Public passenger vehicles - ancillary certificate
- Description
- Age
- Knowledge and experience
- Driving and medical tests
- Renewal - Customer provides
- For the initial application
- Passenger Transport
- Taxis
- Customer receives
- Payment
Description
To drive a public passenger vehicle you must hold:- an Australian licence appropriate for the type of vehicle to be driven and
- an ancillary certificate.
A Public Passenger Vehicle is a vehicle with:
- less than 13 seats (including the driver), and used to carry passengers for hire or reward (small Public Passenger Vehicle)
- 13 or more seats, including the driver (large Public Passenger Vehicle)
There are two types of public passenger vehicle ancillary certificates:
- Taxi - Incorporating Taxi (including Wheelchair Accessible Taxi) (WAT)
- Passenger Transport - Incorporating Coach/Bus, Luxury Hire Car Limited Passenger Service and other Small Passenger Vehicle.
A Taxi ancillary certificate allows you to drive any public passenger vehicle that your driver licence class allows. However, you need to successfully undertaken the Transport passengers with disabilities training is eligible to drive a WAT.
A Passenger Transport ancillary certificate allows you to drive any public passenger vehicle that your driver licence class allows, except taxis.
An ancillary certificate to drive a public passenger vehicle or taxi will appear as a condition on the back of your drivers licence.
Age
You will need to satisfy the following requirements:- be at least 20 years of age
- if 20, held an Australian driver licence (other than learner licence) for at least two of the three years prior to the date of application.
- if 21 years or over, held an Australian driver licence (other than a learner licence) for at least one of the three years prior to the date of the application.
Knowledge and experience
When applying for an ancillary certificate you need to be familiar with the contents of the Tasmanian Road Rules. A knowledge test or a training course may be required.Driving and medical assessment
Medical assessments at the commercial standard are required every three years until 65 years of age, and annually thereafter or at the request of the Registrar of Motor Vehicles.You are not required to have a driving assessment unless requested by the Registrar of Motor Vehicles.
Renewal
An ancillary certificate is renewed separately to your driver licence.- complete the renewal form
- provide a current Tasmanian licence or Full Evidence of Identity
- provide a medical assessment (if applicable)
Customer provides
You will need to undertake the following through Service Tasmania shops or designated police stations:
For the initial application
Passenger Transport:
- National Criminal History Check (dated within six months of lodgement of application)
- your completed commercial medical assessment (at your own expense)
- completed an application form.
- complete a knowledge test (only if you have never held an ancillary certificate or it has expired for more than 2 years)
Taxi:
- National Criminal History Check (dated within six months of lodgement of application)
- your completed commercial medical assessment (at your own expense)
- completed an application form
- complete a literacy test
- complete a training course
Driver Safety Services
5 Lamb Place, Cambridge
Telephone 1800 834 436
Payment for literacy tests and taxi courses is made directly to Driver Safety Services.
You should complete the application form, undertake a commercial medical assessment, book and undertake the literacy assessment and complete the taxi training course whilst your National Criminal History Check is being processed (processing times for the check may take a number of weeks).
Customer receives
You will receive:- a receipt for fees paid if applicable
- the ancillary certificate (as a condition on the back of your driver licence)

