Getting a taxi driver licence
Taxi drivers use taxi licenced vehicles to transport passengers. The drivers are either independently accredited or work for an accredited taxi service operator.
Read about taxi service accreditation
You need to meet the requirements in the Road Transport (Driver Licensing) Regulation 2000 and apply for a public vehicle licence.
Read about public driver vehicle licence.
If approved, you’ll get:
- a new driver licence endorsed with a ‘T’ condition
- a Public Vehicle Driver Authority Card for display in the vehicle.
English language standards
To get a ‘T’ taxi driver condition on your ACT driver licence, there are minimum English language standards.
Read about licence classes and conditions.
If you’re a citizen of, or hold a passport for these countries, then you don’t need to do an assessment:
- Australia
- Canada
- New Zealand
- Republic of Ireland
- United Kingdom
- USA.
English language assessments
If you aren’t a citizen or don’t hold a passport for one of those countries, you’ll need to do an English language assessment.
The assessments test your English language skills for:
- listening
- reading
- speaking
- writing.
Access Canberra will only accept the results of these tests and you must meet the minimum score for each component.
Search online for the name of the tests to find a provider. Ask your employer if they have a preferred test or test provider.
You can do most tests online.
| Name of test | Listening min. score | Reading min. score | Speaking min. score | Writing min. score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| International Second Language Proficiency Ratings (ISPLR) | 3 | 2 | 2+ | 1+ |
| International English Language Test System (IELTS) | 5.5 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based test (TOEFL iBT) | 18 | 2 | 14 | 8 |
| Occupational English Test (OET) | B | B | B | B |
| Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced test. | 169 | 169 | 169 | 169 |
Apply for a 'T' condition
Once you have passed an English language assessment, you can apply for a public vehicle licence endorsed with a ‘T’ condition.
You will need to provide the results of your assessment to prove you passed.
Read how to apply for a public driver vehicle licence.