Quick answer
What photo do taxi drivers need for their ID in Australia?
Most state regulators take or capture the taxi driver ID photo themselves. WA's Department of Transport asks for a colour gloss print at least 3 × 3 cm on plain white or light grey, no more than 5 years old. In NSW your taxi service provider issues the card. No regulator publishes a 65 × 65 mm size.
If you drive a taxi in Australia you must display a photo ID so passengers can see who is driving. Each state runs its own scheme. In most, the regulator takes or captures your photo as part of your driver authorisation, so you do not supply a print. The exceptions are NSW, where your taxi service provider issues the card, and Western Australia, which publishes its own photo rules.
Taxi driver photo ID by state
| State | Card | Who must display it | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | Driver ID (driver identity document) | Drivers of rank-and-hail taxi services | Supplied to your taxi service provider, which issues the card; no government photo size |
| Victoria | Photo ID card (Safe Transport Victoria) | Drivers of unbooked (taxi) services; booked drivers carry a driver certificate | Taken by VicRoads staff when you bring your photo capture letter |
| Queensland | Authorised Driver – Booked Hire and Taxi display card | Taxi drivers in prescribed areas; optional in booked hire | Issued by TMR when your driver authorisation is granted |
| Western Australia | Driver identity document | Drivers of on-demand rank or hail (taxi) services; charter and rideshare drivers can use the app profile | Colour gloss print, at least 3 × 3 cm, white or light grey background |
| Northern Territory | Commercial Passenger Vehicle Identity (CPVID) card | Taxi drivers display it; rideshare and limousine drivers carry it | Apply to the NT Government; size not published |
South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT also require accredited taxi drivers to carry or display a photo ID. Check with your state regulator for current rules.
NSW: the taxi Driver ID
The Point to Point Transport Commissioner requires drivers to display a driver identity document when providing rank-and-hail taxi services. It can be a card or an electronic document, and it must contain your photograph and an identification number from your taxi service provider, which issues it. The Driver ID is not the same as a Drivers Authority, which is no longer used.
Because the provider makes the card, there is no government photo size. Ask your provider what photo it needs.
Victoria: commercial passenger vehicle photo ID
Safe Transport Victoria says that if you drive a commercial passenger vehicle that provides unbooked (taxi) services, you must display your photo ID card. Drivers of booked services, including rideshare, carry a driver certificate instead.
You do not supply a photo. Once your driver accreditation is approved, you take your photo capture letter to VicRoads, where staff take your photo, and the card is posted to you. The selfie holding your licence that you upload when applying is an identity check, not the card photo.
Queensland: booked hire and taxi display card
Queensland's Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) issues an Authorised Driver – Booked Hire and Taxi display card showing your photo, driver authorisation number and expiry date. It is sent when your authorisation is granted. Taxi drivers in prescribed areas must display it; booked hire drivers may. If the photo no longer looks like you, you can apply for a replacement card.
Western Australia: driver identity document photo rules
WA's Department of Transport requires drivers of on-demand rank or hail (taxi) services to display a driver identity document, usually a card on the dashboard or sun visor. It shows your photo, first name and passenger transport driver (PTD) authorisation number, and it is not your driver's licence or PTD authorisation document. WA is the only state we found that publishes photo rules for it:
| Good quality colour gloss print | |
| Size | At least 3 cm wide and 3 cm high |
| Background | Plain white or light grey |
| Expression | Neutral, eyes open |
| Photo age | No more than 5 years old |
| Card shows | Photo, first name and PTD authorisation number |
Northern Territory: CPVID card
In the NT you apply for a Commercial Passenger Vehicle Identity (CPVID) card. Taxi drivers must display it in the vehicle, while rideshare and limousine drivers only need to carry it. The NT Government does not publish a photo size for the card.
About the 65 × 65 mm taxi ID photo size
None of the regulators above publishes a 65 × 65 mm size. The photo maker's Taxi Cab/Private Hire Vehicle ID Card preset produces a 65 × 65 mm square photo, which is well above WA's 3 × 3 cm minimum. If your taxi network or service provider makes your card, check the size it wants before you print.
Before you print
Print on glossy photo paper in colour, on a plain white or light grey background, as WA asks. Keep a neutral expression and look straight at the camera.
How to get your taxi driver ID photo
- Check your state's scheme. In most states the regulator takes or captures your photo as part of your driver authorisation, as the table above shows.
- NSW: ask your taxi service provider. Your provider issues the Driver ID, so ask it what photo it needs.
- Victoria: take your photo capture letter to VicRoads. Once your driver accreditation is approved, VicRoads staff take your photo and the card is posted to you.
- WA: supply a compliant print. A good quality colour gloss print at least 3 cm wide and 3 cm high, on a plain white or light grey background, with a neutral expression and eyes open, no more than 5 years old.
What your photo should look like
Taxi driver ID photo FAQ
Yes. In NSW, Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, drivers of rank-and-hail taxis must display a photo ID in the vehicle, and Queensland requires it for taxis in prescribed areas. Other states and territories have similar rules, so check with your regulator.
Your taxi service provider, not the government. It is a card or electronic document showing your photograph and an identification number the provider gives you. It is not the same as the old Drivers Authority, which is no longer valid.
Usually not. Victoria's booked-service drivers carry a driver certificate instead, WA charter and rideshare drivers can use their booking app profile, and NT rideshare drivers must carry their CPVID card rather than display it.
No regulator we checked publishes a 65 × 65 mm size. WA asks for a photo at least 3 cm wide and 3 cm high, and the other states take or capture the photo themselves. If your taxi network makes your card, ask it what size it needs.
Official sources
- Point to Point Transport Commissioner (NSW): Taxi driver ID fact sheet
- Safe Transport Victoria: Driver requirements
- Safe Transport Victoria: Apply for your driver accreditation
- Queensland TMR: Booked hire and taxi display card
- Department of Transport WA: Driver identification
- NT Government: Apply for a CPVID card
Last checked . Requirements and fees can change, so always confirm with the issuing agency before you apply. This site is independent and not affiliated with any government agency.