 30 hours of bonus credit if they are taking lessons from an accredited instructor.
What do you think? Should Australia adopt a national 3-for-1 bonus hour program for learner drivers? Let us know your opinions in the comments below.
Ethan Cardinal graduated with a Journalism degree in 2020 from La Trobe University and has been working in the fashion industry as a freelance writer prior to joining Drive in 2023. Ethan greatly enjoys investigating and reporting on the cross sections between automotive, lifestyle and culture. Ethan relishes the opportunity to explore how deep cars are intertwined within different industries and how they could affect both casual readers and car enthusiasts.
