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From 8 December 2025, the South Australian government will cancel perpetual metropolitan taxi licences, issue payments in connection with cancellations and begin issuing annual taxi licences.
Taxi licence holders will receive a $10,000 payment for each perpetual metropolitan taxi licence they hold. Payments will be made via cheque. Taxi licence holders don't need to apply for this payment.
Licence holders may be eligible for an additional payment of $190,000 for their first perpetual metropolitan taxi licence.
Eligibility for this payment will be determined through an application and assessment process in accordance with the prescribed scheme in the Government Gazette.
These payments are made in connection with the cancellation of all perpetual metropolitan taxi licences. Perpetual metropolitan taxi licences will be cancelled:
- after an application for a new annual taxi licence is submitted by the operator currently operating the metropolitan taxi licence; or
- by 30 April 2026.
There will be a separate cancellation and payment scheme for Access Taxi licence holders (general licences with special conditions) at a future stage.
If you registered to attend an information session on the taxi licence cancellation payments, your registration and enquiry has been received and the Department for Infrastructure and Transport will contact you directly.
If you have questions, you can email our support team on DIT.Metropolitantaxilicence@sa.gov.au or call Service SA on 13 10 84.
How to apply
You can apply for the $190,000 payment online.
You'll need to create a user account to access and complete the online application.
Application closes on 16 March 2026. Please complete and submit your application before the closing date. Conditions apply for late submission.
It may take up to 4 months to process your application.
You may be asked to provide further information or evidence if the information or documents you have provided do not satisfy the eligibility requirements.
If you have questions, please email our support team on DIT.Metropolitantaxilicence@sa.gov.au.
Eligibility criteria for $190,000 payment
To be eligible for the $190,000 payment, you must:
- have obtained the taxi licence before the introduction of rideshare in South Australia (12 April 2016), and
- still hold the licence as at 4 December 2025, and
- have been a resident of South Australia immediately before 4 December 2025.
In the case of joint ownership, at least one eligible metropolitan taxi licence holder must reside in South Australia on 4 December 2025.
If you live outside South Australia, you may be eligible for the $190,000 payment if you were:
- a South Australian resident at the time you became a holder of the existing metropolitan taxi licence; and
- you live elsewhere due to:
- health or medical reasons
- employment
- family reasons; or
- another compelling reason.
We will assess your application against eligibility criteria.
Eligible payments for multiple licence, joint ownership holders and companies
$190,000 will be paid for the first eligible perpetual metropolitan taxi licence held. You will not be eligible for a $190,000 payment for your second or subsequent taxi licence. For example:
| Licences you have | Eligible payment |
|---|---|
| One or more licences in your own name | One payment of $190,000 |
| One or more licences in joint names with other person(s) | One payment of $190,000 will be shared between you and the other co-owner(s) |
| One or more licences in a company name | One payment of $190,000 |
| One licence in your own name and one licence in joint name with other person(s) | Two payments of $190,000 - one for each licence |
Licence transfers
If your perpetual metropolitan taxi licence was transferred after 12 April 2016, the person who has the existing metropolitan taxi licence may still receive the $190,000 payment if the licence was transferred to them in certain situations.
Holders of a perpetual metropolitan taxi licence transferred after 12 April 2016 may be eligible if the licence:
- was held by a company and was transferred to a shareholder or director of that company before 30 August 2024
- was held by an individual then transferred to a company where the individual was a shareholder or director at the time of the transfer before 30 August 2024
- was transferred to an immediate family member before 30 August 2024
- was transferred to another person under a Family Law agreement, a Family Law order or a Family Law instrument.
Licence transfers will not affect the total amount of eligible payments.
Deceased estates
If a perpetual metropolitan taxi licence holder died after 12 April 2016, and their deceased estate or beneficiary of the estate still holds the licence, they may still be eligible for a payment. The deceased estate applies as if the person who has died still has an entitlement as the perpetual metropolitan taxi licence holder.
What you’ll need
- Taxi licence details and taxi licence holder(s) contact details including:
- client number
- taxi licence number(s)
- contact details of taxi licence holder(s) (individual/joint/proprietary company), and
- Australian Company Number (ACN) assigned to a proprietary company by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)(for taxi licences held in company names)
- Current and historical company extracts (for taxi licences held in company name) – provided by ASIC.
- Identity document number – the document number only is required. The document number can be from an Australian driver’s licence, proof of age card, or Australian passport.
- Statutory declaration – signed and witnessed before an authorised witness.
The collection, storage and disposal of information are undertaken in line with the Government of South Australia's information privacy principles (IPPs), a copy of which can be obtained on the Department of the Premier and Cabinet’s website.
Who can apply?
An application may be completed by a taxi licence holder or their legally qualified representative(s).
A legally qualified representative means:
- a legal guardian; or
- the donee (the person you appoint to act on your behalf) of a power of attorney; or
- the executor or administrator of the estate of a deceased person.
Legally qualified representative(s) applying on behalf of a taxi licence holder (single, joint or proprietary company) must provide identity documents for themselves as well as the licence holder(s) they are applying on behalf of.
Proof of legally qualified representation
Legally qualified representatives must provide one of the below documents as evidence that they have authority to apply on behalf of a taxi licence holder(s):
- Guardianship order issued by a Court.
- Enduring power of guardianship appointment.
- Signed Power of Attorney.
- Will and Testament identifying the legally qualified representative(s) as the executor of the estate.
Taxation and social security implications
Cancellation payments may have taxation and/or social security payment implications for you. You are encouraged to seek your own independent tax and legal advice based on your own individual circumstances.
The Australian Government’s Department of Social Services has determined that the initial $10,000 payment to taxi licence holders is an exempt lump sum for the purpose of the social security income test. Further information about the $190,000 payment will be available shortly.
Depending on how the funds are used by individuals receiving the payments, any resulting assessable asset and/or ongoing income generated by investing the payments will be subject to the relevant asset and income tests for social security purposes.
What happens next?
After you apply:
- You'll be notified within four months if your application does not meet the eligibility criteria.
- Once your application has been submitted, you will receive an email with an application reference number stating that your application has been received. If you wish to make an enquiry about your application, you will need this reference number.
- Your application will be assessed and you will be notified about the outcome via a letter to the postal address you provided in your application.
- Applications will be approved and paid progressively over several years. The number of approvals and payments made each year will be informed by the amount of revenue collected and available annually through the Point to Point Transport Service Levy and a portion of the Adelaide Airport Ground Transport Service Fee. Payments will be prioritised for eligible metropolitan taxi licence holders who are terminally ill. Other eligible metropolitan taxi licence holders will then be paid in order based on their taxi licence plate number from lowest to highest. Indexation will be applied to the payment amount each year.
Key dates
Applications for perpetual metropolitan taxi licence cancellation payments will close on 16 March 2026.
The Department for Infrastructure and Transport may consider late applications up to 15 April 2026, if the Department is satisfied that there is a valid and exceptional reason why the person did not make the application by 16 March 2026.
Extensions will also be given if the Department is satisfied that the application is being made by an executor or administrator on behalf of the estate of a qualifying licence holder who died before making an application.
Need help?
Contact Service SA.
Email: DIT.Metropolitantaxilicence@sa.gov.au
