When someone in your household gets their L-plates, a whole new set of questions can pop up – fast. For starters, are learner drivers covered under your car insurance or will they need their own policy? And will your insurance costs go up if a learner drives your car?
Learning to drive is an especially exciting time for young drivers, offering the promise of newfound independence. Just as momentous is being tasked with teaching someone to drive – so you might also be wondering what you can do to prepare yourself and your new learner for the road.
To help you get both yourself – and your car – ready for your sessions with your L-plater, we’ve put together this handy guide on how car insurance for learner drivers works. In it, we’ve also included important road rules you might wish to brush up on, plus some expert tips for teaching a learner driver.
First up, let’s tackle some queries we often get from our customers around car insurance and learner drivers.
Are learner drivers covered by insurance?
If a learner driver is driving in your car, the good news is they’ll automatically be covered by your Compulsory Third Party insurance, also known as Green Slip in New South Wales.
“Regardless of who’s driving at the time, you or your learner, CTP insurance covers liability for injuries or death to other people if your vehicle is involved in an accident,” explains Marni Jackson, Youi’s Head of Product – Vehicle and Lifestyle.
The situation differs when it comes to optional car insurance cover, including Comprehensive, Third Party Fire & Theft or Third Party Property Only. Some insurers may automatically cover learner drivers on a parent’s policy, while others will require you to add them as a listed driver to your policy.1
“At Youi, drivers under the age of 25 are usually covered by your car insurance regardless of whether or not they’re listed on your policy,” says Jackson. “It’s worth noting though that a higher excess would apply for any unlisted drivers under 25, if you needed to make a claim for an incident that occurred while they were driving your car.”2
However, if your learner has their own car to learn in, they are unlikely to be covered under your policy and will need CTP insurance as per your state or territory requirements. From there, they may also want to consider a separate car insurance policy with higher levels of coverage.1
How can I add a learner driver to my insurance?
The exact actions you need to take to add a learner driver on a parent’s car insurance policy will depend on your insurer. At Youi, you can add a learner driver to your Comprehensive, Third Party Fire & Theft or Third Party Property Only policy in just two simple steps.
“First, gather your details, including your Youi policy number and your learner driver’s full name and their date of birth,” says Jackson.
“Then, give us a call on 13 9684 to add them to your policy. Just remember to get in touch again when it’s time to remove them or update their licence type.”
Will my premium go up if I add a learner driver to my insurance?
Whether adding a learner driver to your existing car insurance policy will increase your premium also differs by insurer. However, this option is generally more cost-effective than purchasing a separate policy for them.1
What is temporary learner insurance?
You may have heard the term “temporary learner insurance”. It simply refers to the process of adding a learner to your car insurance policy while they’re learning to drive in your car.
“Adding a learner to your car insurance can often be a temporary arrangement. If they stop driving your car after they pass their driving test – perhaps because they’ve bought their own car – you can ask for them to be removed as a listed driver from your policy,” says Jackson.
What excess applies if a learner driver is involved in an accident?
“If your learner driver is involved in an accident and you need to make a claim, it’s important to know that multiple excesses could apply, depending on the nature of the accident and who was at fault,” says Jackson.
Some excesses that may apply to learner drivers include:1
- The basic excess that applies to the policy
- A young driver excess – typically applied to drivers under the age of 25
- A learner driver excess
- An inexperienced driver excess – typically applied to drivers over 25 who’ve held their licence for a limited time
- An undeclared driver excess.1
“At Youi, only two excesses usually apply to learner drivers in the event of a claim for an insured event: the basic policy excess and a driver-specific excess,” explains Jackson.
For learner drivers aged under 25, the Driver-specific excess at Youi can vary from $600 if they are listed on the policy to $3,000 if they are unlisted.
How can I prepare to teach my learner driver?
Once your learner driver car insurance has been sorted, there are still a few things you may wish to tick off before taking your learner out on the road.
“Some things to consider include making sure the vehicle is safe, refreshing your road rules knowledge, and planning the lessons in advance,” suggests Dr Verity Truelove, senior research fellow with the Road Safety Research Collaboration at Queensland’s University of the Sunshine Coast.
Refresh your road rules knowledge
Although your learner driver will already have obtained their learner’s permit, quizzing them on some key road rules before letting them get behind the wheel, can help to keep them front of mind.
This can also help to refresh your own knowledge so you’re aware of any new rules and can demonstrate safe driving – particularly if you’re teaching your own child.
“Your children are always learning from you, so don’t model any driving behaviour you don’t want them to be doing,” says Dr Truelove.
There are dedicated resources available if you need to brush up on the road rules, such as the Queensland Government’s StreetSmarts website, which has a section for parents of young drivers with tips and advice.3
It’s also important to remember that learning to drive safely is about more than simply knowing the rules, so make sure your learner driver gets experience in a wide range of environments and conditions.
“Learning to drive is not just about having the motor skills to manoeuvre and operate a vehicle, it also requires judgement and experience in assessing risk and the learning of safe driving behaviours,” says Sally Webb, Deputy Secretary for Safety, Policy, Environment and Regulation at Transport for NSW.
Check local learner laws
It’s also a good idea to make sure you’re up to date on learner driver rules and restrictions. In all states and territories, learner drivers must:4
- Have a supervisor with a valid Australian licence present when driving
- Display L-plates clearly on the front and back of the car
- Always carry their learner’s licence when driving.4
However, other rules can vary. For example, L-platers must complete 120 supervised learner driver hours in NSW, while in Western Australia, they only need to log 50 hours.4 Here’s a quick breakdown of driving hours by state and territory:
| Location | Supervised hours required | Exceptions |
| New South Wales | 120, including 20 at night5 | Not required for drivers over 255 |
| Victoria | 120, including 20 at night6 | Not required for drivers over 216 |
| Queensland | 100, including 10 at night7 | Not required for drivers over 257 |
| Western Australia | 50, including 5 at night8 | Not required for drivers over 258 |
| South Australia | 75, including 15 at night9 | |
| Tasmania | 80, including 15 at night10 | |
| Australian Capital Territory | 100, including 10 at night11 | Learners over 25 only need to complete 50 hours, including 5 at night11 |
| Northern Territory | None required12 |
Some states also have additional restrictions on age, speed limits, vehicle type and more.4 See the following links for the learner driver rules in your area:
- New South Wales
- Victoria
- Queensland
- Western Australia
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Australian Capital Territory
- Northern Territory
Where to buy L plates
L plates can be purchased at most service stations, major retailers and automotive stores. Take care to display your Ls in accordance with the requirements of your state or territory. For example, in Queensland:13
- L plates must be displayed clearly at the front and rear of the vehicle.
- L plates must be visible from 20m away.
- Both the learner and supervisor can be fined for incorrectly displayed plates, and the learner can receive 2 demerit points.
- Supervisors, other than accredited driver trainers, can be fined for failing to remove L plates when they resume driving.13
Ban mobile phones
It goes without saying that using a mobile phone while driving is illegal. But did you know you could get fined for using your mobile on loudspeaker while you’re supervising your learner driver?13
“The rules for phone use while driving are different depending on what licence stage you’re on, and the rules also differ across Australian states and territories,” warns Dr Truelove.
“In Queensland, learner and P1 drivers aged under 25 years are not allowed to use any phone functions while driving, including Bluetooth, hands-free and loudspeaker functions.”
So, make sure your learner driver is aware of the laws concerning mobile phone use while driving in your state or territory.
Make necessary adjustments
Although the position of your driver’s seat might feel perfect to you, it may not be ideal for your learner. To ensure good driving posture, you might help your learner adjust the:14
- Driver seat, to ensure a clear view of the road and easy access to controls
- Steering wheel, keeping it low and facing their chest
- Head restraint
- Seatbelt position
- Mirrors, so they have a good view of the vehicle’s rear and sides.14
Check the controls
If this is the learner’s first time behind the wheel, it’s a good idea to familiarise them with the vehicle’s controls. For example, you might want to show them how to use:15
- Windscreen wiper controls
- Indicators
- Lights
- Handbrake and foot brake
- Accelerator
- Gear stick.15
If it’s a manual vehicle, have your learner apply the clutch and practise changing through all of the gears, including reverse.15
Point out the gauges
Start your vehicle, leaving it in neutral or park, so you can activate the gauges , and point out where to find the following:16
- Speedometer
- Fuel gauge
- Temperature gauge
- Tachometer or oil pressure gauge, if your car has them.16
Ready to hit the road? When it comes to car insurance and learner drivers, getting the cover you need might be just a phone call away – you can give us a call on 13 9684 to add a learner to your current policy. Not with Youi? Find out more about our learner driver insurance options to see if they’re right for you, or consider starting a quote online.
Note: Information in this article is relevant as of January 2026 and by its nature will change over time. Check relevant Government websites for updates if this information is important to you.
1 Source: Canstar – Car insurance for learner drivers, April 2025
2 Special conditions and restrictions may apply and will be stated on your policy schedule (for example, for some cars, we may restrict cover to the listed and regular drivers only, or apply a special condition of “no cover for drivers under 30 years of age”). For full details, see the PDS.
3 Source: Qld Government – Parents of young drivers
4 Source: CarExpert – A guide to learner driver restrictions in Australia, May 2024
5 Source: NSW Government – Learner Drivers
6 Source: Transport Victoria – Prepare for your probationary licence
7 Source: Qld Government – Learner logbook, January 2024
8 Source: Government of WA Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure – Car licence, October 2025
9 Source: SA Government – Learner’s permit
10 Source: Plates Plus Tasmania – Getting your P1s
11 Source: Access Canberra – Get your provisional driver licence
12 Source: NT Government – Get your driver licence
13 Source: Qld Government – Rules for learner driving
14 Source: NSW Government – Driving posture
15 Source: Plates Plus Tasmania – Learning stages and manoeuvres
16 Source: ACT Government – Road ready towards your Ps in the ACT, March 2018
