Dangerous goods vehicle licence

When is this licence required?

Dangerous goods (DG) road tank vehicles based in Western Australia are required to be licensed if the tank has a capacity greater than 500 litres (L).  The type of attachment used to secure the tank to the vehicle does not have any effect on licensing requirements.  A tank may be welded, bolted or held on by twist locks.

However, vehicles that are used to transport portable tanks (isotainers) are not required to be licensed.

For example:

A DG vehicle licence IS required in WA for

• Bulk tankers
• Demountable bulk tanks (> 500L) on trailers

A DG vehicle licence is NOT required in WA for

• Flat-bed trailers carting IBCs or packages (< 500L)
• Rigid trucks carting packages
• Bulk tipping trailers
• Drop deck trailers transporting a portable tank (isotainer)

Existing dangerous goods vehicle licences

Some owners have more than one road tank vehicle used in the transport of dangerous goods.

When submitting an application for a dangerous goods vehicle licence you are required to notify the Chief Dangerous Goods Officer of other dangerous goods vehicle licence's held.

Transport of ammonium nitrate

All operators transporting Security Sensitive Ammonium Nitrate (SSAN) are required to hold an SSAN transport licence, and must prepare a security plan as part of the SSAN transport licence application to demonstrate that all aspects of their operation can be performed in a secure manner.

The only SSAN vehicles that require an additional dangerous goods vehicle licence are road tank vehicles.  The only road tank vehicles for SSAN are the tankers that transport Ammonium Nitrate Emulsions or Suspensions, classified as UN 3375

Non-tank vehicle

The Dangerous Goods Safety (Road and Rail Transport of Non-Explosives) Regulations 2007 have retained the option to licence non-tank vehicles to transport dangerous goods, if the vehicle is:

• used to transport dangerous goods in other States or Territories of Australia and requires licensing while operating there; and
• unable to be licensed in another State because the vehicle is based in Western Australia; and
• able to be issued a DG vehicle licence in another State, if the vehicle was based there.

What are the different types of tanks?

The ADG Code and Regulation 4 define demountable tanks and portable tanks as follows:

Demountable tank:

Means a tank other than a portable tank designed to be carried on a vehicle, does not form part of and is not permanently attached to the vehicle, and is designed to be removed.

Portable tank (isotainer):

Means a multimodal tank that:

• Is designed primarily to be loaded onto a vehicle or ship; and
• Has a capacity of more than 450L; and
• Is equipped with skids, mountings, stabilizers and accessories to facilitate mechanical handling; and
• Is capable of being loaded and unloaded without removing its service equipment or structural equipment; and
• Is capable of being lifted when full.

Who can apply?

To be eligible to apply for a dangerous goods vehicle licence, you must:

• be the registered owner of a vehicle, and
• have a current motor vehicle licence issued under the Road Traffic Act 1974 or Federal Interstate Road Transport Act 1985 in the name of the applicant, and
• ensure the vehicle and its operation complies with the Australian Dangerous Goods Code, current edition, and
• hold a minimum public liability insurance policy of five million dollars (AUD 5,000,000) to transport a placard load of dangerous goods

The Australian Dangerous Goods Code (ADG Code) - current edition is available from the National Transport Commission.

Integrity information

If you are the subject of a court order prohibiting transport of dangerous goods by road, you may not be granted a dangerous goods vehicle licence.  Contact the Department before completing your submission.

Required information

Applications for a dangerous goods vehicle licence must be accompanied by specific information. Failure to provide the required documentation will delay processing of the application. Before completing your application ensure you have high quality images of the following original documents relevant to your application type.

1. An Application for approval of tank design is required if the approval of tank design letter is not provided. A separate submission must be lodged via the departmental submissions portal as an additional fee is payable. Please refer to the application form for lodgement details.
2. Motor vehicle licences are issued under Part III of the Road Traffic Act 1974 (WA), or under the Federal Interstate Road Transport Act 1985 and must be current at time of lodgement.

Tank design approval

The approval of tank design document(s) issued by the relevant competent authority, stating the design has been assessed against the requirements of the Australian Dangerous Goods Code, current edition must be submitted with your application. Not applicable for a non-tank vehicle.

The document(s) must include the following information:

• Tank type
• Material of construction
• Tank capacity
• Number of compartments
• Serial number
• Approval number
• Date of approval

An Application for approval of tank design is required if the approval of tank design letter is not provided.

A separate submission must be lodged via the departmental submissions portal as an additional fee is payable. Please refer to application form for lodgement details.

Application fees

The licence fee payable covers the 5-year period of the licence.

MasterCard and Visa are accepted forms of payment and the fee is payable online through the departmental submissions portal.

Go to Dangerous goods fees and charges for more information on licence fees.

Lodging the application

Paper or emailed applications are not accepted.

You can lodge the application online:

Apply Online