This guide covers licences, toll roads, keeping left, school zones and cameras for visitors who drive in Brisbane. It leaves out fines and toll prices. Each rule below is what the named Queensland Government or Linkt page says at 9 November 2026, and the last-updated date shown on each Queensland Government page is given where it matters, because several of these pages are years old and the rules may have changed since. Parking is covered separately in Free Parking and Cheap Parking in Brisbane: What to Know.
Using an overseas or interstate licence
At 9 November 2026, the Queensland Government’s overseas licence page (last updated 19 February 2024) says that if you are visiting Queensland you can drive if you have a valid interstate or overseas licence. While driving on it, the page says you must drive only the class of motor vehicle authorised on that licence, comply with your licence conditions (if any) and show your licence to a police officer when asked. For an overseas car licence, the page says you may drive vehicles allowed under a Queensland class C licence. It also says that if you get too many demerit points, a notice is sent saying your authority to drive in Queensland will be withdrawn (suspended).
The same page says that if you move to Queensland you will have to transfer your licence to a Queensland licence. It lists situations in which a visitor cannot drive, including where an Australian court has disqualified you from holding or getting a driver licence. Driving when you are not allowed to leads, according to the page, to a charge of unlicensed driving and a possible court appearance.
If police stop you
At 9 November 2026, the same licence page (last updated 19 February 2024) says a driver stopped by police needs to give their name and address and show their driver licence, and may also need to take a roadside alcohol breath test or drug saliva test. If your licence is not in English, the page says you should carry a recognised English translation and show it to police when you have to show your licence. The page notes that the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) has a list of approved translators.
Toll roads and how tolls are paid
The Queensland Government’s page on paying tolls, which shows a last-updated date of 8 April 2021, names Linkt as the Queensland toll payment provider. Linkt describes Queensland’s toll roads as having no booths or barriers, with cash not used and payment made electronically. When a vehicle uses a toll road, Linkt says a picture of its licence plate is taken at the toll point and the toll is then charged to the toll account or pass.
For visitors, occasional and casual toll road users, that same Queensland Government tolls page (last updated 8 April 2021) says, as read at 9 November 2026, that a toll may be paid up to 3 days after using a toll road. Linkt’s own page, at the same date, words it differently: for a trip already driven without an account or pass, it says to open an account or buy a pass on the day of travel or the next day, then move the trip onto the account. The two pages give different timeframes, and this guide does not reconcile them.
Linkt describes a pass as a good option if you only use toll roads sometimes, and says you can pay for trips automatically every time you drive with a valid Linkt toll account. If payment was not arranged before travel or within 3 days, the Queensland Government tolls page (last updated 8 April 2021) says the vehicle’s registered owner will receive an unpaid toll notice from the payment provider, and the notice may also include additional fees. For rental vehicles, the same 2021 page says to check with the rental company about their tolling arrangements, and you may need to note the rental vehicle’s number plate, including its state of registration if it is not registered in Queensland, to pay the toll.
Keeping left
At 9 November 2026, the Queensland Government’s keep-left page (last updated 27 February 2023) says that on single-lane roads you must stay as close as practical to the left side of the road. On multi-lane roads where the posted speed limit is 90km/h or more, or where the road has a ‘keep left unless overtaking’ sign, the page says you must not drive in the right-hand lane unless you are in one of the listed situations. Those situations include overtaking, turning right, making a U-turn, avoiding an obstruction and driving in congested traffic. The page also says it is never legal to exceed the speed limit to overtake another vehicle.
Speed limits and school zones
At 9 November 2026, the Queensland Government’s speed limits page (last updated 26 February 2024) says the speed limit in built-up areas in Queensland is 50km/h unless otherwise indicated by signs. A school zone sign tells you the reduced speed limit and the times when that limit is in place. The page gives 40km/h on roads where the normal speed limit is 50, 60 or 70km/h, and 60km/h on roads where the normal limit is 80km/h or above.
For timing, the page says that, generally, the standard times that most school zones apply in Queensland are 7-9am and 2-4pm, and that the times for each school are listed on its sign. If a zone operates outside the standard times, the page says you will see the flashing light school sign in operation. It also says that if you are unsure whether it is a school day, you should slow down to the speed limit displayed on the school zone sign.
Speed cameras and enforcement
The Queensland Government’s enforcement page, which shows a last-updated date of 26 July 2021, lists the methods it uses to enforce speeding laws as on-road police, fixed speed cameras, mobile speed cameras, road safety camera trailers, point-to-point speed cameras and combined red light and speed cameras. That 2021 page also says that if you are caught speeding by any enforcement method, you will be given a fine and demerit points will be recorded on your traffic history. The Department of Transport and Main Roads says it has portable speed camera technology placed in prioritised school zones and roadworks. On phones and seatbelts, the cameras page (last updated 30 September 2024) says enforcement occurs anywhere, anytime on Queensland roads.
Visitors arriving by air can read about Brisbane Airport to the City: Your Options, and those who prefer public transport can see Go Card and Public Transport Tickets Explained. Problems with a road surface are covered in How to Report a Road or Footpath Problem in Brisbane.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drive in Brisbane on my overseas licence?
At 9 November 2026, the Queensland Government’s overseas licence page (last updated 19 February 2024) says that if you are visiting Queensland you can drive if you have a valid interstate or overseas licence. It also says that if your licence is not in English you should carry a recognised English translation.
How can a visitor pay a toll in Queensland?
As read at 9 November 2026, the Queensland Government’s tolls page (last updated 8 April 2021) says visitors may pay a toll up to 3 days after using a toll road by contacting Linkt, the Queensland toll payment provider. Linkt’s page, read the same day, says to open an account or buy a pass on the day of travel or the next day. The two pages differ and this guide does not reconcile them.
What is the speed limit in a Queensland school zone?
At 9 November 2026, the Queensland Government says it is 40km/h where the normal limit is 50, 60 or 70km/h and 60km/h where the normal limit is 80km/h or above, with times shown on the sign.
What if I am driving a rental car on a toll road?
As read at 9 November 2026, the Queensland Government’s tolls page (last updated 8 April 2021) says to check with the rental company about their tolling arrangements, and you may need to note the rental vehicle’s number plate to pay the toll.
