Push to Lower Victorian Licence Age to 17

Young Victorians could soon have the ability to get their probationary driver’s licence at the age of 17.

Victoria is currently the only jurisdiction in Australia which requires drivers to be 18 years of age before being able to obtain their licence – with most other states and territories setting the age at 17.

In the Northern Territory, learners can apply for their provisional licence at just 16 years and six months old.

Now, there’s a push for Victoria to fall into line with the rest of the country, being led by state politician Gaelle Broad MP.

As the Member for Northern Victoria, Ms Broad says young Victorians are at a disadvantage, as not having a licence can often make finding an apprenticeship more difficult – particularly for those who live in regional areas where public transport is limited.

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While advocating for a lower licence age, Ms Broad says the required 120 hours of logged driving on a learner’s permit should remain.

The debate over lowering the licence age to 17 has been happening for almost two decades, with both the Law Institute of Victoria and Victorian Farmers Federation supporting the move in 2016.

A spokesperson for Ms Broad told CarSauce the Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Melissa Horne MP, has been asked to “review the current situation and consider the driver training programs used in NSW”.

However, in a speech in July 2024, Ms Horne claimed reducing the minimum licence age to 17 would “likely lead to a substantial increase in road trauma”.

“Victoria’s Graduated Licensing System (GLS), which specifies the minimum probationary licence age of 18, is considered a nationally exemplar approach due to strong evidence that an older minimum licensing age is associated with fewer young driver crashes,” Ms Horne said.

Some experts have suggested having the ability to obtain a driver’s licence and legally drink on the same day is also a dangerous recipe.

CarSauce is aware of several examples of young Victorians changing their official residence to an address in New South Wales and Queensland for the sole reason of acquiring their licence a year earlier.

It’s understood Ms Broad is hoping to introduce a bill to parliament this year.

What do you think? Should Victoria lower its licence age to 17? Let us know in the comments section below.