How to Notarise a Driver Licence Copy in Australia

A notarised copy of an Australian driver licence is requested for two quite different reasons, and it is worth knowing which one applies to you before booking anything. One of them does not need a notary at all.

If you want to drive overseas, you need an International Driving Permit

A notarised copy of your licence does not permit you to drive in another country. Nothing a notary does changes what your licence entitles you to.

If you are travelling and want to drive, the document most countries look for is an International Driving Permit, carried together with your Australian licence. In Australia, International Driving Permits are issued through the state and territory motoring organisations, not through notaries. Check the rules of the country you are visiting, because some accept an Australian licence on its own, some require a permit, and some have their own arrangements.

If you are moving abroad and want to convert your Australian licence to a local one, the local licensing office may want a certified copy and a translation, and sometimes a letter from the Australian licensing authority confirming your driving history. That is a genuine notarial job, but ask the local office for its list before you start, because the driving history letter has to come from the authority that issued your licence.

Most notarised licence copies are identity evidence

The more common request has nothing to do with driving. A foreign bank, broker, company registry, property lawyer or online platform wants to verify who you are before opening an account or completing a transaction, and has asked for a certified copy of photo identification.

This is where a driver licence copy differs from most documents a notary certifies. For a birth certificate, the notary attests only that the copy matches the original. For identification, the receiving institution usually also wants the notary to confirm that the person who appeared before them is the person in the photograph. That is a statement about you, not just the card.

It has two consequences:

• You must attend in person, with the licence. Someone else cannot take your licence to the notary for this purpose.
• The wording often matters. Many institutions prescribe the certification words, for example that the copy is a true copy of the original and the photograph is a true likeness of the holder, plus the date and the certifier's details. Bring their exact wording. A certificate that omits a required phrase may be rejected.

A licence may not be the best document to send

A driver licence is issued by a state or territory, does not show nationality and is unfamiliar to many overseas institutions. Some accept it as primary identification. Others treat it only as secondary identification or as proof of address, and want a passport as well.

Check before the appointment. If the institution wants both, have both certified at the same appointment; the second document costs far less than a second visit.

Both sides, and the physical card

Copy both sides. The back of an Australian licence can carry information an institution needs, and a copy of the front alone is a common reason for a second request.

The notary must sight the physical card. A photograph of the licence, a scan or a phone screen is not the original. Some states and territories now offer digital licences; if that is all you carry, raise it with the notary before booking, and ask the receiving institution whether it will accept a certified copy of a digital credential at all.

At the appointment

1. You attend with the original licence and, ideally, your passport as a second form of identification.
2. The notary compares you with the photograph and checks that the card is current and appears unaltered.
3. Both sides are copied, and the notarial certificate is prepared using the wording the institution requires, then signed and sealed.
4. The act is recorded in the notary's register.

Is an apostille needed?

Not always. Many institutions accepting identification documents do not require an apostille; others insist on one. Ask. If one is required, the notarial certificate goes to DFAT for an apostille, or for authentication and embassy legalisation where the destination is outside the Hague Apostille Convention. No notary can issue an apostille.

What it costs

Notarial fees are not fixed by statute and vary between practitioners. As a market estimate only:

• certified copy of the licence with identity attestation: roughly $80–$150
• a second identity document, such as a passport, at the same appointment: roughly $20–$50

What drives the cost up for a licence copy: institution-specific wording that has to be drafted into the certificate, certifying a passport as well, several institutions each wanting their own original certified copy, translation for a licence conversion, and an apostille where one is required, which DFAT charges separately.

Frequently asked questions

Can a Justice of the Peace certify my licence for an overseas bank? Some overseas institutions accept a range of certifiers; many specify a notary. If an apostille is needed, it must be a notary, because DFAT will not apostille a JP's certification.

My licence has expired. Can it still be certified? Most institutions want current identification. Renew it first, or use your passport.

Can the notary certify a colour photocopy I bring? No. The notary makes or checks the copy against the original card.