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Public vehicle driver licences

A public vehicle driver licence is for people who will be using a vehicle to transport members of the public.

To get an ACT public vehicle driver licence you must meet the eligibility requirements in the Road Transport (Driver Licensing) Regulation 2000.

Eligibility

At a minimum, to get a public vehicle licence you need to:

  • be a permanent Australian resident or have a visa that allows you to work in Australia
  • hold a full ACT driver licence
  • hold a current positive Working with Vulnerable People registration and maintain this registration while you hold a public vehicle licence
  • provide a commercial driver's health assessment less than 6 months old. Exceptions for this are if you’ve submitted one in the last 5 years and already have a public driver licence.

To prove your residency status, you’ll need a copy one of these documents:

  • Overseas passport
  • Australian passport
  • Australian birth certificate
  • Australian citizenship certificate
  • ImmiCard.

These don’t need to be certified copies.

You may not get a public vehicle driver licence if, within the last 5 years you’ve:

  • been convicted of a disqualifying offence
  • been disqualified from holding or obtaining an Australian driver licence under the law of any jurisdiction
  • had your driver licence suspended under the law of any jurisdiction. Exceptions to this are suspensions for unpaid infringement notices.

As part of the application for public vehicle driver licences, you’ll need to declare any offences that may make you ineligible and a driver licence history must be provided.

Interstate or New Zealand public vehicle driver licences

If you hold a public vehicle licence from another Australian state or territory, or New Zealand, you may be eligible to work in the ACT under Mutual Recognition (Australian Capital Territory) Act 1992 and the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997.

If you are moving to the ACT and want to apply for an ACT Driver Licence with Public Vehicle conditions using mutual recognition, you’ll need to upload additional documents:

  • a copy of your current driver licence
  • a current interstate or New Zealand public vehicle driver licence or public vehicle authority card
  • a statement of licence details showing the issue date of the interstate or New Zealand public vehicle driver licence.

Licence conditions

If approved, your ACT driver licence will be endorsed with a public vehicle licence condition for the type of vehicle you’re operating:

  • D: Rideshare.
  • H: Hire car
  • M: Hire car motorcycle
  • O: Public bus
  • T: Taxi
  • W: Restricted hire car

While operating any public vehicle, you must have a blood or breath alcohol concentration of zero.

Some public vehicle licence conditions have additional requirements:

Rideshare drivers

To get a 'D' condition on your licence you also need to get rideshare driver accreditation.

Read about rideshare accreditation and licencing.

Hire motorcycle riders

To get an 'M' condition on your licence you must hold a full Australian motorcycle licence.

Read about motorcycle licences.

Public bus drivers

To get an 'O' condition on your licence you must:

  • have a full Australian ‘C’ class or heavy vehicle class licence depending on the size of the bus
  • have held that licence for at least 1 year (or for periods totalling 1 year) in the last 3 years.
  • Submit or have previously submitted an approved Commercial Drivers Health Assessment in the last 12 months.

Read about getting a driver licence.

Read about heavy vehicle licences.

Taxi drivers

To get a 'T' condition on your licence, depending on your citizenship status, you may need to do an English literacy assessment.

Read about getting a taxi driver licence.

Commercial driver health assessments

All Public Vehicle Drivers Licence applications require a Commercial Driver Health Assessment to be included, unless you have already submitted one to Access Canberra.

Licence holders with an 'O' (Public Bus) condition are required to submit a new Commercial Driver health Assessment every 12 months.

All licence holders with the following conditions are required to submit a new Commercial Driver Health Assessment every 5 years - D, T, H, W, & M.

Drivers aged 70 or older with public vehicle licences

Licence holders who are 70 or older that hold a public vehicle licence need to get:

  • yearly commercial driver health assessments
  • provide a passed driving assessment relevant to the authorisation they hold, for example taxi or bus.

If you don't need the public vehicle condition on your licence anymore, visit an Access Canberra Service Centre to downgrade your licence for free. You will need to hand in your current licence and your Public Vehicle Driver Authority Card. You will be provided with an updated licence without the public vehicle condition.

Read about medical assessments.

Apply for or add to a public vehicle driver licence

You can apply online.

  1. Use the Public Vehicle Driver Licence Application form
  2. Upload copies of any relevant documents
  3. Pay the fee (if applicable).

You can use the same form to add more public vehicle licence conditions to your existing public vehicle licence.

Once your application is approved, Access Canberra will post you:

  • a new driver licence with the public vehicle condition you applied for
  • a public vehicle driver authority card (PVDAC).

PVDACs

Once a Public Vehicle Drivers Licence is issued, the licence holder will also be issued a Public Vehicle Driver Authority Card (PVDAC).

You must always display this in your vehicle. It lets your passengers know that you're authorised to drive the vehicle and collect passengers.

Renew your public vehicle licence

The process for renewing your public vehicle licence is the same as any other ACT driver licence.

Read about renewing your driver licence.

Fees

The fees for a full licence:

  • valid for 5 years: $192.70
  • valid for 10 years: $358.40
  • valid for 1 year: $38.50.

'Q' condition

A 'Q' condition code is issued to temporary overseas visitors issued with an Australian driver licence. The purpose of the 'Q' condition is to indicate the licence holder has not provided proof of permanent Australian residency.

In the ACT, a 'Q' condition is only applied to Public Vehicle Drivers Licences and can be removed once evidence or residency is provided to Access Canberra.

To apply for the removal of the Q:

  1. Use the Public Vehicle Driver Licence Application form
  2. Upload a copy of your passport or Australian Citizenship Certificate