Rider SMV is the NSW rider licence for a special mobility vehicle (SMV), a three-wheeled vehicle that a person with a disability rides from their wheelchair. You need to pass the 45-question SMV knowledge test to get an SMV learner rider licence, which you can apply for from 16 years and 9 months.
What does SMV mean on a NSW rider licence?
SMV means special mobility vehicle. Transport for NSW describes it as a three-wheeled vehicle that a person with a disability can ride from their wheelchair. You may also hear them called Nippis or wheelchair accessible motorcycles.
To ride one, you need to be able to do up the seat belt and drive at normal traffic speeds while staying seated in your wheelchair. You also need a licence, and you must wear an approved motorcycle helmet at all times.
An SMV licence only lets you ride SMVs. When you get your P1 SMV rider licence, condition X118 is added to your licence. It says you may only ride a special mobility vehicle. SMVs that weigh more than 110 kg and go faster than 10 km/h must also be registered before they go on NSW roads.
Rider SMV isn’t the scooter or moped licence
The name is easy to mix up, because SMV sounds like it could mean a scooter or moped. The two are separate. If you want to ride a scooter, you go for a normal learner rider licence, the same one you’d get for a motorbike or trike. When you book your pre-learner training, you tell the provider you want to learn on a scooter.
That path uses the standard rider knowledge test, not the SMV one. Our guide to the NSW rider knowledge test covers how it’s marked and where it fits. The SMV licence page sends mobility scooter users to separate Centre for Road Safety guidance.
Who needs the SMV knowledge test
You need to pass the SMV knowledge test before you can get an SMV learner rider licence. That applies even if you already hold a driver or rider licence. What else you need depends on the licence you have now.
| Your situation | What you need |
|---|---|
| No licence yet | Start with an SMV learner rider licence. You need a medical assessment, the SMV knowledge test and an eyesight test. |
| Held a full rider licence at any time, or a P1 rider licence for at least 12 months in the last 2 years | You can skip the SMV learner step. You still need a medical assessment, the SMV knowledge test, an eyesight test and a riding test to get condition X118. |
| Full driver licence | Prove you’ve ridden your SMV for at least a year, pass a medical assessment, then sit the SMV knowledge test, an eyesight test and a riding test. |
| No disability and a full rider licence | You don’t need the SMV condition. You can ride an SMV without extra tests or medical assessments. |
If you don’t have a disability and don’t hold a full rider licence, you sit the same knowledge and riding tests as everyone else going for an SMV licence. Check with your doctor about whether you need a medical assessment.
How the SMV knowledge test works
The SMV knowledge test is a computer test, a lot like the Driver Knowledge Test (DKT) for a car learner licence. It has 45 questions about road rules and road safety for the SMV rider licence. Ask Service NSW about the pass mark before test day.
NSW says SMV riders have the same rules as other riders, and everything you need for the test is in the Motorcycle Riders’ Handbook. There’s also an official SMV question bank that has every question that may be asked. It’s split into general knowledge, road safety and traffic signs sections. The road safety part has questions on topics like intersections, pedestrians, speed limits, traffic lights, alcohol and drugs, fatigue and rider safety.
To book, you can go online or visit a service centre and pay the test fee there. Bring:
- your proof of identity
- a completed Licence Application form
- a medical report
- your glasses or contact lenses, if you wear them
- the test fee.
The test is available in English, Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, Greek, Korean, Serbian, Spanish, Turkish and Vietnamese. A free interpreter service is also available. Call 13 22 13 to arrange one. If reading the questions is hard for you, staff can read them out and explain them. There’s also an audio version, which you arrange by calling 13 22 13 before you book.
If you don’t pass, you may be able to sit it again the same day, depending on availability. You pay the test fee each time. Fees change, so check the current amount on Service NSW.
From SMV learner licence to your P1
You can apply for an SMV learner rider licence once you’re at least 16 years and 9 months old. Unlike the normal rider path, you don’t need any pre-learner or pre-provisional rider training first. The steps are:
- See your doctor for a Fitness to Drive medical assessment. Your doctor can send the form online, or you can take it to a service centre.
- Go to a service centre with your proof of identity, a completed licence application form, your medical report form (unless your doctor sent it online) and, if you need one, a reference statement.
- Pass the SMV knowledge test and, if it applies to you, an eyesight test.
- Pay the learner licence fee and have your photo taken.
To move up to an SMV P1 rider licence, you need to be at least 17 and have held your SMV learner licence for at least 3 months. Then you pass a riding test. In a declared area, that’s the Motorcycle Operator Skills Test (MOST) with an approved rider training provider. In an undeclared area, it’s a kerbside test. Declared areas are where rider training providers operate. If you’re not sure which applies where you live, call Transport for NSW on 13 22 13. After you pass, you have your photo taken and pay the provisional licence fee.
Some SMVs need registering (see the weight and speed limits above). Getting one registered means a safety inspection at an Authorised Unregistered Vehicle Inspection Station (AUVIS), compulsory third party (CTP) insurance and a visit to a service centre.
Practising for the SMV knowledge test with DrivePrep NSW
DrivePrep NSW has a separate Rider SMV pathway, so you study for the SMV test and not the general rider one. Work through it by category, starting with the ones you find hardest, and add the road signs category for the traffic signs questions. When you’re getting most answers right, sit a 45-question mock test. Use missed-question review to go back over what you got wrong, and watch your readiness score before you book.
You can download DrivePrep NSW free on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. It’s an independent app, so read the Motorcycle Riders’ Handbook and the official question bank as well.
Common questions
Is Rider SMV the scooter test in NSW?
No. SMV stands for special mobility vehicle, a three-wheeled vehicle that a person with a disability rides from their wheelchair. If you want to ride a scooter, you apply for a normal learner rider licence, the same as for a motorbike.
How many questions are on the SMV knowledge test?
45 questions about road rules and road safety for the SMV rider licence. The official question bank has every question that may be asked, split into general knowledge, road safety and traffic signs sections.
Do I need to do the pre-learner course for an SMV licence?
No. You can apply directly for an SMV learner rider licence without any pre-learner or pre-provisional rider training. In a declared area, your riding test for the Ps is the Motorcycle Operator Skills Test (MOST) with an approved rider training provider.
Can I ride an SMV on my normal motorbike licence?
Only if you don’t have a disability and you hold a full rider licence. Then you don’t need the SMV condition, extra tests or medical assessments. Everyone else needs an SMV licence or the X118 condition on their licence.
Official NSW sources
- Special mobility vehicle rider licences: what an SMV is, condition X118, using an existing licence, and the learner and P1 steps.
- Special Mobility Vehicle (SMV) Knowledge Test: who sits it, the 45 questions, what to study, booking, languages and re-sits.
- Apply for a Special Mobility Vehicle learner rider licence: the minimum age, what to bring and the steps at a service centre.
- Driver knowledge test questions: Class R licence with SMV endorsement (PDF): the official SMV question bank and its sections.
- Motorcycle Riders’ Handbook (PDF): the handbook NSW says has everything you need for the SMV test.
- Learner rider licence: the normal learner licence for motorcycles, trikes and scooters.
- Motorcycle riding for people with disability: what declared and undeclared areas are and how to check yours.
- Registering a special mobility vehicle: the AUVIS inspection, CTP insurance and service centre visit.
DrivePrep NSW is an independent study app and isn’t affiliated with Service NSW or Transport for NSW. Rules, fees and test arrangements can change, so check the official sources before your test.