Applying for a Country Hire Car licence

Country Hire Car licences are issued for pre-booked point-to-point commercial passenger vehicle work undertaken in a luxury motor vehicle where the licence holder has an operational address located outside the Metropolitan Hire Car licence zone (see the boundary map). Licences are issued at a cost of $20,500 (GST inclusive) per vehicle. Vehicles operating on Country Hire Car licences are issued with special identifying VHC registration plates.

The VTD will consider applications for Country Hire Car licences provided that the issue of the licence is deemed to be in the public interest, including having regard for taxi-cab or hire car services in the district in accordance with Section 142 of the Transport (Compliance and Miscellaneous) Act 1983 (Vic).

Country Hire Car licences are not permitted to operate on any journey wholly within the Metropolitan Hire Car licence zone.

How to apply

Please familiarise yourself with the Country Hire Car licence conditions (PDF, 106 KB, 5 pp.) and the Hire Car Age and Type Requirement schedule (PDF, 226 KB, 2 pp.).

All hire cars, other than a vehicle authorised under the Hybrid category, must have a manufacturer's recommended new car retail price (without optional extras) greater than the luxury car tax threshold that applies under the A New Tax System (Luxury Car Tax) Act 1999 (e.g. $57,466 for 2010/11).

Complete and submit the following documents to the VTD:

• Application for a Commercial Passenger Vehicle licence - Country Hire Car form (PDF, 724 KB, 16 pp.)
• Relevant Person form (PDF, 43 KB, 8 pp.)
• Proof of Identity form (PDF,112 KB, 2 pp.)
• A current (issued within the last 6 months) National Police Certificate (NPC) (PDF, 130 KB, 1 p.)
• ASIC company extract (if applying in the name of a company)
• Application fee ($170 - 2011/12 - made payable to the 'Victorian Taxi Directorate').

To assist determination of an application for issue of a country hire car licence, the VTD requires information about the level of service to be provided by an applicant and the level of service that is currently being provided within the proposed operating area by existing taxis and any other commercial passenger vehicles.

On receipt of an application, comment will be invited from potential interested parties such as taxi operators and other commercial passenger vehicle licence holders in the proposed area. Should any interest be expressed in relation to the application, copies of responses will be provided to the applicant for comment.

A decision for the issue of a country hire car licence may take some time and applicants will be notified as to the progress of their application.

Approved applications

Should your application for issue of a commercial passenger vehicle licence be approved, the VTD will request the following:

• A current roadworthy certificate from a licensed taxi tester for the vehicle to be used as a hire car (no older than 30 days) and the vehicle's registration certificate.
• Payment of the annual licence fee, calculated pro-rata to July 31 (full 12 month fee is $138 – 2011/12 - made payable to the 'Victorian Taxi Directorate').
• Payment of the licence issue fee of $20,500 (GST inclusive) (bank cheque or money order only made payable to the 'Department of Transport').

The VTD will then allocate special identifying VHC registration plates for the vehicle and issue an 'Authority to Register' to permit VicRoads to register the vehicle as a hire car.

The vehicle must be registered in the name of the applicant before a commercial passenger licence certificate is issued.

See also: Transferring an existing Country Hire Car licence.