What the Queensland driver licence photo is for
The Queensland driver licence is an official card that proves your identity and your right to drive in Queensland, Australia. Police and other authorities compare the face on the card with the person in front of them during a traffic stop, so a Queensland driver licence photo has to show your face clearly and without edits. The photo rules below come from the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) and its renewal kit.
Photo size and head position
The Queensland driver licence photo size is 35 mm wide and 45 mm high. Your head should be centred and fill 70–80% of the photo height, which is about 35 mm from chin to crown. Leave roughly 3 mm between the top of your hair and the photo edge, and keep your eyes 26–30 mm from the bottom. Our photo maker sets this size and head position for you, so you never measure a photo with a ruler.
Background, quality and expression
- Plain light background, preferably light grey or white, with no patterns or shadows.
- Sharp colour photo in focus, with no blur or pixelation.
- Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open; do not smile or frown.
- If you wear glasses, there must be no glare on the lenses and your eyes must be clearly visible.
- Head coverings for religious or medical reasons are allowed, but your face must show from chin to forehead and from ear to ear.
Getting a good photo at home
You do not need a studio. Stand about an arm's length from a plain wall, face a window so daylight falls evenly on your face, and switch off the flash, which causes glare and hard shadows. Ask someone to take the picture with the phone held at eye level, or use a selfie with your arm straight. Pull your hair back from your eyebrows and the edges of your face, remove a cap or hat, and wear everyday clothes in a colour that stands out from a light background. Keep your shoulders square, look straight into the lens and close your mouth. Take a few shots and upload the sharpest one; the AI handles cropping, straightening and the background.
Printed photo or digital file
A printed Queensland driver licence photo should be on high-quality photo paper. Our 600 DPI file keeps the photo sharp at 35×45 mm, so a print shop or a home photo printer gives a clean result. The same photo also works as a digital file for online use: download it free and keep a copy on your phone.
What our AI check looks at
After you upload a selfie, the photo maker finds your face, crops the photo to the 35×45 mm size and moves your head so it fills about 35 mm of the height with a 3 mm margin above the hair. It then replaces the background with plain light grey, the colour used for this Queensland format, and checks sharpness, expression, eye visibility and glare on glasses. If something fails, you see which rule it is and can take a new photo in a few seconds.
Choosing the right Australian format
Australian documents do not all follow the same photo rules. If you also need a picture for another document, such as an Australia visa photo, make it on that document's own page. For a card issued in Queensland, use this page: the size, head height, top margin and light grey background are set for the Queensland format, so you never need to work out the photo size yourself.
How to get a Queensland driver licence
To start as a learner in Queensland you must be at least 16 years old and a Queensland resident. You will need proof of identity (for example a passport or birth certificate), proof of residency (such as a utility bill or rental agreement) and, if you have one, a previous card from another Australian state or another country. You complete the application online or in person at a TMR office.
Learner applicants sit a knowledge test on road rules and safety; provisional and open applicants take a practical driving test. When you apply, you submit a Queensland driver licence photo that meets the requirements above. The article this page is based on notes that the photo can be taken at a professional photo service or at the TMR office, so check with TMR which option applies to you. Fees depend on the card type and how long it is valid, and the card arrives in the mail once the application is approved.
Renewing or replacing your card
Cards issued in Queensland have to be renewed from time to time. Renewal follows a similar process to the first application but usually does not require you to repeat the tests. If your card is lost or stolen, report it to the police and apply for a replacement through TMR. Each time, read the current photo rules in the official renewal kit before you get a new Queensland driver licence photo.
Moving to Queensland from another state
If you already drive in another Australian state, bring your current card when you apply. Other states have their own photo rules: for example, see our NSW driver licence photo page. Visitors from overseas may drive in Queensland for a limited time, so check the TMR rules for international driving permits. For other Australian documents, our Australia passport photo and proof of age card photo pages use the same photo maker.
