Getting a heavy vehicle licence

You need a heavy vehicle licence to operate any vehicle that has a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) of more than 4.5 tonnes, this includes:

• trucks
• semitrailers
• passenger buses
• livestock vehicles.

If you’re looking to upgrade your current ACT car licence to a heavy vehicle licence, you can learn to do this on your existing licence. Make sure you carry your licence with you while you’re learning to drive.

If you want to get your interstate heavy vehicle licence recognised in the ACT visit our Drivers with interstate licences page.

Learning to drive a heavy vehicle

You need to meet the licence prerequisites to practice driving a heavy vehicle, and to apply for a heavy vehicle driver licence.

• Light rigid vehicle licences: you need a C class full or provisional licence held for at least 12 months
• Medium rigid vehicles licences: you need a C class full or provisional licence held for at least 12 months
• Heavy rigid vehicle licences: you need a C class full or provisional licence held for at least 24 months
• Heavy combination vehicle licences: you need to have held a full medium rigid or heavy rigid vehicle licence for at least 12 months
• Multi-combination vehicle licences: you need to have held a full heavy combination or heavy rigid vehicle licence for at least 12 months.

Read about licence classes and conditions

You must:

• display learner's 'L' plates while driving the heavy vehicle
• be accompanied by a person holding a full licence of the appropriate class. For example, for a heavy rigid vehicle class licence you’re learning to drive in a heavy rigid vehicle.

You can learn with an appropriately licenced person or do a course through the training providers that conduct the practical driving assessments.

If you’re applying for a multi-combination vehicle class licence, you must do a multi-combination vehicle licence course.

Getting assessed

The type of heavy vehicle licence class you’re applying for will determine which assessments you need and where you can get them.

Knowledge test

You need to pass a knowledge test for the heavy vehicle class you’re applying for unless you’ve already passed it for a relevant class.

• Light rigid vehicle licence: you must pass a knowledge test
• Medium rigid vehicle licence: you must pass a knowledge test if you haven’t already passed one for a light rigid class driver licence
• Heavy rigid vehicle licence: you must pass a knowledge test if you haven’t already passed one for a light rigid or medium rigid class driver licence
• Heavy combination vehicle licence: you must pass a knowledge test
• Multi-combination vehicle licence:  you must pass a knowledge test if you haven’t already passed one for a heavy combination class driver licence.

You must provide a passed certificate for the knowledge test before you can take the practical driving assessment.

The ACT Road Ready Centres provide the computer-based knowledge test.

Read more about knowledge tests on the Road Ready Centre website.

Commercial driver health assessment

You need to complete a commercial driver health assessment if you're applying for a:

• medium rigid vehicle licence
• heavy rigid vehicle licence
• heavy combination vehicle licence
• multi-combination vehicle licence.

You don't need to complete a commercial driver health assessment if you've already provided one to Access Canberra within the last 6 months.

You must complete the health assessment every 5 years. Access Canberra will write to you reminding you to undertake the health assessment.

Read about medical assessments.

Practical driving assessment

The type of heavy vehicle licence class will determine the duration and scope of the assessment, and which provider you can go to.

If you do your practical assessment in a:

• tiptronic transmission vehicle, your licence will be endorsed with condition 'A'.
• synchromesh transmission vehicle, your licence will be endorsed condition 'B'.

These conditions only apply to the heavy vehicle licence classes, not to licence class C.

Read about licence classes and conditions.

Assessments are 1 hour and 30 minutes for:

• light rigid vehicle licences
• medium rigid vehicle licences
• heavy rigid vehicle licences
• heavy combination vehicle licences

Assessments for multi-combination vehicle licences are 2 hours and 40 minutes long.

Once passed, the assessment is valid for 3 months.

Assessment providers for light rigid, medium rigid, heavy rigid and heavy combination classes

You can attend any of the below providers to do your assessment for:

• light rigid vehicle licences
• medium rigid vehicle licences
• heavy rigid vehicle licences
• heavy combination vehicle licences.

Assessment providers for multi combination class

You can only do a multi-combination course and assessment at one of the below ACT Government contracted providers.

Apply for a licence upgrade

When you’ve passed the practical assessment, visit an Access Canberra Service Centre.

Bring with you:

• your ACT driver licence
• your passed heavy vehicle knowledge test certificate
• your passed practical driving assessment certificate.
• your completed Commercial Driver Health Assessment (CDHA) for medium rigid classes and above.

If you have presented a valid CDHA to Access Canberra within the last 6 months, you don’t need to submit another one.

Read about fitness to drive.

There is no fee for upgrading your licence.

Access Canberra will give you a temporary licence which you can use until your physical card arrives, which can take up to 21 business days.