Tasmania caps most of its network at 100 km/h, reserving 110 km/h for upgraded sections of the Midland and Bass highways between the major cities. Urban streets default to 50 km/h, sealed rural roads to 100 km/h and gravel roads to 80 km/h. School zones run at 40 km/h behind a statewide network of solar-powered electronic signs, and a new fleet of mobile cameras has sharply increased the odds of a ticket.
Tasmania speed limits at a glance
| Road type | Limit |
|---|---|
| Built-up areas (default) | 50 kph (31 mph) |
| School zones | 40 kph (25 mph) |
| Rural roads and highways | 100 kph (62 mph) |
| Motorways / freeways | 110 kph (68 mph) |
About speed limits in Tasmania
Tasmania's defaults are 50 km/h on urban streets, 100 km/h on sealed rural roads and 80 km/h on unsealed gravel roads, a three-tier structure the Road Safety Advisory Council promotes heavily to visiting drivers. The only roads posted above 100 km/h are sections of the Midland Highway between Hobart and Launceston and the Bass Highway toward Devonport and Burnie, where duplication and safety works under the decade-long Midland Highway Upgrade allowed 110 km/h zoning. Those 110 zones are actively managed: in 2025 the state approved cutting a 1.6 km stretch of the Bass Highway at Leith from 110 to 90 km/h around two intersections, part of a continuing pattern of trimming limits at conflict points.
School zones are 40 km/h and typically operate on school days from 8:00 to 9:30 in the morning and 2:30 to 4:00 in the afternoon, though individual schools can vary their hours. Under a $9.5 million joint federal and state program, nearly 600 electronic school zone signs were replaced with networked, solar-powered units that display the active limit and flash when crossings are in use, so there is little excuse for missing an active zone. Penalties for speeding past a school are treated more harshly than open-road offences, and the Road Safety Advisory Council's long-running Love 40 campaign exists precisely because compliance in these zones had been poor.
Off the two main corridors, Tasmania's geography does the speed limiting. The island's rural network is winding, narrow and often wet, and posted limits of 60 to 90 km/h are common where the default would nominally allow 100. Tourist routes such as the roads to Cradle Mountain, the Tasman Peninsula and the east coast mix sealed and gravel surfaces, and wildlife is a genuine hazard: Tasmania has one of the highest rates of animal strikes in the country, with wallabies and possums most active at dawn and dusk. Police and the RACT consistently advise driving under the posted limit in fog, ice and heavy shade, particularly on the Central Highlands and west coast roads in winter.
Tasmania modernised its enforcement with the Automated Traffic Enforcement Program, rolling out a new fleet of mobile speed cameras from late 2022 in partnership with Tasmania Police. The dual-function units detect speeding as well as mobile phone and seatbelt offences, operate from unmarked trailers and vehicles, and are deployed to crash-history sites including school zones during operating hours. The program marked a step change for a state that previously relied almost entirely on marked police patrols, and fine volumes and revenue rose noticeably in the first years of operation. Fixed red-light cameras operate at Hobart and Launceston intersections, and camera locations are published by Transport Tasmania.
Enforcement
Tasmania Police patrol the Midland and Bass highways with radar and laser, and the Automated Traffic Enforcement Program adds unmarked mobile cameras that also detect phone and seatbelt offences. Cameras are deployed to crash-history sites and school zones, fixed red-light cameras cover major Hobart and Launceston intersections, and rural tourist routes see periodic blitzes in holiday periods.
Tolerance
There is no published tolerance, and Tasmania's fine schedule includes an unusually narrow 10 to 15 km/h bracket that catches drivers other states would let into a broader band. Police advise that enforcement can begin within a few km/h of the limit, and the new mobile cameras are calibrated tightly. In school zones and roadwork sites, expect zero tolerance.
Speeding fines in Tasmania
Fines start at about $173 for less than 10 km/h over and around $260 in the narrow 10 to 15 bracket, then step up to roughly $317 with 3 points for 23 to 29 over, $543 with 5 points for 30 to 37 over, and $769 with 6 points plus a three month disqualification for 38 to 44 over. At 45 or more over the matter can go to court, with penalties exceeding $1,000 and reaching about $2,300 under current schedules.
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum speed limit in Tasmania?
110 km/h, posted only on upgraded sections of the Midland Highway between Hobart and Launceston and the Bass Highway toward Devonport and Burnie. Everything else is 100 km/h or less, with sealed rural roads defaulting to 100 km/h and gravel roads to 80 km/h.
What are the school zone rules in Tasmania?
School zones are 40 km/h, typically active on school days from 8:00 to 9:30 am and 2:30 to 4:00 pm, with hours shown on nearly 600 networked solar-powered electronic signs installed under a $9.5 million upgrade. Penalties are tougher than for open-road speeding.
Does Tasmania use mobile speed cameras?
Yes. The Automated Traffic Enforcement Program introduced a fleet of unmarked mobile cameras from late 2022 that detect speeding, mobile phone use and seatbelt offences. They are deployed to crash-history locations and school zones, supplementing Tasmania Police patrols and fixed red-light cameras.
What is the default speed limit on gravel roads in Tasmania?
80 km/h on unsealed rural roads, compared with 100 km/h on sealed rural roads and 50 km/h in urban areas. Police advise driving well below the default on gravel, especially on tourist routes where surfaces change without warning and wildlife is common at dawn and dusk.
Speed limits in nearby states
- Victoria speed limit — highway, rural, and school-zone limits.
Related tools
- Convert KPH to MPH — convert any speed reading between units.
- Car speed test — verify your speedometer accuracy.
- Live GPS speedometer — see your actual speed in the browser.
- Stopping distance calculator — how far you need to brake from each speed.
- Australia speed limits overview — national defaults and how states differ.