Dangerous goods driver licences

The driver of a vehicle transporting dangerous goods by road must hold a current and valid dangerous goods driver licence in addition to their road vehicle driver licence if:

  • one or more of the receptacles being used to contain the dangerous goods has a capacity of more than 500L or 500kg; and
  • the exception for the use of intermediate bulk containers does not apply.

An intermediate bulk container (IBC) is rigid or flexible portable packaging for the transport of dangerous goods, which is designed for mechanical handling and:

The exception for the use of IBCs allows up to 3,000L of dangerous goods to be transported on the vehicle using IBCs without the need to hold a dangerous goods driver licence, provided that the IBCs are not filled or emptied whilst on the vehicle.

Regardless of whether a dangerous goods driver licence is required, the driver must be given any information, training, instruction and supervision which is necessary to allow them to carry out their work safely, in line with the safety duties in the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.

ACT dangerous goods driver licences can only be granted to ACT residents. However, the Regulation does allow for recognition of a current and valid dangerous goods driver licence issued from another State or Territory for the purpose of transporting dangerous goods by road in the ACT.

Eligibility

Applicants must be a resident of the ACT and hold a current and valid ACT road vehicle driver licence. Provisional and learner licences are not recognised for this purpose.

In addition, we cannot grant you an ACT dangerous goods driver licence if you are subject to a court order which prohibits your involvement in the transport of dangerous goods by road.

The Dangerous Goods (Road Transport) Regulation 2010 (the Regulation) sets out a number of requirements which you must meet in order to be deemed suitable to be the driver of a vehicle transporting dangerous goods by road.

If you already hold a current and valid dangerous goods driver licence issued from another State or Territory, you will be required to surrender that licence if you wish to apply for an ACT dangerous goods driver licence.

The Regulation does not allow you to transport dangerous goods by road in the ACT whilst your application for the ACT dangerous goods driver licence is being assessed.

Recognition of interstate licences

If you hold a current and valid dangerous goods driver licence issued from another State or Territory, you may drive a vehicle transporting dangerous goods by road in the ACT under that licence, subject to the same conditions, restrictions and limitations that would apply in the State or Territory that the licence was issued from.

If you have moved to the ACT, you may continue to drive vehicles transporting dangerous goods by road under the interstate licence, provided that it remains current and valid in the State or Territory that the licence was issued from.

Alternatively, you may surrender the interstate licence and apply for the grant of an ACT dangerous goods driver licence.

The Regulation does not allow you to transport dangerous goods by road in the ACT whilst your application for the ACT dangerous goods driver licence is being assessed.

WorkSafe ACT cannot accept an application to renew a dangerous goods driver licence issued from another State or Territory. Enquiries about renewing an interstate licence should be directed to the licensing authority which issued that licence.

Recognised training

Before applying for the grant or renewal of an ACT dangerous goods driver licence, you must complete the unit of competency 'TLILIC0001 - Licence to transport dangerous goods by road' delivered by a registered training organisation (RTO) and receive a Statement of Attainment as evidence that you passed an assessment of your skills and knowledge.

The RTO must have a current approval or other form of recognition of its dangerous goods driver training, issued by the competent authority in the State or Territory where the training was delivered.

WorkSafe ACT publishes a list of training providers (see below) which have a current approval or recognition for dangerous goods driver training delivered in the ACT.

If your dangerous goods driver training will be delivered in another State or Territory, you should contact the local competent authority to confirm that they recognise dangerous goods driver training delivered by that RTO for dangerous goods driver licensing purposes.

Once you have received your Statement of Attainment for the unit of competency 'TLILIC0001 - Licence to transport dangerous goods by road', you must apply for the grant or renewal of the ACT dangerous goods driver licence within 6 months of the date shown on the Statement of Attainment.

Training providers

Approved training providers

The following registered training organisations (RTOs) have obtained an approval or recognition of their dangerous goods driver training for delivery in the ACT.

Seeking recognition as a training provider

If you have obtained an approval (however described) of the dangerous goods driver training delivered by your registered training organisation (RTO) from the competent authority in another State or Territory, you may apply for recognition of that approval in the ACT under the mutual recognition principle instead of applying for a separate approval in the ACT.

There is no prescribed application form however the application must be made in writing and include a:

  • copy of the interstate approval document or letter issued by the corresponding competent authority which sets out all of the details of the approval;
  • statement confirming that the person who holds the interstate approval is not prohibited by court order from involvement in the transport of dangerous goods;
  • copy of the materials which will be used in delivering this unit of competency in the ACT, including the exam paper and other materials to be used in carrying out the assessment; and,
  • document describing the controls which the RTO has put in place to ensure that the persons engaged to deliver this training are appropriately qualified and will be using the mandated assessment instrument in carrying out the assessment.

The application should be submitted by email to DangerousSubstances@worksafe.act.gov.au. If you have difficulties in submitting the application by email, please contact the Dangerous Goods and Hazardous Chemicals Unit on (02) 6207 3000 for assistance.

No fee is payable for an application of this type, but recognition is subject to WorkSafe ACT being satisfied that the interstate approval is current and valid, and that the RTO has scope to deliver and assess this unit of competency in the ACT. Implicit scope to deliver the unit as part of a qualification is recognised for this purpose.

Seeking approval as a training provider

If you wish to obtain approval of the dangerous goods driver training delivered by your registered training organisation (RTO) from the ACT competent authority, instead of applying for recognition of an existing interstate approval under the mutual recognition principle, you will need to make an application under section 175 of the Regulation.

There is no prescribed application form however the application must be made in writing and include a:

  • statement confirming that you are authorised to apply on behalf of the RTO for approval of the training which the RTO will provide when delivering the unit of competency 'TLILIC0001 - Licence to transport dangerous goods by road' in the ACT and that you are not prohibited by court order from involvement in the transport of dangerous goods;
  • copy of the materials which will be used in delivering this unit of competency in the ACT, including the exam paper and other materials to be used in carrying out the assessment; and,
  • document describing the controls which the RTO has put in place to ensure that the persons engaged to deliver this training are appropriately qualified and will be using the mandated assessment instrument in carrying out the assessment.

The application should be submitted by email to DangerousSubstances@worksafe.act.gov.au. If you have difficulties in submitting the application by email, please contact the Dangerous Goods and Hazardous Chemicals Unit on (02) 6207 3000 for assistance.

Once your application is received, WorkSafe ACT will contact you to arrange for payment of the current application fee.

Approval will only be given if the RTO has scope to deliver and assess this unit of competency in the ACT. Implicit scope to deliver the unit as part of a qualification is recognised for this purpose.

Requirements

When you apply for a licence, WorkSafe ACT will assess:

  • your driving history over the past five years;
  • your evidence of training in the transport of dangerous goods;
  • your current fitness to drive;
  • any relevant convictions or findings of guilt for an offence in the past five years; and,
  • any current court orders that apply to you.

The personal information which you include in your application may be provided to other persons and organisations in order for WorkSafe ACT to regulate the transport of dangerous goods by road in the ACT. If your application is successful, personal information appearing on your licence will also be published in a public register.

You will need to notify WorkSafe ACT if any change of circumstances after you lodge the application means that the information in your application is no longer current and correct.

Driving history

You will not be granted an ACT dangerous goods driver licence if your driving history includes the suspension or cancellation of a road vehicle driver licence within the past five years, on grounds that make you unsuitable to be the driver of a vehicle transporting dangerous goods by road.

The criteria which WorkSafe ACT uses to assess an applicant's suitability, including disqualifying driving offences, are set out in the Dangerous Goods Driver Licence Suitable Persons Policy.

If your driving history shows the expiry of a road vehicle driver licence within the past five years due to a delay in renewing that licence, this does not affect your suitability to be the driver of a vehicle transporting dangerous goods by road.

If your ACT road vehicle driver licence expires whilst your application is being assessed, you will need to renew that licence before your application can proceed.

WorkSafe ACT may contact the licensing authority in any State or Territory where you have held a licence to drive to request further information about your driving history.

Training

You will not be granted an ACT dangerous goods driver licence unless you provide evidence that you have successfully completed recognised training for dangerous goods drivers within the past 6 months.

WorkSafe ACT may contact the registered training organisation (RTO) which delivered your training and assessment to request further information, and may also seek advice from the Australian Skills Quality Authority as the RTO regulator.

If you undertook your training in another State or Territory, WorkSafe ACT may also contact the competent authority in that jurisdiction to verify whether the RTO is an approved or recognised provider of dangerous goods driver training under corresponding law.

Fitness to drive

You will not be granted an ACT dangerous goods driver licence unless you provide evidence that you were assessed by a registered medical practitioner as being fit to drive under the current commercial driver standards within the past six months.

These standards are set out in Assessing Fitness to Drive, a joint publication of the National Transport Commission and Austroads.

WorkSafe ACT may contact the medical practitioner to request further information about your fitness to drive and may also seek advice from any specialist that the medical practitioner may have referred you to.

WorkSafe ACT may also direct the medical practitioner to provide the records of your assessment to the Fitness to Drive Medical Clinic for review.

Convictions or findings of guilt

You will not be granted an ACT dangerous goods driver licence if you have been convicted or found guilty of an offence within the past five years on grounds that make you unsuitable to be the driver of a vehicle transporting dangerous goods by road.

The criteria which WorkSafe ACT uses to assess an applicant's suitability, including disqualifying criminal offences, are set out in the Dangerous Goods Driver Licence Suitable Persons Policy.

You are only required to provide details of a conviction or finding of guilt for an offence which is relevant to your suitability to be the driver of a vehicle transporting dangerous goods by road.

If you are unsure whether an offence is relevant to your suitability to be the driver of a vehicle transporting dangerous goods by road, please contact WorkSafe ACT before submitting your application.

Court orders

You will not be granted an ACT dangerous goods driver licence if you are subject to a court order which prohibits your involvement in the transport of dangerous goods by road.

A court order which directly or indirectly restricts your involvement in the transport of dangerous goods by road, or which otherwise impacts on your suitability to be the driver of a vehicle transporting dangerous goods by road, will not prevent you from applying for an ACT dangerous goods driver licence but may result in conditions being placed on the licence.

The criteria which WorkSafe ACT uses to assess an applicant's suitability are set out in the Dangerous Goods Driver Licence Suitable Persons Policy.

You are only required to provide details of a court order which is relevant to your suitability to be the driver of a vehicle transporting dangerous goods by road.

If you are unsure whether a court order is relevant to your suitability to be the driver of a vehicle transporting dangerous goods by road, please contact WorkSafe ACT before submitting your application.

Personal information

The Dangerous Goods (Road Transport) Act 2009 (the Act) authorises WorkSafe ACT to collect the personal information of persons who are applying for or currently hold an ACT dangerous goods driver licence.

WorkSafe ACT may also request personal information about applicants and licence holders from a third party, including regulatory and law enforcement agencies, in line with the Information Privacy Act 2014.

Your personal information is collected for the purpose of assessing your suitability to be the driver of a vehicle transporting dangerous goods by road, and to allow WorkSafe ACT to regulate the transport of dangerous goods by road under the Act.

Information held by WorkSafe ACT may be provided to other Australian authorities who regulate the handling of dangerous goods or the driving of vehicles on public roads.

WorkSafe ACT may also provide this information to other persons or organisations who are able to establish that they have legal authority to obtain the information, or as otherwise provided for under the Information Privacy Act 2014.

If your application is successful, the details of your ACT dangerous goods driver licence will be included in a public register, including your full name, date of birth, and any conditions placed on the licence, including those which may indicate that you have a particular medical condition such as a requirement for periodic review by a medical practitioner holding a particular speciality.

If you have any concerns about the collection, use or publication of your personal information, please contact WorkSafe ACT before making your application.

Your obligations

It is your obligation to be aware of, and comply with, the laws that regulate the transport of dangerous goods by road in Australia.

Each State and Territory has a law regulating the transport of dangerous goods. In the ACT, the relevant laws are the Dangerous Goods (Road Transport) Act 2009 (the Act) and the Dangerous Goods (Road Transport) Regulation 2010 (the Regulation).

Each State and Territory, including the ACT, also gives effect to the Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road and Rail (the Australian Dangerous Goods Code) under their dangerous goods transport laws.

As the driver of the transport vehicle, you may commit an offence if the dangerous goods or the vehicle does not comply with the current edition of the Australian Dangerous Goods Code, or if the dangerous goods are not described on the transport documentation as required under the current edition of the Australian Dangerous Goods Code.

When a new edition of the Australian Dangerous Goods Code is released, a transitional period (usually 12 months) applies, after which time compliance with the new edition becomes mandatory. The current edition of the Australian Dangerous Goods Code and the end date of any current transitional period are published on the National Transport Commission website.

You must carry your dangerous goods driver licence together with your road vehicle driver licence when driving a vehicle transporting dangerous goods by road.

Conditions

WorkSafe ACT may place any conditions on an ACT dangerous goods driver licence which are considered necessary for the safe transport of dangerous goods by road under that licence.

For example, you may be granted an ACT dangerous goods driver licence subject to conditions if your driving history does not include a suspension or cancellation of a road vehicle driver licence within the past five years, but does include multiple driving offences that give cause for concern.

If you are granted an ACT dangerous goods driver licence subject to conditions, you may request an internal review of the decision to place conditions on the licence. The approval letter accompanying the licence will explain how you may request an internal review and your further options if you are unhappy with the outcome of the internal review.

Register of dangerous goods driver licences

Register of dangerous goods driver licences

Forms and fees

To apply for or renew a licence, complete the Dangerous Goods Driver Licence Application (Online).

Dangerous Goods Driver Health Assessment Form (DOC 258KB) or (PDF 189KB).

Application for Replacement Licence (Online)

For current fees go to the Dangerous Goods (Road Transport) Fees and Charges Determination 2023.

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