Upgrade an automatic car driving licence to a manual one (2024)

FAQs

Can I drive manually if I have an automatic licence? ›

If you passed your driving test in a manual vehicle, you're qualified to drive in both manual and automatics. However, if your test was taken in an automatic, you probably hold a Category B Auto licence, meaning you must retake your test in a manual vehicle.

Unfortunately, the answer is no. Learning to drive a manual car involves an entirely different set of skills that are not taught to be drivers who only want to learn in an automatic. This means that if you choose to only get an automatic license, you'll only be able to drive automatic cars in the future.

While it takes some practice to learn how to drive a manual car smoothly, it's not much more difficult than driving an automatic — once you get the hang of it. The sign that you've mastered how to drive a manual car is that you do it instinctively, and you no longer need to think about the steps or what gear to use.

In Queensland, if you gain your license in an automatic car, you are not permitted to drive a manual car until you successfully pass another practical driving test with Queensland Transport in a manual vehicle.

A semi-automatic car is a combination of a manual and automatic gearbox. It also has no clutch pedal, as is the case with the automatic. Because of this, it's really easy to drive a semi-auto and you can also choose how to control the gears since there's a selection of both manual and automatic options.

Once you're ready to go, press the clutch to the floor and move the stick into first gear. Next, slowly release the clutch. As your foot travels upward, you'll hear the engine idle slow down, the tachometer needle will dip lower than idle, and the car will want to move forward.

If you drive every day, it shouldn't take more than a week or two to feel completely confident in your new skills driving a stick shift vehicle.

What is the easiest manual car to learn in? ›

More difficult to learn — Learning manual can often take more time because you're required to do the gear changes yourself. Heavy traffic driving — Driving in heavy traffic conditions can be difficult due to constant stopping/starting and manual gear changes.

If you have a driver's licence for an automatic car (C-A class) you will need to apply to upgrade your licence to a C class to be able to drive a manual car. If you're looking to get your driver's licence for the first time, visit our get your licence to drive a car page.

Many people will have started their driving lessons in manual and then swapped to automatic, as it is easier. There is no reason for you to start your EDT lessons again.

A - Automatic transmission

This condition is displayed as an 'A' condition on the driver licence card. At the end of your probationary period, you can drive vehicles with a manual transmission without having to do another driving test provided the condition is not required due to a medical condition or impairment.

If you don't want to decide, the automatic training with the key number B197 is right for you. It combines driving training in an automatic vehicle with additional manual training so that even if you take your driving test in an automatic car, you can still drive a manual car without restriction.