1. There's no single courier licence — here's the real checklist
Instead of one licence, you assemble a compliance stack. Two of the items are non-negotiable for almost everyone. First, an ABN is mandatory and free to register — without one, platforms and clients must withhold 47% of your payments under the ATO no-ABN withholding rule, so skipping it costs you nearly half your income. Second, you need the correct driver licence for your vehicle. The rest of the stack depends on your turnover, your goods and where you work.
| Requirement | Who it applies to | Typical cost (AUD) |
|---|
| ABN registration | Every courier — mandatory | Free |
| Driver licence (C-class / HR) | Set by vehicle GVM | Licence-renewal fees |
| Business name registration | If trading under a name | $42 (1yr) / $98 (3yr) |
| Pty Ltd company (optional) | If you want a company | $576+ ASIC min |
| GST registration | At $75k turnover (delivery) | Free |
| Insurance (liability, transit, motor) | Effectively required | $2,100–$5,700/yr |
| Goods-specific permits | Dangerous goods, food, etc. | Varies |
This is general guidance, not legal advice — the exact mix depends on your state and your cargo, which is why ABLIS (covered below) is the official way to confirm your own list.
2. Driver licence class, ABN and GST — the federal basics
Your driver licence class depends on the vehicle's Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM). A standard C-class car licence covers vehicles under 4.5 tonnes GVM — which includes most vans and small trucks couriers actually use — so a huge share of operators are already licensed for the job. Move above 4.5 tonnes and you need a Heavy Rigid (HR) or higher heavy-vehicle licence. Always match the licence to the heaviest vehicle you plan to drive.
On tax, the ABN is mandatory and free, and you register it before anything else. GST registration is compulsory once your GST turnover reaches AUD $75,000 in a rolling 12-month period for delivery-only courier work; below that it's optional. One important catch: rideshare and taxi-style services must register for GST from the first dollar, regardless of turnover — so if you mix delivery with rideshare, the rideshare rule pulls you into GST immediately.
3. Insurance — the requirement platforms enforce hardest
Insurance is where most courier startups under-budget. Beyond the compulsory third-party cover on your vehicle, a working courier carries layered policies, and the platforms you want to deliver for set the bar. Many now contractually require $10–$20 million of public liability cover before they'll let you onboard, so this isn't optional in practice. Typical annual premiums look like this:
Public liability
Roughly $400–$1,200/yr for standard cover, but many platforms require $10–$20 million in liability before onboarding — confirm the limit they demand.
Goods in transit
About $500–$1,500/yr to cover the parcels and cargo you carry against loss or damage while in your custody on the road.
Commercial motor vehicle
Around $1,200–$3,000/yr for commercial cover on the vehicle itself — distinct from a private car policy, which won't cover courier work.
Add those up and insurance alone is commonly $2,100–$5,700 a year before any platform's higher liability requirement kicks in — the single biggest recurring compliance cost for most owner-drivers.
4. Owner-driver laws, dangerous goods and special permits
How you engage drivers matters as much as how you drive. NSW and Victoria already have owner-driver laws that set baseline contract terms and provide dispute-resolution forums, so if you operate or contract owner-drivers there, your agreements must meet those statutory minimums. On top of that, the national Closing Loopholes road transport reforms add new minimum standards for gig and contractor drivers — a shift every platform-based courier operator should plan for now.
Goods can also trigger their own rules. Carrying dangerous goods, food, perishables, alcohol, tobacco or pharmaceuticals can require specific licences, permits or handling conditions on top of your general courier setup. There's no universal list because it varies by state and cargo — which is exactly what the ABLIS tool in the next section is built to resolve.
5. What it costs to start — and how to confirm your exact rules
Startup costs vary widely with your vehicle and cover. As a guide, a lean owner-driver can launch for around AUD $12,700, a mid-range setup near $30,000, and a vehicle-and-branding-heavy launch $64,000 or more. The structural choices are cheap by comparison: an ABN is free, a business name costs $42 for one year or $98 for three, and a Pty Ltd company starts at roughly $576 in ASIC fees, with full first-year company setup typically $2,000–$10,000+. You can legally start as a sole trader with just an ABN, so a company is a choice, not a requirement.
Because courier compliance is state- and goods-specific, the safest way to get your personal list right is ABLIS — the Australian Business Licence and Information Service. It's the official government tool: enter your location, vehicle and the goods you carry, and it returns the exact licences, registrations and permits that apply to you. Use ABLIS as your source of truth, then let Musskart handle the software so you can be live and delivering in weeks.
