How to apply for an ODBS authorisation

An on-demand booking service (ODBS) is: 

• A provider who takes or communicates passenger requests for an on-demand trip and connects the customer with a vehicle and driver; or
• A driver who makes arrangements directly with the passenger for an on-demand trip.

If you are individuals or business that takes bookings for an on-demand trip from a customer and arranges a driver and vehicle to service that trip, you must be authorised as an ODBS. If you are not authorised as an ODBS in your own right, you will need to have an association arrangement.

What are association arrangements?

An association arrangement is a specific written agreement between two booking services. It is most relevant when one of the booking services is a business who dispatches or otherwise facilitates jobs for the driver and the other is the driver who takes bookings directly from their own clients.

An association arrangement must state which is the principal booking service and which is the associated booking service. Association arrangements are not approved by DoT. They must be developed and agreed upon by the booking services and meet the requirements detailed in the regulations.

For more information, visit What is a booking service.

If you are considering setting up an on-demand transport business there are a few things to consider to make sure you have ready. 

• You will need an Australian Business Number (ABN) to apply for an ODBS authorisation.
• You will need a business name or logo to meet vehicle signage and sticker requirements.
• Sign up for a DoTDirect account that properly reflects your business structure.
• If you’re a sole operator, you can use your individual DoTDirect account. However, if you want other people to have access to your business dealings in DoTDirect (such as a business partner) then you should apply for an organisation account.
• Research what equipment your vehicle will require, where to get it made and how much it will cost. This may include equipment such as:
  • roof light;
  • roof sign;
  • mountings or a phone cradle; and
  • ODBS signage and stickers.
• If you’re driving a taxi, your vehicle must have a camera surveillance unit that meets the Camera Surveillance Unit (CSU) Standards 2020 and Taxi plates.
• Consider how you will fulfil your safety, record keeping and complaints handling obligations, and what tools or resources you will need.

Read the On-demand Booking Services: Setting up your own on-demand transport business fact sheet for more information.

A responsible officer is a person nominated by an on-demand booking service (ODBS) to represent them in providing their authorised service. An authorised ODBS must have a responsible officer at all times. ODBSs can have more than one responsible officer.   

Responsible officers must:

• be directly involved in the day-to-day management of the ODBS;
• have the authority to represent the provider of the ODBS;
• have access and authority to provide any information relating to the ODBS;
• be fit and proper in character, and
• have the capacity, on behalf of the ODBS, to influence the safety of the drivers and vehicles used to deliver the on-demand trips.

All nominated responsible officers must be residents of Australia, and at least one responsible officer must be a resident of Western Australia. This ensures that there is someone in the State who can oversee, identify and address all matters relevant to the operation of the ODBS.

When an ODBS is a body corporate, at least one responsible officer must be a director or manager of the body corporate.

A responsible officer must be nominated when applying for an ODBS authorisation using DoTDirect.

When nominating a responsible officer, the following documents must be provided:

• Statement of Authority for Nomination of Responsible Officer form (ODT103);
• proof of identity and residency, and
• National Police Certificate (NPC) (less than three months old at time of nomination).

It can take up to 14 business days to receive an NPC. Visit the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission website (below) for more information.

Submitting an NPC allows DoT to assess whether nominated responsible officers have been charged or convicted with a disqualification offence – see Disqualification offences for ODBSs below on this page for more information.

DoT has the right to refuse to grant, suspend or cancel an ODBS authorisation if a responsible officer is charged or convicted with a disqualification offence.

Responsible officers will be required to submit a new NPC to DoT every five years. Responsible officers will receive an email from DoT when their NPC is due. The new NPC must be less than three months old, and can either be:

• uploaded via the responsible officer’s DoTDirect account; or 
• submitted via email to ondemandtransport@transport.wa.gov.au.

Proof of identity requirements for responsible officers are different to those required to be granted a Western Australian driver's licence, learner's permit or photo card. Read On-demand Transport Standard Proof of Identity Requirements – Responsible Officers below for full details.

A nomination to change the responsible officer for an ODBS can be made at any time using DoTDirect (fees apply).

IMPORTANT: The ODBS authorisation will be automatically suspended if the ODBS does not have:

1. at least one responsible officer who is a resident of Western Australia; and
2. where the ODBS is a body corporate, at least one responsible officer who is a director or manager of the body corporate.

The ODBS must immediately notify DoT if a person ceases to be a responsible officer. Penalties may apply.

Disqualification offences include offences under the Transport (Road Passenger Services) Act 2018 and other State and Commonwealth law, including:

• Criminal Code;
• Firearms Act 1973;
• Misuse of Drugs Act 1981;
• Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984;
• Prostitution Act 2000;
• Weapons Act 1999; and
• Work Health and Safety Act 2020.

If an applicant, close associate of the applicant or a nominated responsible officer has been charged or convicted of a disqualifying offence, ODBS authorisation may not be granted.

Full details about disqualification offences are available in the Act and Regulations.

Find out how to register your ODBS for a DoTDirect account.

Before applying for an ODBS authorisation, you will need to become a client of the Department of Transport (DoT).

As a client of DoT, you will be issued with a DoTDirect account. DoTDirect is an online portal that allows you to complete DoT transactions such as licensing, vehicle registrations and authorisations.

Having a DoTDirect account does not mean an ODBS is authorised. ODBSs will still need to apply for authorisation via DoTDirect. 

Please note: On-demand Transport has specific proof of identity requirements for becoming a DoT client. These are different to those required to be granted a Western Australian driver's licence, learner's permit or Photo Card.

Do you need to complete a form? 

If you haven't already, please answer the questions under the How to get a DoTDirect account for your ODBS section (above) to find out whether you need to complete one of the forms below. 

Please note: completing a form does not mean an ODBS is authorised. ODBSs will still need to apply for authorisation via DoTDirect.

Before you apply for your ODBS authorisation in DoTDirect, make sure that you:

• Consider your business structure – do you plan to operate as a sole trader, partnership, trust, company or cooperative? 
• Get a DoTDirect account that fits your business structure – check Become a client of DoT above for more information.
• Identify who your responsible officer/s will be – remember, they need to be someone involved in the day-to-day operations of the ODBS and at least one needs to live in WA. If you’re a sole trader, you are the responsible officer by default.
• Prepare any necessary documentation, which may include:
  • Confirmation of your business structure (e.g. company extract, partnership agreement, trust deed);
  • Proof of identity and residency;
  • National Police Clearance for responsible officer/s; and
  • Statement of authority (ODT103) form for responsible officer/s (see About responsible officers above for more information).

Before you apply, it is important to consider your responsibilities as an ODBS and how you will meet these. If you’re unsure, contact On-demand Transport for an advisory visit to discuss your options.

To help you through the application process, follow the steps below on this page and/or use the On-demand booking service authorisation user guide.

If you no longer wish to proceed with an application for ODBS authorisation, you can cancel your application from your DoTDirect account. Please note there are no refunds for the application fee that has been paid.

The Department of Transport will assess applications for ODBS authorisation once an application has been lodged and the application fee paid. The application must be lodged, and fee paid in full within 14 days of starting the application process.

Once the application has been submitted, the applications must be assessed by DoT against a range of criteria. Authorisations will be granted once this process has been completed.

Complete applications with correct and current supporting documentation can be expected to be assessed by DoT within 10 business days. Incomplete applications or applications with out-of-date supporting documentation may experience delays in being processed.

Once your ODBS authorisation application is approved, the authorisation details will be available through your ODBS’s DoTDirect account. This includes the ability to  

• change your direct debit account details;
• manage responsible officers;
• renew your authorisation with the same or a different fleet band size;
• increase the fleet band for the current authorisation; and
• manage the registered business names associated to your ODBS.

Visit How to renew, change or cancel an ODBS authorisation for more information.