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.
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 licence applications need a Commercial Driver Health Assessment, unless you have supplied one to Access Canberra in the last 5 years for an existing public vehicle licence.
To retain your Public Vehicle Licence conditions, you must submit a Commercial Driver Health Assessment every 5 years.
If your licence is endorsed with an 'O' (public bus) condition you must get an assessment every year.
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.
- Use the Public Vehicle Driver Licence Application form
- Upload copies of any relevant documents
- 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).
PDVACs
Once licenced as a public vehicle driver, with the exception of rideshare drivers, Access Canberra will issue you a Public Vehicle Driver Authority Card (PDVAC).
You must display this in your vehicle at all times. It lets your passengers know that you’re authorised to drive the vehicle.
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.