Driving in Queensland on an interstate or overseas licence

If you're visiting Queensland, you can drive if you have a valid interstate or overseas licence.

If you move to Queensland, you will have to transfer your licence to a Queensland licence. You can't drive in Queensland with your interstate or overseas licence if you've been issued with a Queensland licence.

Obligations for driving in Queensland

When driving in Queensland on your valid interstate or overseas licence, you must:

• drive only the class of motor vehicle authorised on that licence
• comply with your licence conditions (if any)
• show your licence to a police officer when asked to do so.

If you're driving in Queensland on an overseas car licence, you may drive vehicles allowed under a Queensland class C licence. This includes vehicles up to 4.5 tonne gross vehicle mass that may carry up to 12 people, including the driver.

If you get too many demerit points, we'll send you a notice telling you that your authority to drive in Queensland will be withdrawn (suspended).

The length of your suspension will depend on the type of licence you held when you committed the demerit point offences.

Additional information for learners

If you're driving in Queensland on an interstate learner licence, you must be supervised if it is a requirement of the state or territory that issued your licence. If you must be supervised, the supervisor must operate under the requirements that apply to them in the state or territory in which your learner licence was issued.

When you can't drive in Queensland

As well as the suspension mentioned previously, you can't drive in Queensland if:

• an Australian court has disqualified you from holding or getting a driver licence
• your authority to drive in Queensland has been suspended because you
• haven't paid fines issued to you
• have been convicted of driving at more than 40km/hr over the speed limit
• your authority to drive in Queensland on your overseas licence has been withdrawn because you
• are medically unfit to drive safely
• are an Australian citizen and you've been living in Queensland for 3 months
• are not an Australian citizen, but you were given a resident visa before you moved to Queensland and you've been living in Queensland for 3 months
• are not an Australian citizen, but you were given a resident visa after you moved to Queensland and you've been living in Queensland for 3 months since getting the visa
• have failed a practical driving test in Queensland.

A resident visa is a permanent visa or special category visa under the Migration Act 1958 (Commonwealth). These visas allow a person to stay indefinitely in Australia. These don't include temporary, business or guardian visas.

If you drive in Queensland when you're not allowed to, you'll be charged with unlicensed driving and may have to appear in court. Find out more about driving without a licence.

Learn the Queensland road rules

If you're driving on your overseas licence, make sure you understand the Queensland road rules.

Read more about driving safely in Queensland.

Getting stopped by police

If you're stopped by police when you're driving, you need to give your name and address, and show your driver licence. You may also need to take a roadside alcohol breath test or drug saliva test.

If your licence isn't in English, you should carry a recognised English translation of it when you're driving. Show this translation to police when you have to show your driver licence.

The National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) has a list of approved translators.