Effect of licence status and traffic history on driver authorisation

Records we assess

A driver of a passenger transport service must demonstrate a safe driving record to ensure the public's safety is not at risk. When you apply for driver authorisation, we’ll assess your licence and traffic history for all driving-related offences using assessment criteria.

If your application is successful, we’ll continue to review and monitor your driver licence for driving-related offences.

Driver licence records we assess may include information about applications, appointments, determinations, notifications, demands, directions, cancellations, suspensions, surrenders, authorisations, approvals, or orders issued, made or given under the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995 or equivalent interstate and overseas law.

Driver licence records we assess include driver licence records held in Queensland and other jurisdictions.

Driver licence status

If you don’t maintain a current open driver licence you may have your driver authorisation amended, suspended or cancelled.

If you allow your driver licence to expire you cannot drive a vehicle.

Driver authorisation will be refused or cancelled if you have an alcohol ignition interlock "I" condition on your driver licence. You must also not use a vehicle fitted with a prescribed alcohol ignition interlock to provide public passenger services.

Your licence is suspended or cancelled

If your driver licence is suspended or cancelled, your driver authorisation will be automatically suspended or cancelled as well.

The automatic action applies regardless of the reason the driver licence suspension or cancellation occurred. This includes if the action was taken by the State Penalties Enforcement Registry.

If your driver licence is suspended, cancelled or disqualified it is an offence to drive a vehicle. Breaching this law may result in heavy penalties.

Unsuitable traffic history

If an applicant is deemed to have a traffic history that is not suitable, the following actions may be taken:

• their application may be refused
• a waiting time may be imposed
• driver authorisation may be issued for a restricted period of time.

For existing driver authorisation holders, if their driving history is considered unsuitable, their authorisation may be amended, suspended or cancelled.

Assessing previous traffic offences

If your driver licence has previously been suspended, cancelled, disqualified, or placed on a good driving behaviour period, your traffic history might not meet the requirements for driver authorisation.

We will consider the following factors when assessing previous traffic offences:

• how severe offences are
• how often offences have occurred
• whether offences occurred in a public passenger vehicle
• how long since the offences occurred
• evidence of good driving behaviour from the time the last offence occurred
• any previous driver licence suspensions, cancellations, and disqualifications.

Deciding waiting periods for previous traffic offences

If you have a previous traffic offence we may apply a waiting period. If you maintain a good traffic history during the waiting period, your traffic history may be considered suitable for driver authorisation.

1. we’ll consider the amount of time that has passed since the offence and other relevant matters
   
   Example 1 – drink driving offence
   We may apply up to a 1–year waiting period from the end of the driver licence cancellation period, if all of the following apply:
   • it’s your first drink driving offence
   • your blood alcohol content level was under 0.15%
   • the offence did not occur in a public passenger vehicle
   • you’ve had no prior suspension or cancellation of your driver licence in the previous 2 years.
   
   Example 2 – drink driving offence
   We may apply up to a 2–year waiting period from the end of the driver licence cancellation period, if one of the following apply:
   • you’ve had 2 or more drink driving offences in the past 5 years or numerous drink driving offences over a longer period
   • it’s your first drink driving offence but your blood alcohol content level was 0.15% or higher
   • the offence occurred in a public passenger vehicle
   • you’ve had a prior suspension or cancellation of your driver licence within the previous 2 years.


2. if you’ve been charged with driving under the influence of drugs, we may apply up to a 2–year waiting period
3. if you’ve been charged with driving while a relevant drug is present, the offence will attract the same waiting period as if you had a blood alcohol content level under 0.15%. We may apply up to a 1–year waiting period
4. if you have had your driver licence cancelled or disqualified by a court, waiting periods may also apply. Depending on the circumstances we may apply up to a 2–year waiting period

Review of a decision

Find out how to ask us to review our decision or apply for an external review.