“Do I need a ticket to run a telehandler?” sounds like it should have a one-word answer. It doesn’t. The answer depends on the machine’s rated capacity, on what’s bolted to the end of the boom, and — since 2024 — on which state you’re standing in. Here’s how it actually works across the four states we operate in.
Two questions decide everything
Before you look up any licence class, answer these:
- What’s the rated capacity? Three tonnes is the line.
- What’s the attachment? Forks and buckets are one thing. A hook is another thing entirely.
That second question is the one that catches people out, and it’s the difference between a machine that needs a high risk work licence and one that doesn’t.
Under 3 tonnes: no HRW licence, but not “no training”
A non-slewing telehandler rated at 3 tonnes or less doesn’t trigger a high risk work licence. That is not the same as saying anyone can jump on it. The employer still has a duty to provide training, instruction and supervision, and to be able to show the operator was competent on that machine. “No licence required” has never meant “no evidence required” — and it’s the first thing asked for after an incident.
Over 3 tonnes: it depends on the attachment
Above 3 tonnes rated capacity, a non-slewing telehandler needs a high risk work licence when it’s set up to lift a suspended load — that is, fitted with a boom or jib and a hook, doing the job a crane does.
WorkSafe Queensland is explicit about the flip side: where the machine is fitted with other attachments — fork arms, a bucket, a grab — no high risk work licence is required. Same machine, same operator, same site: put a hook on it and the licensing picture changes.
This is the single most misunderstood point about telehandlers, and it cuts both ways. Builders assume a ticket is always needed and pay for tickets they don’t; other builders assume it never is, and put an unlicensed operator on a suspended load.
State by state
Victoria — the new TV licence
Victoria created a dedicated class. Under the Occupational Health and Safety Amendment (Telehandlers) Regulations 2024, a non-slewing telehandler licence (TV) has been available since 1 July 2024. Operators of non-slewing telehandlers over 3 tonnes can now choose: do the telehandler-specific course (11249NAT, around 22 hours or three days) and get the TV, or do the non-slewing mobile crane course and get the CN. A slewing crane licence (C2, C6, C1 or C0) also covers the work.
New South Wales — CN, no TV
NSW has no TV class. A non-slewing telehandler over 3 tonnes falls under the non-slewing mobile crane (CN) licence. If you trained in Victoria and hold a TV, don’t assume it travels — check before you send that operator to a Sydney site.
Queensland — CN, and the attachment rule
Queensland also uses CN: required for a non-slewing mobile crane over 3 tonnes capacity fitted with a boom or jib and hook. With forks or a bucket instead, no HRW licence applies.
Western Australia — changed in 2025
WA moved more recently. From 10 August 2025, operators need a CN licence to use non-slewing earthmoving machinery to suspend a load. WA has also flagged further reform around a licence for telehandlers used as a crane, so this is the state most worth re-checking before you mobilise.
Don’t forget the boom
One more layer, and it’s independent of everything above: if the telescopic boom is 11 metres or more and it’s being used as an elevating work platform, the operator also needs a WP licence — on top of the capacity licence. Two tickets, one machine. A slewing telehandler is a different animal again and needs a slewing mobile crane licence matched to its capacity.
What this means if you’re hiring
Four states, three different answers, one machine type. If you run projects across borders, the safe habit is to check the licence against this machine, this attachment, this state — every time, not once a year. And if the machine is going to be used both ways during the job, sort the hook-work ticket before it’s needed, not on the morning it is.
Getting the ticket yourself
Telehandler work is worth having on your card. It’s common on commercial and residential sites, the courses are short, and CN in particular opens doors well beyond telehandlers. If you’re in Victoria, the TV route is the quicker, more targeted option; everywhere else, CN is the ticket that travels.
Need a telehandler operator who’s actually ticketed for the job?
DL Aus Group supplies telehandler and plant operators across QLD, NSW, VIC & WA. We match the ticket to the machine and the state before the shift, which is the part that tends to go wrong. Licensed labour hire in Queensland (LHL-04372-G3F0N) and Victoria (VICLHL03363).
See our telehandler operators or tell us what you need.
