Bus driver medicals

Medical requirements for Bus Drivers.

When applying for a Bus Driver Authority you need to pass a commercial medical assessment before submitting your application.  If you have an existing medical condition, you may be required to provide further medical report/s from specialist doctors.

It is important to ask your doctor that they:

• assess you to commercial medical standards, and 
• tick the option "Is this medical for the purpose of driving public passenger vehicles", and
• submit your assessment online directly to Transport.

Ongoing medical assessment requirements

All bus drivers under the age of 60 with no medical conditions need to complete a medical assessment every 3 years.

If you have an existing medical condition or you're aged over 60, you'll need to complete a medical assessment every year.

You may also need an additional specialist assessments for some medical conditions.

You'll need to pay any fees for medical or specialist assessments that aren't covered by Medicare.

Submitting the medical assessment form

Ask your doctor to submit your assessment online for a quicker and more convenient assessment. Your doctor must indicate that your medical assessment is for the purpose of driving public passenger vehicles.

Through the online service, your doctor will get an instant response confirming your assessment has been securely received by Transport. A copy of the completed form will be stored by your doctor for future reference.

Alternatively, paper medical assessment forms will continue to be available to customers who request them from Service NSW by calling 13 22 13 or visiting a service centre. You can provide your completed paper medical assessment to a Service NSW Centre.

Drivers can request a date-stamped copy of the assessment as confirmation of the submission.

Booking a medical assessment

In most cases, medical assessments align with your birthday. This makes it easier to remember when your assessment is due.

Transport for NSW (Transport) will also send you a request for a medical review eight weeks ahead of your assessment due date. Your request letter will also state whether you need an assessment from a specialist. Ask your medical practitioner to submit your assessment online directly to Transport which speeds up the process.

If you need to undertake regular medical reviews, we recommend you book appointments with your doctor well in advance of your assessment due date. This will avoid problems with long wait times and lapses in approval.

Due date extensions

Extensions to the due date of the assessment are made on a case-by-case basis. You must show proof of a scheduled medical appointment to be eligible.

If your bus driver authority has already been suspended, we can't provide an extension.

Request an extension by contacting us on 13 22 13.

New medical conditions

If you've been newly diagnosed with a medical condition, you must:

• notify Transport for NSW as soon as possible
• send us your medical assessment results.

In most cases you'll need to provide a medical report, usually from a specialist, to keep driving public passenger vehicles.

Tell us if you're medically unfit to drive

If your doctor advises that you're medically unfit to hold a bus driver authority, you need to tell us immediately.

There may be financial, insurance and legal consequences if you don't tell us about a medical condition and keep driving.

Your doctor may send us details of your medical condition online or take your medical assessment to your nearest Service NSW centre.

Overdue medical assessments

If you do not submit your medical assessment by the due date, your bus driver authority will be suspended.

You cannot drive a public passenger vehicle until the suspension on your bus driver authority is lifted. Bus drivers who have an existing medical condition or are over the age of 60 will also have their driver licence suspended.

To restore your driver licence, your doctor needs to send us a satisfactory medical assessment.

We'll contact you within 5 working days about the suspension of your bus driver authority.

To talk to us about a suspended or cancelled bus authority, email: schemereview@transport.nsw.gov.au

Surrendering a bus driver authority

If you choose to surrender your authority or you are no longer fit to drive, you can hand in your authority card by mail. Send the card to:

Scheme Review
P.O Box 73
Glen Innes, NSW, 2370

If you still have questions please call us on 13 22 13.

Frequently asked questions