Ride-hailing | A complete guide to driver and vehicle license application qualifications, procedures, written tests, and insurance

• Must be 21 years of age or older, hold a permanent resident identity card or an identity card that is not a permanent resident identity card, and not be subject to any conditions of stay (excluding the duration of stay).
• Hold a valid full driving license for a private car (license plate No. 1) or a light commercial vehicle (license plate No. 2).
• Has not been convicted of a serious traffic offence under the Road Traffic Ordinance within the past 5 years.
• Individuals holding a valid taxi driver's license can directly apply for a ride-hailing vehicle driver's license.

1. Pass the combined written test for ride-hailing services and complete the Pre-Service Course.

Drivers who meet the eligibility requirements must pass the "Taxi and Ride-hailing Vehicle Combined Written Test" within a specified period and complete the pre-employment course for ride-hailing drivers. The written examination and the Pre-Service Course are valid for 3 years and 1 year, respectively.

2. Apply for a Ride-hailing Vehicle Driving Permit

After passing the written test and completing the Pre-Service Course, applicants can formally apply to the Transport Department for a Ride-hailing Vehicle Driving Permit. The permits are issued by lottery, with the first batch of 10,000 slots expected to be available. Applications will begin in October, and the lottery results will be announced in November. The Ride-hailing Vehicle Driving Permit costs HK$82 per year, and its validity depends on the expiration date of the applicant's regular private car or light goods vehicle driver's license, with a maximum validity of 5 years, totaling HK$410.

3. Registration of private vehicles must meet the license plate issuance requirements.

Ride-hailing regulations emphasize "in compliance with the owner-driver requirement," meaning that drivers providing ride-hailing passenger transport services are the registered owners of the vehicles they drive or use. In addition, the private vehicle must also meet the following conditions:

• Have a valid vehicle license plate
• Manufacturing occurred less than 12 years prior to the application date.
• The vehicle must have received a certificate of roadworthiness within one year prior to the application date, meaning it has passed its annual inspection.
• Purchase Third-party liability insurance covering ride-hailing uses for automobiles

4. Correctly display the ride-hailing vehicle certificate for carrying passengers.

Once approved, a ride-hailing vehicle certificate will be issued, valid for no more than 12 months. The expiry date is usually the same as the vehicle's regular license plate. The permit fee is HK$1,500. When providing ride-hailing services, the vehicle owner must clearly display a paper copy of the "Ride-Hailing Vehicle Certificate," or a compliant electronic copy, in the manner and location specified by the Director of Transport.

5. Meets minimum travel requirements for renewal.

A vehicle certificate can be renewed 1 to 4 months before its expiry date. Before renewal, the vehicle must have completed at least a specified number of ride-hailing trips. A vehicle certificate can be renewed more than once, but the total validity period, calculated from the initial issuance date, cannot exceed 5 years.

From August 3, 2026, a new set of written test content will be adopted for the Taxi and Ride-hailing Vehicle Combined Written Test. The test consists of two parts, both in multiple-choice (MC) format. Candidates need to complete both parts, totaling 65 MC questions, within 45 minutes. A passing score is 85% correct. Candidates can refer to the Mock Exam Questions and test information on the Transport Department website.

Written Exam Part A: Taxi and Ride-Hailing Operations

Part A consists of 30 questions, including 20 questions on knowledge of taxi and ride-hailing passenger transport service, 9 questions on Location Questions (candidates must choose the most appropriate answer from 4 options), and 1 question on route (candidates must choose the most appropriate answer from 3 options). A passing score is 25 or more correct answers. The Questions in this part are set based on the booklet "Taxi and Ride-hailing Vehicle Operation", and prepared by making reference to the "Hong Kong Guide" published by the Survey & Mapping Office of the Lands Department.

Written Examination Part B: Road Users' Code

Part B of the written examination is conducted according to the Road Users’ Code. The test is designed to test candidates' knowledge of road traffic regulations and safe driving. There are 35 MC questions in total. Candidates need to choose the most appropriate answer from 3 options. They need to answer 30 or more questions correctly to pass.

1. Book Online Driving Test On GovHK
2. Click "Apply for Driving Test Scheduling and Check Available Driving Test Dates," then select "Apply for Driving Test Scheduling."
3. Use "iAM Smart" or electronic certificate files for identity authentication.
4. Fill in your personal information and select "Taxi and Ride-hailing" as the vehicle application category.
5. Submit your appointment request and make payment. The examination fee is HK$510.
6. Download the scheduling information after successful payment.

1. Identification documents, such as a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card, a Hong Kong Identity Card, a passport, or a valid travel document.
2. A valid Hong Kong driving license
3. Exam scheduling information

• After arriving at the Transport Department, candidates can wait in the lobby of the Driving Test Scheduling Office.
• Then, follow the staff's instructions to queue up and enter the written test waiting area, turning off your mobile phone and any electronic devices with alarm functions, such as smartwatches.
• Pay close attention to the examination instructions given by the invigilator, and then follow the invigilator's directions to enter the examination room for registration.
• After completing registration, candidates will be assigned a computer and will take the written test according to the computer's instructions.
• Candidates can collect their score reports at counter 36 of the Schedule Office approximately 15 minutes after completing the exam.

The Hong Kong government mandates that ride-hailing drivers purchase third-party liability insurance policies covering ride-hailing use to avoid the gray area of single-platform liability. Insurance companies are currently taking a wait-and-see approach, closely monitoring the government's direction on ride-hailing policies and developing related insurance products. Two feasible solutions are broadly: underwriting with "commercial vehicle insurance policies" or extending existing private car insurance policies to ride-hailing use. The relevant authorities believe that extending private car insurance to ride-hailing services would be relatively straightforward.

For more discussion on ride-hailing insurance, please refer to the Ride-hailing insurance guide by Kwiksure.

According to the latest implementation of Road Traffic (Revised) (Ride-Hailing Services) Regulations (2025), operating a ride-hailing service without a license or illegally transporting passengers for payment are both criminal offenses. The government adopts a zero-tolerance policy towards unlicensed vehicles and non-compliant operations. Most of the legal provisions officially came into effect on August 3, 2026. It is scheduled to take full effect on August 22.

Driver and vehicle offenses

• Unlicensed vehicles or unlicensed drivers carrying passengers for payment
• First-time offender: Maximum fine of HK$10,000 and imprisonment for 6 months; the license plate of the vehicle involved will be temporarily suspended and impounded for 6 months.
• Repeat offenders face a maximum fine of HK$25,000 and imprisonment for 12 months; the vehicle's license plate will be temporarily suspended and impounded for 12 months, and the driver's license will be suspended for 12 months to 3 years.
• Failure to display the vehicle certificate as required
• The maximum penalty is a fine of HK$5,000 and imprisonment for 6 months.
• Violation of the "in compliance with the owner-driver requirement" 
• A fine of HK$10,000
• Non-compliance with license conditions
• The Commissioner for Transport can directly amend, temporarily suspend, or cancel a driver's license.

Crimes committed by ride-hailing platforms

• Unlicensed ride-hailing platforms
• The maximum penalty is a fine of HK$1 million and imprisonment for 12 months.
• The platform arranges for unlicensed vehicles or drivers to accept orders.
• First offense: For each vehicle or driver involved, the maximum penalty is a fine of HK$10,000 and imprisonment for 6 months.
• Repeat offenders: For each vehicle or driver involved, the maximum penalty is a fine of HK$25,000 and imprisonment for 12 months.
• Order dispatching in violation of the "in compliance with the owner-driver requirement"
• The maximum fine is HK$10,000.
• Service/Licensing Conditions/Data Storage Violations
• The first offense is punishable by a fine of HK$50,000, the second offense by HK$100,000, and the third offense and above by HK$200,000; the Commissioner for Transport may amend, temporarily suspend, or cancel the license.