Three schemes side by side
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New South Wales
Historic and Classic Vehicle Schemes
- Age
- At least 30 years from the year of manufacture, for both schemes.
- The club
- Historic: a Transport for NSW-recognised historic vehicle club. Classic: a club affiliated with one of four approved organisations.
- Driving
- Club and invited community events, short trips to service the vehicle, and up to 60 days a year with a log book.
- On sale
- Cannot be transferred. It is cancelled, and the new operator registers the vehicle.
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Victoria
Club permit
- Age
- At least 25 years old. VicRoads’ own illustration: a vehicle built in October 1995 became eligible from November 2020.
- The club
- Membership of an approved VicRoads vehicle club or association, whose official signs the forms.
- Driving
- A limited number of days each year, either 45 or 90.
- On sale
- Cannot be transferred. It is cancelled, and the new owner applies for a new permit.
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Queensland
Special Interest Vehicle Concession
- Age
- Historic vehicles at least 30 years old; heavy buses at least 25; street rods with a body and frame built before 1949.
- The club
- Current membership of an incorporated vehicle club or association, or a club that is a public company limited by guarantee.
- Driving
- Club rallies and events, permitted processions, displays for religious, charitable or educational purposes, and the trips to and from them.
- On sale
- The concession comes off if the new registered operator does not meet the scheme’s requirements.
New South Wales
Historic vehicle registration is mainly for operators who drive their vehicles only occasionally, and Transport for NSW suggests standard registration for anyone who drives one regularly. Under the Historic Vehicle Scheme the vehicle must not be modified, must meet the standards that applied when it was made, and must be as close to original as possible, apart from safety features and the listed period options.
The Classic Vehicle Scheme takes vehicles with certain modifications the historic scheme does not allow. A classic vehicle must have a gross vehicle mass of 3.5 tonnes or less, and replicas and individually constructed vehicles 30 years or older (from their build completion date) can qualify. Industrial plant, agricultural vehicles and trailers cannot.
Either way, the vehicle carries historic or classic number plates, and its Certificate of Approved Operations must be in the vehicle whenever it is used on a road. A longer journey is allowed if you tell your primary club and it is recorded in the club’s official minutes.
The log book
Members of participating clubs can opt in to a log book at no extra cost, at a service centre, and use the vehicle for maintenance and personal use outside club events, recording each day. The days allocated depend on how much registration is left when the book is issued:
| Registration remaining | Days |
|---|---|
| 3 months or less | 15 |
| More than 3 months, at most 6 | 30 |
| More than 6 months, at most 9 | 45 |
| More than 9 months | 60 |
The log book has to be in the vehicle whenever it is used.
Victoria
A club permit covers veteran vehicles made before 1 January 1919, vintage vehicles made from 1919 up to the end of 1930, and classic and historic vehicles made after 1930 that are more than 25 years old, replicas included. It also applies to trailers, heavy vehicles, modified vehicles such as street rods, and motorbikes.
VicRoads will not issue a permit for a vehicle that is currently registered, recorded as a statutory write-off or as stolen, under a sanction, unsafe, or already on a club permit. A vehicle made on or after 1 January 1949 needs a roadworthy certificate, except street rods, light trailers and plant-based special purpose vehicles such as tractors; an older one can be inspected by a club official instead.
A club official signs the vehicle eligibility and standards declaration and the application, and you then have 30 days from the date on the declaration to submit it, with original documents only. If you apply at a customer service centre and meet all the requirements, the permit is issued straight away, with number plates, a logbook, a club permit certificate and labels for the vehicle.
If a permit holder dies, a spouse or domestic partner who belongs to an approved club can take the permit over.
Queensland
Queensland describes the concession as restricted registration for classic, vintage, historic and street rod vehicles, with reduced fees reflecting very limited road use. You apply with the special interest vehicle registration concession application (F5392), one for each vehicle, with evidence of identity and of eligibility. The club’s evidence must be on club letterhead or official documentation, signed by a club official and naming the vehicle; membership cards are not accepted.
The vehicle must not be used for everyday purposes, such as commuting or running to the shops, or for hire or reward. Alongside club events, it may be driven for repairs, for road testing within 30km of where it is garaged or repaired, and straight to an approved inspection station for a safety certificate before it is offered to buyers.
If you stop being eligible, Transport and Main Roads must be told in writing within 14 days. When the concession comes off part-way through a registration period, you may have to pay the difference between the concession and full rates for the time remaining.
Driving across the border
NSW says a historic or classic vehicle registered there may be used temporarily in other states and territories under the same conditions that apply in NSW, and a visiting vehicle on a similar scheme may be used in NSW under its home state’s conditions.
Other states and territories
Each has its own scheme; the agencies are listed on the home page.