Driver requirements

Your responsibilities

The requirements for CPV drivers are contained in the Commercial Passenger Vehicle Industry Act 2017 (the Act) and the Commercial Passenger Vehicle Industry Regulations 2018 (Regulations) and conditions placed on driver accreditation.

Safety is our priority, and it should be yours too. As a driver of a commercial passenger vehicle, you need to take care of your health and safety, and the health and safety of your passengers.

Along with vehicle requirements, accreditation conditions and the documents required to provide CPV services, there are other conditions you must adhere to when providing CPV services, as per the regulations:

Requirement	Further information
CPV drivers must accept fares for passengers with assistance animals	Drivers cannot refuse fares to passengers with assistance animals. Some assistance animals wear identification, but others do not. As long as they’re trained to help a person alleviate their disability, they’re considered an assistance animal.
CPV drivers must display a Safe Transport Victoria QR code in their vehicle during services	The QR code allows passengers to quickly report unsafe or unfair behaviour directly to ST Vic. Download yours here.
CPV drivers must keep their BSP affiliation details up to date	Drivers need to provide information about the Booking Service Provider or providers they work with or accept bookings through. Drivers must update their BSP affiliation details in the ST Vic user portal by 1 September 2026 and keep this information up to date when they apply, renew or if their circumstances change. This is a condition of accreditation.
CPV drivers must only display BSP signage when associated with that BSP	Drivers must not display signage, branding or other BSP-related material for a Booking Service Provider unless they are associated with that provider. If a driver is caught with misleading signage, they can be charged up to 5 penalty units.
CPV drivers must provide reasonable assistance for persons getting into and out of a vehicle	Always ask a passenger before assisting them in or out of the vehicle.
Smoking	Smoking is prohibited in all CPVs used to provide CPV services, including e-cigarettes or vapes.
Blood-alcohol	The blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for all commercial passenger vehicle drivers (including rideshare, hire car and taxi drivers) is 0.00 while the vehicle is in service. When a CPV is being driven for private use, CPV drivers are subject to the same blood alcohol level as a regular driver; that is, 0.05. This requirement is set out in section 52(1C) of the Road Safety Act 1986.
Drivers must report notifiable incidents	A notifiable incident is an incident, allegation or complaint that must be reported to ST Vic. This includes serious safety incidents, overcharging complaints, service refusals including due to an assistance animal, and serious misconduct. As a duty holder, drivers have a responsibility to notify within 10 business days of becoming aware an incident has occurred. Find the full list here It is an offence not to report a notifiable incident. The failure to do so may result in compliance action by ST Vic. Notifiable incidents must be reported via the ST Vic online form.
From 1 August 2026, CPV drivers providing unbooked services must accept all fares unless a valid exception applies.	Drivers can only refuse an unbooked fare in limited circumstances. Valid exceptions include concerns about safety, passenger behaviour, the number of passengers, or a reasonable belief the fare will not be paid. Learn when you can legally refuse a fare.

Please note that the Road Safety Road Rules 2017 (road rules) apply to drivers of CPVs in the same way they apply to drivers of private vehicles.

Code of Practice

The Victorian Commercial Passenger Vehicle Industry Code of Practice (the Code) offers guidance to the industry on how to follow safety rules, especially concerning safety responsibilities.

The Code is designed for all those responsible for ensuring the safety of commercial passenger vehicle services. It helps them provide safe services that follow the rules set by the industry’s laws.

The Code was created in collaboration with industry stakeholders and is divided into two parts.

An updated Code will be provided in 2027.

Part 1: Risk Culture and Safety Management

Part one provides all industry parties with an understanding of the risk management process so that they can take steps to control, eliminate or mitigate risks in a manner that is appropriate to the size and nature of their commercial passenger vehicle, equipment or service business.

Read part one.

Part 2: Meeting your safety duties

Part two provides practical guidance to drivers, booking service providers, vehicle owners and other parties who play a role in providing commercial passenger vehicle services on complying with their safety duties.

Read part two.

Vehicle identification

QR Codes

All CPVs must display an approved ST Vic QR code while providing services, unless an approved alternative digital complaints pathway applies. The QR code allows passengers to quickly report unsafe or unfair behaviour directly to ST Vic.

QR codes are a simple, visible tool that:

• help passengers report issues more easily
• support faster regulatory action
• reinforce the professionalism of drivers and BSPs doing the right thing
• provide consistent statewide reporting pathways

How to get your QR code

Drivers are legally responsible for ensuring their vehicle has a working, approved QR code during every CPV service.

Getting an official QR code for your vehicle is easy – simply download and print an approved ST Vic QR code. QR codes must be printed clearly and meet size/visibility rules.

Drivers providing booked services through a BSP with an approved digital complaints pathway should follow the requirements of that approval.

Installation rules

Under the rules, your QR code must:

• Be displayed at or above seat level
• Be within reach of passengers in the back seat
• Measure at least 9 cm × 9 cm in size
• Be ST Vic’s approved design
• Be in good usable condition – not damaged or obstructed
• Be accessible for passengers using wheelchairs.

You may laminate or tape your code inside your vehicle, as long as it meets the above rules. Click here to see options of where to place your code.

The QR code must remain in place whenever the vehicle is providing CPV services. Drivers who fail to meet this requirement may receive a fine amounting to 1 penalty unit.

If your QR code is faded, torn or damaged, download and print a new one immediately.

Notifying us of changes

You must notify us within 14 days if:

• Your contact details change
• Your vehicle’s number plate changes
• If you are no longer the owner of the registered vehicle
• If you would like to use your registered vehicle to provide unbooked services.

From 1 July 2026, drivers must also provide or confirm their BSP affiliation details when they apply for accreditation, renew their accreditation, or within five business days if their circumstances change. 

Drivers should update their BSP affiliation details in the ST Vic user portal by 1 September 2026.

Vehicle owner safety duties

Owners of CPV vehicles must ensure safe services. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Keeping their vehicle in a safe and serviceable condition.
• Following the regulations for providing or maintaining equipment or systems used in the vehicle
• Offering services to wheelchair users only if the vehicle meets wheelchair accessible vehicle specifications
• Providing the driver with sufficient information or instructions to ensure safe commercial passenger vehicle services.

You may also choose to enter into a driver agreement with your drivers.

Notifiable incidents

A notifiable incident is an incident meeting specific legislative criteria that duty holders — such as CPV operators — are legally required to report to Safe Transport Victoria within a defined timeframe.

This includes serious safety incidents, overcharging complaints, service refusals including due to an assistance animal, and serious misconduct. As a duty holder, drivers have a responsibility to notify us within 10 business days of becoming aware an incident has occurred.

For incidents occurring on or after 1 August 2026, this also includes:

Booked and unbooked services

For all CPV services, this includes:

• Charging a card or electronic payment surcharge above the permitted amount
• Refusing to carry a person with an assistance animal
• Complaints made to a Booking Service Provider or police officer alleging:
  • Sexual assault
  • Sexual harassment
  • Indecent exposure
  • Assault
  • Physical threats or other intimidation

Additional notifiable reporting requirements for unbooked services

If the following incidents occur during an unbooked service, including a rank-and-hail service, they must also be reported:

• A driver charging or asking for more than the maximum permitted fare
• A driver refusing to provide the CPV service unless a valid exception applies

Learn more about notifiable incidents.

It is an offence not to report a notifiable incident. The failure to do so may result in compliance action by ST Vic. Notifiable incidents must be reported via the ST Vic online form.

Common offences

Drivers should know and follow the law as it applies to providing a CPV service.

To help with this, this document shows the main offences committed by people providing a CPV service. For further information, please see www.legislation.vic.gov.au

A driver who is available to provide an unbooked CPV service must not refuse to provide that service to a passenger unless a valid exception applies.

Exceptions may apply where

• the passenger, or someone with them, is abusive, aggressive or violent
• the driver reasonably believes the passenger, or someone with them, poses a safety risk
• the number of passengers is more than the number of available seatbelts
• the passenger, or someone with them, is drinking alcohol or smoking and refuses to stop when asked
• the passenger, or something they are carrying, is likely to soil the vehicle
• the driver reasonably believes the passenger will not pay the fare
• a valid destination sign is displayed and the passenger’s requested trip is outside the area covered by that sign.

If a driver is found to have refused service unlawfully, the maximum penalty is 10 penalty units.

These changes are designed to reduce unfair service refusals, including refusals of short trips.

Understanding road signs

For the purposes of the road rules, a taxi is a CPV that provides unbooked services and is fitted with a fare calculation device and approved security camera (metropolitan and urban zones only).

It is important for drivers to understand the signs, and what they mean in the interests of driver and passenger safety.

	Taxi zone – for taxi use only A driver must not stop in a taxi zone unless they are driving a taxi. Other CPVs (that is, hire cars/rideshare) are not permitted to stop in taxi zones
	No parking The driver of a CPV may stop in a no parking area if the driver is dropping off, or picking up, passengers
	Loading zone The driver of a CPV may stop in a loading zone if the driver is dropping off, or picking up, passengers
	Clearway The driver of a CPV may stop in a clearway if the driver is dropping off, or picking up, passengers
	Bicycle lane The driver of a CPV may drive for up to 50 metres in a bicycle lane if the driver is dropping off, or picking up, passengers. However, the driver must not stop if other ‘no stopping’ restrictions apply along the bicycle lane.
	No stopping The driver must not stop on a length of road or in an area where a no stopping sign applies.
Bus Stop	Bus stop The driver of a CPV must not stop within 20 meters before a bus stop, 10 meters after a bus stop or at a bus stop itself.
Tram Stop	Tram stop The driver of a CPV must not stop on the road within 20 metres of a tram stop or at a tram stop itself.