A Practical Guide to Preparing for Your First Month as a Rideshare Driver

1. Confirm the requirements first

Before anything else, check that you are eligible. Uber states that drivers must be at least 20 years old — and 21 in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania — hold a valid full driver's licence in their state or territory, meet state-specific licence tenure, have access to a vehicle that meets Uber's vehicle requirements, and be listed as an insured driver for that vehicle (Uber requirements page, checked 9 October 2026).

Licence tenure varies by state, so confirm the rule that applies where you live. Uber's requirements page lists a 12-month rule in New South Wales (with a transition after 1 October 2026), 6 months in Victoria and South Australia, 12 months in Queensland and Tasmania, 12 months within the last 3 years in the Northern Territory, and a full licence plus a Passenger Transport Driver authorisation in Western Australia (checked 9 October 2026). If you are unsure which category you fall into, confirm with your state regulator before you go further.

You will also need a criminal background check, and the provider and process vary by city. In New South Wales, for example, the check runs through National Crime Check and is usually processed within about 14 days (Uber NSW get-a-licence page, checked 9 October 2026). Start this early, because it can be the slowest part of the process.

2. Get your documents ready

Uber's required documents page lists a valid full driver's licence for your state or territory, proof of identity and right to work in Australia (with exceptions in some states), vehicle registration, a driver profile photo, and any state or territory-specific documents (checked 9 October 2026). Gather originals, because Uber notes that original documents are required, and that review can take up to about two hours once submitted.

On top of the national list, most states add their own steps. In Queensland, you need a Booked Hire/Taxi (BHTX) Driver Authorisation and the vehicle needs a Booked Hire Service Licence (BHSL), a medical assessment, a Certificate of Inspection and the correct class of Compulsory Third Party insurance, plus driver safety education (Queensland TMR, checked 9 October 2026). In New South Wales you add a Passenger Transport Licence Code to your licence, in Victoria you need Driver Accreditation from Safe Transport Victoria plus commercial registration and a RedBook Inspect, and in Western Australia you need a Passenger Transport Driver authorisation and a Passenger Transport Vehicle authorisation (Uber and state regulator pages, checked 9 October 2026). South Australia requires both driver accreditation and, if you own the vehicle, operator accreditation.

Because the state checklists differ so much, the safest habit is to read your own regulator's page and the Uber get-a-licence page for your city, and to tick off each item rather than assuming the national list is complete.

3. Set up your ABN and GST

All rideshare drivers on the Uber platform must register for an Australian Business Number (ABN) and, because rideshare is a taxable supply, the ATO requires rideshare drivers to be registered for GST (Uber help and Uber ABN setup guide, checked 9 October 2026). An ABN is free to apply for through the Australian Business Register, and if you are operating alone you would generally use "Sole Trader / Individual".

The important detail many new drivers miss is that GST registration applies to rideshare even below the usual $75,000 turnover threshold, because the ATO treats rideshare differently from most other small businesses. In practice that means your pricing and record-keeping need to account for GST from day one, not once you grow. Set this up before your first trip, and if your situation is complicated, confirm the details with the ATO or a registered tax agent.

4. Prepare the vehicle

The car you plan to drive has to clear Uber's vehicle rules and your state's requirements, so treat vehicle preparation as a task in its own right rather than an afterthought. Uber states that vehicles must have a 5-star ANCAP rating or meet its vehicle exemption policy, and that a vehicle inspection confirming roadworthiness is also required (checked 9 October 2026). If your current car does not clearly qualify, find out before you spend time and money on the rest of the process.

State requirements stack on top. Queensland requires the vehicle to hold a Booked Hire Service Licence and a Certificate of Inspection unless exempt; Victoria requires the vehicle to be registered as a commercial passenger vehicle and inspected through RedBook Inspect; Western Australia requires a Passenger Transport Vehicle on-demand charter authorisation; and South Australia, if you own the car, requires operator accreditation alongside your driver accreditation (state regulator pages, checked 9 October 2026). Confirm the exact list for your state, and book any inspection early because appointments can add days.

Basic readiness also matters: keep servicing current, check tyres and lights, and make sure the interior is clean and comfortable before your first passenger. None of this is a legal requirement on its own, but it reduces the chance of a last-minute problem on a working night.

5. Sort out insurance and cover

Insurance is one of the most common places new drivers get caught out. Uber states that you must be listed as an insured driver for the vehicle you plan to drive (checked 9 October 2026), and several states require specific cover for passenger transport. Queensland, for example, requires the correct class of Compulsory Third Party insurance for a booked hire vehicle, and Western Australia requires 3F Motor Injury Insurance on registration (state regulator pages, checked 9 October 2026).

Private comprehensive cover is not automatically the same as cover for carrying paying passengers, so read your policy or ask your insurer directly whether your intended use is covered. Insurance is a cost you should confirm before your first shift, not after. Getting this wrong can be far more expensive than any over-optimistic estimate of your first month's earnings.

6. Budget and keep records

Your first month is the right time to build the habits that carry through the year. Because you must register for GST, treat your record-keeping as a business system from the start: track income and expenses trip by trip, keep receipts, and set money aside for GST and income tax as you go rather than at the end. This is far easier to sustain from month one than to reconstruct later.

On the cost side, think in terms of total running costs, not just fuel or electricity. Registration, insurance, servicing, tyres, charging or fuel, and any state levies all add up, and some of them are fixed whether you drive a lot or a little. Build a simple weekly view of money in and money out, and be cautious with any projection of earnings: ride-hailing demand, fares and promotions vary constantly and change by city and season, so nothing here is a promise of income.

Keep any records you rely on for tax in a form you can retrieve quickly. If you use a tax agent, ask early what format they prefer, because it is easier to record information the right way from the beginning.

7. Build simple safety routines

Safety routines are easier to keep if you decide them in advance rather than improvising at the end of a long shift. Some states formalise this: Queensland, for instance, requires driver safety education of under 30 minutes to be completed before you use the app (Queensland TMR, checked 9 October 2026). Where your state requires it, complete it before your first trip.

Beyond the formal requirements, it helps to settle a few practical habits before you start — such as confirming the pickup location against the app, keeping your vehicle in a roadworthy condition, and being clear about when you will stop driving if you are tired. Different drivers land on different routines, so the goal is to decide yours deliberately rather than to copy anyone else's. If you are ever unsure about a safety or legal requirement in your area, confirm with your regulator.

8. Plan your driving week

Rather than driving whenever you happen to be free, decide in advance which blocks of the week you will work. This makes your records cleaner, helps you manage rest, and lets you judge later which sessions were actually worthwhile. Demand rises and falls with the day and the season, and it varies by city, so there is no universal "best" times — the useful step is to choose a schedule, hold to it for a few weeks, and then adjust based on your own results rather than assumptions.

If you signed up through a referral or a signup promotion, remember that these offers change over time. Uber's publicly advertised signup bonuses have been tiered by trips completed within 90 days and have varied by city; the amount, eligible cities, trip tiers and deadlines must be confirmed in Uber's own signup flow. Never treat a promotional figure as a guarantee, and note that eligibility is limited by city, new-driver status, trip counts and deadlines.

9. Review your trips

At the end of each week, look back at the trips you did and what they actually cost you to complete. Reconcile your app records with your own expenses, note which sessions produced the most useful evenings, and adjust your schedule accordingly. This review loop is what turns a first month of guesswork into a routine you can trust.

A first month is a learning period, not a verdict. Expect to refine your documents, your charging or fuelling routine, your budget and your schedule as you go. Confirm anything regulatory with your state or territory regulator, and confirm anything promotional in Uber's own signup process, before you rely on it.