Do I Need a Licence to Hire a Forklift?

Here at Forklogic, we often get asked by customers, “Can I hire a forklift without having a licence?” Whether you’re a business owner who needs a short-term rental or you are tackling a DIY project at home, the answer to this question is important to your safety and protection.

In Queensland and Australia, operating a forklift is classed as High Risk Work (HRW). This means rules are strict, regardless of whether you’re hiring a forklift for an hour, a day or several months. In this page, our technicians will explain the different licensing needs of operating a forklift and what you need to know before you take out one of our fleet.

The Short Answer is Yes

To legally and safely drive a forklift in any workplace or residential property, you’ve got to hold a valid and in-date High Risk Work (HRW) Licence. It’s a legal requirement under the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act for any operator to be certified and licenced before hiring out a forklift.

If you choose to drive a forklift without a licence, you can incur some hefty fines, invalidate your insurance and put yourself, your business and co-workers in danger.

You need to be licensed to legally drive a forklift

Does Operating A Forklift On Private Property Change The Rules?

A common myth is that if you are driving a forklift on private property, then you don’t need a licence. However, this is not true and is incredibly dangerous. Private property also includes workplaces such as:

Construction Sites
Retail back-of-house areas
Private farms
Home-based businesses
Warehouse and Loading Docks

If your forklift is being hired out and used for work purposes, then you MUST HAVE an LF or an LO licence.

What Type of Licence Do I Need To Hire A Forklift?

In the world of forklifts, there are two main licence types:

LF Forklift Licence

This is the most common forklift licence in Australia. This qualification allows you to drive the majority of industrial forklift trucks, including counterbalance forklifts, high-reach forklifts and side-load forklifts.

LO Forklift Licence
This is a specialist qualification for operating an Order Picking Forklift, also called a “stock picker”. Unlike normal forklifts, the driver platform rises and falls with the load, which means working at heights of up to 10metres.

Make sure you and your employees, or whoever is going to operate the forklift, are familiar with the make and model that they are renting.

Forklift Hire With Forklogic

Is My Driving Licence Enough To Hire Out A Forklift?

Your bog standard drivers licence doesn’t make up for the fact that you don’t have a forklift licence. However, if you plan to drive a forklift on a public road, you need to have a valid and up-to-date driver's licence and forklift licence.

Can I Operate A Forklift While I Am Learning?

Learner forklift drivers need to be enrolled in a course with a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) such as TAFE. Within the course, you are allowed to drive a forklift under strict and direct supervision from a certified assessor.

Ready to Hire?

While ForkLogic provides the high-quality machinery you need to get the job done, ensuring your operators are licensed is the final step in a successful hire.

Need more advice on choosing the right forklift for your site? Contact the ForkLogic team on 1300 360 936 or browse our hire range today.