P-plate prohibited vehicles update 2024

If you’re on your P-plates (P1 or P2) and are eyeing off a new ride that has even hints of being a ‘high-powered vehicle’, you’d better check the rules.

If you’re on a P1/P2 licence in the ACT, Northern Territory, Western Australia and Tasmania, you are allowed to drive any vehicle a person on an equivalent full car driver’s licence (Class C) can. There are no high-powered vehicle restrictions.

Even though you‘ve got the green light if you live in the jurisdictions above to drive a high-performance vehicle on your Ps, don’t forget insurance companies might have their own ‘ban’ if you’re aged under 25.

There are restrictions on what P-platers are allowed to drive in Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia. Basically, anything the safety bods think would get an inexperienced driver into trouble. If you’re on your Ps in these states, you’ll get a fine and demerit points if you’re caught driving one of the high-powered or banned vehicles.

Generally speaking, the P-plate ban in Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia knocks out anything with more than 130kW per tonne of tare weight power-to-weight ratio.

You need to check the vehicle specs you’re interested in and find engine output and tare (unladen) weight. Divide the power by weight, then x1000. For example, a 200kW car with 1590kg Tare weight is: 200/1590 x 1000 = 125.8kW/tonne. An easier and more definitive way is to search in the links below for approved/banned vehicles in your state.

That’s because there are some cars that should be banned according to the 130kW/tonne rule, but are not banned in some states, while others fall under the 130kW/tonne ratio but are banned. The Toyota Aurion V6 from 2012 is just over 130kW/tonne and is sweet for P-platers in South Australia to drive, but not in NSW, Queensland or Victoria. The 2017-2024 G30 BMW 530d, with ‘only’ 113kW/tonne is banned in NSW, but not elsewhere.

The 130kW/tonne rule in Queensland and South Australia is complicated because it applies only to vehicles built from 2010. Before 2010, rules are different.

In NSW, anything with 130kW/tonne or above is banned, as well as some cars under the threshold considered high-risk for novice drivers (such as the BMW above). P-platers are also banned from driving vehicles that “had a significant engine modification”. Also, you can’t drive in any other state in a high-powered car on your NSW provisional licence.

Some of the vehicles banned include:

1967 Ford Mustang 2+2 Auto
1976 Holden Torana SS LX Manual
1989 Toyota Soarer GT Auto
1993 Nissan Skyline GTS-T R32 Manual
2002 Holden Berlina VY Auto
2010 BMW 1 Series 135i Sport E82 Auto
2020 Mazda MX-5 GT ND Auto

NSW P-plate high-powered vehicle rules
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In Victoria, the same rules apply (130kW/tonne), plus a separate banned list of vehicles. An engine modified to make it more powerful, by someone other than the manufacturer, is also banned. You can, however, drive a prohibited vehicle if you have a supervising driver whose licence allows them to drive the vehicle sitting next to you.

Some of the vehicles banned include:

2024 Tesla Model 3 Long Range Auto AWD
2024 Hyundai i30 N Premium Auto MY25
2024 Land Rover Defender 90 P400 X Auto AWD MY25
2024 Volvo EX30 Twin Motor Performance Ultra Auto AWD MY25
2010 BMW 1 Series 135i Sport E82 Manual MY11
2010 Holden Ute SS VE Series II Manual

Victoria P-plate high-powered vehicle rules
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For Queensland, in vehicles built from 2010, it’s the 130kW/tonne rule, except if you are learning to drive a manual (with a supervising driver) and you’re on an automatic licence.

Pre-2010 vehicles banned are anything eight cylinders or more, supercharged or turbo-charged petrol vehicles (turbo-diesels are permitted), no vehicles with a more than 210kW engine output and no rotaries with an engine displacement of more than 1146cc can be driven by a P-plater.

There are exceptions to this: check the links below. Restrictions apply to P-platers under 25, or if disqualified over 25 and returning to a P1 or P2 licence, and you were under 25 at the time of the offence.

QLD P-plate high-powered vehicle rules
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In South Australia, no high-powered vehicle can be driven by P-platers under 25. If you’re older, or under 25 on a full licence, the restrictions don’t apply. South Australia (like Queensland) has different rules for before/from 2010 manufacture date.

For vehicles manufactured before 2010, eight cylinders or more, turbocharged or supercharged (except diesel powered vehicles with less than eight cylinders), or a vehicle nominated as a High Performance Vehicle are banned. For anything from 2010, South Australian P-plate drivers can drive most cars with less than a 130kW-per-tonne power-to-weight. Any engine performance modifications, other than factory-approved, are also banned in SA - except for a drop-in air filter replacement. Unfortunately, South Australia hasn’t updated its banned vehicles list, so you’ll need to do the maths with anything newer.

SA P-plate high-powered vehicle rules
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There are prohibited vehicle exemptions in the above states, but you better have a good reason for driving one. For example, if you have to drive a prohibited vehicle for work or for other reasons where you have no option but to drive one. In most cases, you have to make an application to get approval.

Related: L and P-Plate National guide

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