How old must an employee, or contractor, be to drive and ride on tractors or other vehicles?
An Employer, or principal (engaging a contractor), must ensure that any employee under 15 years old, while at the workplace does not:
Drive any vehicle; or
Ride on any vehicle while it is towing or is attached to anything; or
Ride on anything towed by or attached to any vehicle.
By a "vehicle" we mean any tractor and any vehicle, other than a car, a truck, a motorcycle, or machinery that weighs 700 kilograms or less.
An Employee must also be over 15 years old, and must have a current driver's licence, before driving any motor vehicle on a road. That includes any car park, yard, or other part of a workplace which has public vehicle access.
In the agriculture sector, there is a special exemption allowing young people doing contract work who are over the age of 12 years to use tractors for agricultural work, provided they are fully trained or being trained.
See Safety information for young workers and employers of young workers
Date Modified: Thursday, 31 May 2012
Disclaimer: The content on this website covers common problems. It will not answer every question
and should not be used as a substitute for legislation or legal advice.State sector employers
and employees may be affected by some differences in the laws that apply to them (e.g. State
Sector Act 1988).The Department of Labour takes no responsibility for the results of any actions taken
on the basis of information on this website, nor for any errors or omissions.
