Older driver and rider assessments

Here's how to organise an older driver or rider test or assessment in NSW.

On this page

About the assessments

Older driver and rider practical on-road tests designed to assess your driving or riding ability.

After a certain age, you need to sit a driving or riding test to keep your licence. This helps keep you and others safe on the road.

You need one when you're over 70, 75 or 85, depending on your licence class.

See Your licence from age 70 for more about what you need to keep your licence. This includes information on medical requirements.

See Driving or riding with a disability for information on vehicle modifications, occupational therapist assessments and disability driving test.

When you need one

You need an older driver or rider test:

if your GP or medical specialist recommends it at any age
for your Multi Combination (MC) licenceevery year from age 70
for your Heavy vehicle licence (Light Rigid (LR), Medium Rigid (MR), Heavy Rigid (HR) or Heavy Combination (HC)) every year from age 80
for your unrestricted car (class C) and/or rider (class R) licence every two years from age 85.

You need to arrange an assessment before your birthday. Contact Service NSW if that's not possible.

If you choose a modified licence, you may not need an older driver or rider test.

What to expect

The practical older driver or rider test for unrestricted car (class C) driver licence and rider (class R) licence classes will check you:

have a sound knowledge of the road rules
have good decision-making
can control your vehicle effectively.

The vehicle you use in the test must be registered, roadworthy and ready to drive.

The vehicle must have an automatic transmission if it's a test for a licence to drive or ride an automatic. If you wish to drive or ride a manual you must be tested using a foot-operated clutch.

The test generally takes 15 to 20 minutes. Your assessor will tell you where to drive during the assessment.

We base your result on:

your driving performance in a range of situations
how you demonstrate safe driving behaviours.

For information on Heavy vehicle and MC licence class assessments, see the Heavy vehicle licence pages.

Preparing

Consider taking driving lessons as a refresher before your test.

Book pre-test training with a driving instructor or older driver assessor.

Refresh your knowledge of the road rules by reading the relevant handbook:

How to book

Book your test according to your licence type below.

Ask what you need to bring on the test day.

If you're taking your test at a service centre, arrange to have a licensed driver accompany you to your test. In case you don't pass the test, you'll have someone to drive you home.

To change or cancel your booking, do it 24 hours in advance.

Car driver test

You have 2 options for doing the test for an unrestricted car (class C) driver licence:

1) You can do an Aged driving test at a service centre for free.

To book call 13 22 13 or visit a service centre.
There's a limit of three tests if you need to re-sit the test.

2) You can do an Aged driving test from your home with an older driver assessor.

Older driver assessors are driving instructors accredited by Transport for NSW.
To book, find an assessor in your area.
You can also book (optional) refresher driving lessons with your assessor.
There's no limit on the number of assessments you can take within the time period. But there's a fee each time.
Check with your assessor about the costs of the training and assessment

Rider test

How you book your rider (R class) test depends on if you live in a declared area (where rider training is available) or undeclared area (where rider training isn't available).

If you live in an area where rider training is available, contact your nearest Rider Training Provider to ask for an Aged MOST (Motorcycle Operator Skills Test).
If you live in an area where rider training isn't available, call 13 22 13 or visit a service centre to book an Aged Rider Kerbside Test.

See

Older rider information sheet (PDF 145.2KB)

for details.

Multi-combination (MC) or Heavy vehicle assessment - classes LR, MR, HR, HC

Aged driving tests for heavy vehicle licensing are conducted by Service NSW. You cannot be tested by a Heavy Vehicle Competency Based Assessor or an older driver assessor.

To book, call 13 22 13 or visit a service centre.

For heavy vehicle drivers, the test must be done in a vehicle appropriate to your licence type.

For a class MC licence, the driving test must be done in a HC vehicle type.

For more information, see Heavy vehicle licence pages.

What happens next?

You'll be notified of the result after the test.

You'll receive a test report. This shows if you have passed or failed. It will show areas where you performed well and areas requiring improvement

If you pass

You can keep your licence if you have:

passed the older driver or rider test AND
successfully completed the Medical assessment for fitness to drive.

If you don't pass

If you don't pass the driver or rider test:

check the test report for reasons why
make sure someone else drives you home.

You can book to resit the test:

if it's still within the required time (around your birthday) and
you haven't committed a serious error.

See How to book.

If you failed due to a serious error, your licence will be cancelled. A serious error is driving that's a clear danger to yourself or others. There are plenty of safe alternatives to driving.

Alternatives to your current licence

You can opt for a modified licence which restricts your driving to the local area.If you choose this option, you may not need an older driver or rider test.
If you hold a heavy vehicle or multi-combination licence, you can choose to change it to a lower heavy vehicle class or car licence.
You can retire from driving, return your licence to a service centre, and get a photo ID. See Retiring from driving or riding.