How to get a PSV licence in Malaysia

A PSV (Public Service Vehicle) licence is the vocational licence that lets you legally carry paying passengers in Malaysia — as a taxi or kereta sewa driver, an e-hailing driver with Grab, Bolt, inDrive or Maxim, or a van, mini-bus or bus driver. It is issued by JPJ (Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan) under the Road Transport Act 1987. Here is the complete process, in the order you actually do it.

Step 1 — Check you are eligible

• Malaysian citizen or permanent resident
• Aged 21 or above
• Hold a Competent Driving Licence (CDL), class D or DA, valid for more than 1 year — a P licence is not accepted
• Medically fit for vocational driving (confirmed at Step 2)
• Not blacklisted by JPJ or PDRM, and outstanding summonses settled

Step 2 — The JPJL8A medical examination

Download or collect the JPJL8A form (health examination report for a vocational licence) and take it to any registered clinic. The doctor checks your general health, eyesight and fitness to carry passengers. Typical cost is around RM50, and the completed report is valid for one year. Keep the clinic’s receipt with its stamp and signature — JPJ asks for it.

Step 3 — Attend the 6-hour PSV theory course

Book the course at any JPJ-registered driving institute (institut memandu) — the test centres page lists institutes that run PSV courses across Malaysia, and JPJ publishes the full official list on its website. The course runs for 6 hours (usually a single day) and covers road safety and the Road Transport Act, passenger handling and service, defensive driving, vehicle checks, and your responsibilities as a professional driver, including the KEJARA demerit system.

The course fee is set by each institute but capped at RM200 by the Ministry of Transport; most charge between RM70 and RM200. Some e-hailing operators run subsidised or reimbursed schemes for new drivers in certain cities — check your operator’s driver centre before paying full price.

At the end of the course you receive the JPJL2C certificate, valid for one year. Under current rules there is no separate written JPJ examination for most applicants — attendance is the requirement — but treat the course seriously: it is the only formal training most drivers get, and some institutes assess you before issuing the certificate. Our free practice test follows the same syllabus.

Step 4 — Register your PSV at JPJ

Go to a JPJ state or branch office in the same state where you did your course. Two warnings that save people a wasted trip: JPJ counters inside UTCs do not handle PSV registration, and your application is not complete without every document below.

What the whole PSV licence costs

Step 5 — After you have the licence

Your PSV sits alongside your CDL — you must hold both. If you drive e-hailing, your car also needs an EVP (E-hailing Vehicle Permit) arranged through your operator, the e-hailing sticker displayed on the front and rear windscreens, valid e-hailing insurance, and PUSPAKOM inspections when due. Vehicles must be no more than 15 years old. Unlike private drivers, vocational licence holders still carry physical licence and road tax documents — the MyJPJ digital copies alone are not enough for PSV, GDL and conductor licence holders.

The process in depth — timeline, problems and edge cases

Printable documents checklist

Tick these off, print the page, and take the folder with you:

• MyKad — original and one photocopy
• CDL driving licence — original and one photocopy (valid more than 1 year)
• JPJL8A medical form — completed, with clinic receipt (stamp + signature)
• JPJL2C course certificate — original
• JPJL12 application form — completed
• One colour photo, 25mm × 32mm, white background
• Payment for the JPJ fee (card/cash as the counter accepts)

🖨 Print this checklist

If the doctor refers you or does not sign

Not every medical ends with a signature on the spot. If the clinic doctor finds something that needs a closer look — blood pressure readings, eyesight below the standard even with glasses, a heart or diabetes concern — you may be referred to a specialist or asked to return with treatment records. That is a referral, not a lifetime ban: many drivers complete treatment or get a specialist letter and are then signed off. What does not work is hiding a condition or shopping for a doctor who will sign anything — the form is a legal declaration, and your passengers’ safety is the point of it. The JPJL8A medical guide explains what is checked and how to prepare.

Lost, damaged or stolen PSV card

Apply for a replacement at a JPJ counter with your MyKad. If the card was stolen, make a police report first and bring it — it protects you if the card is misused. A replacement fee applies (confirm the current amount at the counter). Your licence record is in JPJ’s system, so a lost card does not mean re-sitting anything, as long as the licence itself is still valid.

Adding another class later

JPJ offers an official service for adding a new class to a vocational licence — for example, moving from PSV D (car) to add van/mini-bus work, or to PSV E for buses once you hold the right CDL class. Expect the same building blocks: the CDL class first, a medical, and the course/assessment for the new class. Ask at the JPJ counter or your institute before booking, because the exact course requirement differs by class.

Changing state, employer or operator

Your PSV is yours, not your employer’s — changing from one e-hailing operator to another, or from e-hailing to taxi work in the same class, does not need a new licence. Moving house does not either; just renew as normal. What does change per operator is the vehicle side: the EVP is tied to the operator and car, so a new operator means a new EVP arrangement for the vehicle.

Questions about the process

Next: PSV classes, renewal and expiry rules → · Find a PSV course centre → · Practise the questions →

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