1 hr = 3 hrs: How to get bonus log book hours (NSW)

3-for-1 Driving Lessons: Generate Your 120 Log Book Hours Fast in NSW

Getting a driver's licence is a key milestone in a young person's life. Unfortunately, the process from first sitting the Driver Knowledge Test (DKT) through to obtaining your P1 licence takes time, effort and support from friends, family members and professional instructors.

One of the most important factors learners face when preparing for their driving test is meeting the minimum log book requirements. 

In this article, we discuss who needs to worry about log books, how you can generate your 120 log book hours, and what government schemes you can take advantage of to fast-track this process, like 3-for-1 driving lessons.

What is the logbook requirement in NSW?

How many hours do you need on your Ls? Who can supervise you while you drive? These are all common questions we get asked at EzLicence.

For anyone under the age of 25, the NSW Government requires you to drive under the supervision of someone with a full Australian driver’s licence, or a licenced driving instructor.

Before you sit your driving test, you must log at least 120 hours of supervised driving, including a minimum of 20 hours of night driving.

Generating 120 log book hours is no small feat. If you drive on average for one hour, that means you’ll need 120 separate driving sessions to meet the NSW log book requirements.

The idea isn’t to cram all these hours into just a few months, but to build your skills steadily, so once you’re eligible to sit your driving test, you’ll be able to demonstrate the appropriate level of skill needed to navigate the roads safely. 

How to generate your 120 log book hours

There are several ways you can generate your log book hours, including driving under the supervision of someone with their full Australian licence, taking driving lessons from a licenced driving instructor, 3-for-1 driving lessons, and partaking in a Safe Drivers Course.

Most commonly, learners generate their 120 log book hours by relying on friends and family with a full Australian licence. 

It certainly may seem convenient, but those closest to you aren’t always the best equipped to teach you how to drive. It may have been years since they sat their driving tests, and they may have forgotten important road rule knowledge that you’ll need to know for your test.

While they can be a great support to practice your skills, it’s important to build your foundational knowledge with the help of a licenced driving instructor first.

We know this is important because the pass rates for those who sat their driving test without seeking the help of a licenced driving instructor were significantly less than EzLicence graduates.

Only 57% of NSW learners passed their driving test in 2022, meaning almost half had to resit their test — unlike EzLicence graduates who achieved a 90% pass rate.

The NSW Government recognises the benefit of learner drivers learning from licenced driving instructors, and so they have established incentives that help learners generate their logbook hours while receiving the right support. 

NSW Safe Driving Course

One way to fast-track generating your 120 log book hours is by partaking in a Safe Driving Course. 

These courses help you build your safe driving skills by running through topics like speed management and navigating distractions.

Taking a safe driving course ticks off 20 hours from the 120 hours you’re required to generate.

3-for-1 driving lessons

If you haven’t heard about this scheme already, the NSW Government allows learners to tick off additional log book hours when they complete a driving lesson with a licenced driving instructor, like any of our NSW-based EzLicence driving instructors. 

How many hours do driving lessons count for?

For every hour you complete with a licenced driving instructor, you are eligible to mark down a total of three hours into your log book; hence this scheme is known as 3-for-1 driving lessons.

If the driving lesson you completed with your licenced driving instructor was during the night (between sunset and sunrise), the lesson will only account for one hour. 

How many hours do you get with a driving instructor?

Driving lessons usually run for one hour, which gives you enough time to learn and practice behind the wheel without getting fatigued or worn out. 

The 3-for-1 driving lessons scheme lets you to claim up to 10 lessons, allowing you to record a total of 30 hours of driving experience in your log book. 

Driving lesson packages can be an affordable way to hit these hours, allowing you to purchase multiple lessons at a discounted price.

While the NSW Government caps how many lessons can count towards the 3-for-1 driving lessons scheme, you should still continue learning under the guidance of a licenced driving instructor if you feel like you’d benefit from more lessons.

At the end of the day, the focus should be on your confidence behind the wheel, and your capacity to follow road rules safely and correctly.

If you continue on with driving lessons after you’ve hit your 10 hour limit, each driving lesson will account for 1 hour, and still contribute to your 120 log book hours.

Never taken a driving lesson before? Here’s what you can expect on your first lesson.

Do you need 120 hours when you’re over 21?

In NSW, you will be required to generate your 120 log book hours until the age of 25. That means if you’re 21, your log book will still form part of your driving test assessment. 

If you’re 25 or over, while you may not need to generate 120 log book hours, it’s still a good idea to do so. 

The more you practice under the right supervision, like a licenced driving instructor, the more confident you’ll feel on the road and the safer you’ll drive.

How many night hours do I need?

Your 120 log book hours must include at least 20 hours of nighttime driving. Nighttime driving is classified as the time between sunset and sunrise. 

Oftentimes, nighttime driving involves navigating through fog and other challenging conditions where your vision of the road may be impaired. This ensures you receive enough supervised practice to safely navigate through varying driving environments.

Driving during the sunrise can be tricky as once it’s fully light it counts as daytime hours and not nighttime hours. This is something you must be mindful of when filling in your 120 log book hours.

How do they check learner log books?

Your testing officer will check your log book at the beginning of your driving test to ensure you have generated your 120 log book hours, including daytime and nighttime driving. 

If your testing officer finds that you have not met the log book requirements, you will not be able to continue with your driving test and instead be asked to rebook it once you’ve met all of the requirements.

If you have correctly filled out your log book and meet the requirements, you’ll be able to continue with your driving test. 

The takeaway

3-for-1 driving lessons are an excellent way to generate your 120 log book hours while also boosting your confidence on the road.

Not only will you be able to learn from a licenced driving instructor who can help you form a strong foundational knowledge of the road rules, but it’ll also shave off the total amount of hours required for your log book. 

At EzLicence, we make finding the right driving instructor for you easy. Simply enter your pickup suburb and preferred transmission type into the search tool below and choose from our range of qualified instructors. 

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