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Australian road rules for visitors: which side to drive on, state speed limits in km/h and mph, alcohol limits and licence requirements.
This explainer covers what a visitor needs before driving in Australia: you drive on the left in a right-hand-drive car, all signs are in km/h, and the alcohol limit depends on your licence class rather than your age. It applies the Australian Road Rules defaults — 50 km/h inside built-up areas, 100 km/h outside them where nothing is signed — together with the state or territory maximum, which ranges from 100 km/h in the ACT to 130 km/h on parts of the Northern Territory's Stuart Highway.
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Maximum and default open-road limits differ at the border, so the jurisdiction you pick drives the answer.
Full, provisional, learner and commercial classes carry different limits, and three of the four are zero.
Every limit is converted, which matters for visitors arriving from the UK or the United States.
0.05 g of alcohol per 100 ml of blood for fully licensed drivers, and it is the same in every state and territory. Learner and provisional licence holders must have zero alcohol in their blood, as must anyone driving a heavy vehicle, taxi, rideshare or dangerous-goods vehicle. Random breath testing is routine and roadside stations are set up without warning.
Where nothing is signed, 50 km/h applies inside a built-up area and 100 km/h outside one — 110 km/h in the Northern Territory. The highest posted limit is 110 km/h in most states, 100 km/h in the ACT, and 130 km/h on sections of the Stuart, Barkly, Victoria and Arnhem highways in the Northern Territory. School zones drop to 40 km/h during the hours shown on the sign.
Yes, as a visitor you may drive on a valid overseas licence for as long as it remains current. If it is not printed in English you must carry an official English translation or an International Driving Permit alongside it — the original on its own is not accepted at a roadside stop or a rental desk. Once you become a permanent resident, most states give you about three months to convert to a local licence.
No, not by default. Unlike the United States, turning on a red light is prohibited unless a specific sign at that intersection permits it after stopping, and those signs are uncommon. Melbourne's CBD adds the opposite surprise: at marked intersections you must perform a hook turn, waiting in the left lane to turn right.