Frequently Asked Questions

Vehicles with a power to weight ratio of 276 kilowatts per tonne are sometimes referred to as ‘supercars’ or ‘hypercars’ and are more powerful than standard vehicles.

To keep our roads safe, a power to weight ratio has been determined to ensure UHPV drivers have the required skills and knowledge to drive an UHPV and hold a U class licence.

As a first step, your vehicle’s owner’s manual or vehicle manufacturer’s website should contain this information.

You can also check your vehicle’s power to weight ratio using the online checker if your vehicle is manufactured after 2010. All you will need is your vehicle’s South Australian registration number. For interstate registrations you must use the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).

For vehicles manufactured before 2010 you can manually calculate your vehicle’s power to weight ratio.

If you feel that your vehicle might be approaching 276 kw/tonne in its power to weight, then you may wish to contact a local business that offers engine dynamometer testing (known as a dyno test) to help you determine your vehicle’s power to weight ratio.

Please use the below manual calculation to determine your vehicle’s power to weight.

It is the responsibility of the driver to know whether their vehicle is a UHPV, so if you are unsure whether your vehicle is an UHPV, or if an engine dynamometer is unavailable, to avoid any doubt it is recommended that you consider completing the online U Class Licence Course and apply for a U class licence.

Visit the apply to modify a light motor vehicle page for more information.

Electric vehicles with a power to weight ratio of 276 kilowatts per tonne or more are an UHPV.

An electric vehicle with a power to weight ratio less than 276 kilowatts per tonne is not an UHPV. This means you won’t need a U class licence to drive them.

From 1 December 2024 any SA licence holder driving a UHPV in South Australia will be required to hold a U class licence.

It is the responsibility of the driver to know whether their vehicle is an UHPV.

You can check your vehicle’s power to weight ratio using the online checker if your vehicle is manufactured after 2010. As the vehicle is registered interstate you must use the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).

For vehicles manufactured before 2010 you can manually calculate your vehicles power to weight ratio.

From 1 December 2024 any person driving a UHPV in South Australia will be required to hold a U class licence.

From 1 December 2024 it will be illegal for you to drive your UHPV without holding a U class licence. The maximum penalty for driving a UHPV without holding a U class licence is $2,500 for a first offence. The penalty for subsequent offences is one year imprisonment.

It is the responsibility of the driver to know if their vehicle is an UHPV. Refer below for the online checker which may assist you.

The maximum penalty is $2,500 for a first offence. The penalty for subsequent offences is one year imprisonment.

You do not need to own an UHPV to hold a U class licence.

It is an offence to drive an UHPV with a disabled automated intervention system. An automated intervention system is any system that identifies a hazardous condition and responds by overriding the driver’s control of the vehicle. This includes:

• anti-lock braking
• automated emergency braking
• electronic stability control
• traction control.

The maximum penalty for this offence is six demerit points. A Court can also issue a maximum penalty of up to $5,000.

If you are involved in a crash while driving an UHPV and you have disabled any of your vehicle’s automatic intervention systems, you may be charged with the offence of causing death or serious harm by careless use of a vehicle.

If the driver:

• did not cause or contribute to disabling the automated intervention system; and
• did not know or could not reasonably be expected to have known it was disabled; and
• could not reasonably be expected to have sought to ascertain whether it was disabled.

Secondly, it is also a defence where it is impracticable for the person to drive with the automated intervention system enabled, for example when certain driving conditions could necessitate the disabling of an automated intervention system.

If you are disqualified from driving this applies to all licence classes, including a U class licence. You cannot drive any vehicle during the period you are disqualified.

You can drive an UHPV on your interstate car (C) class licence when visiting South Australia. If you move to South Australia, you are required to transfer your licence. Should you want to drive an UHPV once you have a South Australian licence, then you must pass the U Class Licence Course and apply for a U class licence.

Yes. In all other States and Territories you can drive an UHPV on a car (C) class licence. If you move interstate and hold a South Australian driver’s licence (with or without a U class) you are required to transfer your licence to a licence issued by your new home State or Territory.

A U class licence is required to drive a UHPV on a road or road related area. If an UHPV is driven on private property then a U class licence is not required.

To be eligible for a U class licence, you must hold an unconditional (full) or probationary Car (c) class licence or higher. If you only hold a motorbike licence, or learner’s permit or provisional licence then you cannot apply. UHPV drivers visiting South Australia can travel on their interstate C (car) class licence.

To apply for a U class licence, an eligible person must first pass the online U Class Licence Course and then apply and pay for a U class licence.

A practical (on-road) driving assessment is not required.

No. Provisional licence holders cannot apply for a U class licence. Provisional licence holders are already subject to high powered vehicle restrictions, which means they can’t drive a vehicle with a power to weight ratio more than 130 kw/tonnes.

UHPV’s (which have a power to weight ratio over 276kw/tonnes) can reach extremely dangerous high speeds with acceleration rates that cannot be matched by a regular car or SUV. Only a designated licence holder is eligible to apply for a U class licence to drive an UHPV.

Current UHPV registered owners were notified in January 2024 about the new U class licence and new laws related to UHPVs.

Over the next 6 months, the Department is undertaking a targeted education campaign to reach owners and drivers of UHPVs to encourage them to complete the new U Class Licence Course before changes come into place on 1 December 2024.

All C class (full) licence holders wishing to drive a vehicle classed as an UHPV will need to undertake the training to be issued with a U class licence, including those who already own or drive an UHPV.

No, the U Class Licence course is only available to SA licence holders.

You will learn:

• how to safely operate an UHPV
• about the risks associated with driving an UHPV
• about vehicle features such as Electronic Stability Control, Automated Emergency Braking and other automated intervention systems.

As you progress through the course you will be quizzed on your knowledge through a range of multiple-choice questions. You must complete an assessment at the end of the course to pass.

A practical (on-road) driving assessment is not required.

You can attempt the test as many times as you need (within a 12 month period) until you pass, at no additional cost.

Depending on your pace, the course will take between 30-45 minutes to complete.

You will not be issued with a certificate however your mySAGOV account will show that you have passed.

After passing the course, you will be required to pay for a replacement licence which adds a U class to your driver’s licence.

The U Class Licence course will work on most major devices (desktop, tablet and mobile) and browsers. The recommended way to complete this course is on a desktop computer using a browser such as Google Chrome or Firefox. If experiencing technical issues, it is recommended you check that your operating system and browser is up to date.

No, a practical (on-road) driving assessment is not required.

The U Class Licence Course is only available online. There is no need to visit a Service SA Customer Service Centre, but you will need a mySAGOV account to access the training.

Visit mySAGOV account to create an account or sign in.

The course is divided into three sections. As you progress through the course you will be quizzed on your knowledge through a range of multiple-choice questions. Once you have completed the quiz the next section will unlock.

The quiz questions are not assessed. At the end of the course there will be 15 questions which you will need to answer correctly to pass the course. If you get an assessment question wrong, you will receive another question to answer in its place. You will NOT need to re-start the test or re-do the whole course.

When you have completed the final assessment, a screen will appear to advise that you have passed the course and your result will be automatically uploaded to the driver licence system.

The U Class Licence Course will re-direct you to the mySAGOV account log in page (or your Homepage if your session is still current). When you log into your account you’ll see a link to apply for your U licence.

Once you’ve completed the application and paid the fee you’ll be issued with a replacement licence that includes the U class. You can access your digital licence immediately through the mySAGOV mobile app.

It’s exciting when you pass the U Class Licence Course but that doesn’t mean you can start driving UHPV’s straight away – you’ll need to get your U Class licence first.

Simply log into your mySAGOV account and click on the link to apply for your U Class Licence. Once you’ve completed the application and paid your licence will include the U Class.

You can print a temporary permit and also access your digital licence immediately through the mySAGOV mobile app. Both digital and temporary permits are recognised to allow commencement of driving UHPVs. Your photo card licence will be posted to you within the next fortnight.

When you have completed the final assessment, a screen will appear to advise that you have passed the course and your result will be automatically uploaded to the driver licence system.

The U Class Licence Course will re-direct you to the mySAGOV account log in page (or your Homepage if your session is still current). When you log into your account you’ll see a link to apply for your U licence.

Once you’ve completed the application and paid the fee you’ll be issued with a replacement licence that includes the U class.

You can print a temporary permit and access your digital U Class licence immediately through the mySAGOV mobile app. Both a digital and temporary permit is recognised to allow commencement of driving UHPV’s. Your photo card licence with the U class endorsement will be posted to you within a fortnight.

Yes you can, as long as you fit the eligibility requirements. However, please remember passing the course without obtaining the U Class Licence does not allow you to drive an UHPV.

Please call Service SA on 13 10 84 for assistance.

The course will cost $51 (plus an administrative fee of $10) and the replacement licence fee is $20.

After passing the course, you must apply and pay for your U class licence. This will add a U class to your driver’s licence. You will need to pay a $20 fee for your replacement licence.

Once you’ve enrolled in the course you will see a link to launch the U Class Licence course on your mySAGOV account home page.

If the ‘launch U Class licence course’ link isn’t displayed, check the Payment History under My Account to ensure the payment to enrol in the U Class course is listed, and is not more than 12 months old.

If the payment is more than 12 months old, you’ll need to re-enrol in the U Class Licence course if you want a further 12 months access.

If the problem persists please contact Service SA on 13 10 84 during business hours.

All quiz questions need to be correctly answered to earn three stars. If you’re having trouble answering all the questions correctly, review the content for that section.

Make sure that all three sections (Ultra High Powered Vehicles, Automated Intervention Systems and Take Ownership) are completed and that the ‘key’ has been earned for each section. You will need to successfully complete the quiz for each section to earn the key.

When you’ve earned all three keys the U Class Licence Knowledge Test is unlocked.

For the most optimal experience the page is triggered to go full screen so as much content can be displayed on the screen as possible.

For the most optimal experience the page is triggered to go full screen so as much content can be displayed on the screen as possible.

A slow internet connection may cause trouble loading the videos in this course. A download speed of 1.5mbps is required for the U Class Licence course to work on any device and 1.5GB is required to download the entire course. The content will download as the course progresses. If finding a faster connection is not an option, all videos have a text alternative that can be read instead of the video. This contains all the relevant information required to answer any questions.

If you’re attempting the knowledge test and you close your browser, click on the back arrow, log off, or lose internet connection, or exit before reaching the end, then your progress will be lost. If this happens you can log back in and re-attempt the course.

The U Class Licence Knowledge Test is designed to be fully interactive and autonomous. However, unexpected technical problems may occur.

If you're experiencing issues logging into your mySAGOV account or launching your U Class Licence course, try closing your browser session or restarting your device.

Similarly, if experiencing unusual behaviour during your session (e.g. video freezes, content not loading or rendering correctly, etc.) and refreshing the screen or a restart of your device does not resolve the problem then you can contact Service SA on 13 10 84 for assistance during business hours.

IMPORTANT: Service SA cannot provide assistance or answers to any of the questions in the knowledge test.

Check your internet connection is enabled and working. You’ll require an internet speed of at least 1.5mbps. You may need to close all other browser windows and/or refresh your page. If the problem persists, please clear your cache, and refresh the page. There are guides available online with information on how to clear the cache of your respective browser.

Check your internet connection is enabled and working. You’ll require an internet speed of at least 1.5mbps. You may need to close all other browser windows and/or refresh your page. If the problem persists, please clear your cache, and refresh the page. There are guides available online with information on how to clear the cache of your respective browser. If the problem continues, please contact Service SA on 13 10 84 during business hours.

When you click on the ‘Launch the U Class Licence Course’ link, the U Class Licence course opens in a new tab in your browser.

If you’re clicking on the ‘Launch the U Class Licence Course’ link and nothing happens, it might be because your browser settings are blocking pop-ups. There are guides online with information on how to allow/unblock pop-ups.

For example: Simply search ‘how to allow pop-ups in Safari’ or ‘how to unblock pop-ups in Chrome’.

If the problem continues, please contact Service SA on 13 10 84 during business hours.

A full C class licence holder who is employed at a motor vehicle related workplace and is required to drive an UHPV in the course of their work is exempt from holding a U class licence.

‘Employed’ includes those who are self-employed or carry out work under a contract for services.

A ‘motor vehicle related workplace’ means a place at which the primary business relates to the repair, sale, trade, inspection or transport of motor vehicles, or the renting or leasing out of a motor vehicle.

The exemption does not apply if you are not a full C class licence holder or if you do not work in a motor vehicle related workplace.

A full C Class licence holder who is test driving an UHPV from a motor vehicle dealer is exempt from holding a U class licence.

For the exemption to apply:

• An employee from the car dealership must hold a U class licence and be seated in the front passenger’s seat throughout the entire test drive; and
• The vehicle must not exceed a maximum speed of 100km/h (but must comply with the posted speed limit

It is intended the dealership employee will take all reasonable steps to supervise and instruct the prospective purchaser in the safe and efficient driving of the vehicle. The exemption does not apply if you are not a full C class licence holder or for private purchases of UHPVs.

It is your responsibility to satisfy police that you can meet the exemption criteria.

Read the Driver Exemption form (PDF, 208 KB) to help you determine whether you met the exemption criteria.

You can also present the completed form to SA Police if asked to demonstrate that you meet the exemption criteria.

The exemption to test drive a vehicle without holding a U class licence does not extend to private sales. It is only available for test drives through a motor vehicle dealer.

Yes, the dealer should tell you that the vehicle is an UHPV and may offer one of their staff members to accompany you on a test drive.

It is your responsibility to satisfy police that you can meet the exemption criteria.

Read the Driver Exemption form (PDF, 208 KB) to help you determine whether you meet the exemption criteria.

You can also present the completed form to SA Police if asked to demonstrate that you meet the exemption criteria.

You don’t need to apply for an exemption if you meet the exemption criteria.

It is your responsibility to satisfy police that you can meet the exemption criteria each time you get behind the wheel. Read the Driver Exemption form (PDF, 208 KB) to help you determine whether you met the exemption criteria.

To check that the vehicle(s) used in the experience are UHPVs you can use the online checker to check the particular vehicle(s) power to weight ratio. Note: If the vehicle is registered interstate you must use the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), and the checker only includes vehicles manufactured after 2010.

For vehicles manufactured before 2010 you can manually calculate your vehicle’s power to weight ratio.

If a person will be driving a supercar (UHPV) on a road or road related area they will be required to hold a U class licence before their experience occurs.

To apply for a U class licence, they must first pass the online U Class Licence Course and then apply and pay for a U class licence.