Club permit eligibility in Victoria
A vehicle qualifies for a Victorian club permit when it is more than 25 years old by build date, carries a stamped VIN or chassis number, meets the standards for its year, and is not a statutory write-off. Here is each rule, with the edge cases people actually ask about.
Updated 5 September 2026. Written and checked by Sam and Riley, the named officials who run Club Plate Co.
The 25-year rule
A classic or historic vehicle qualifies for a club permit once it is more than 25 years old, measured from the date it was built. Not the model year. Not the date it was first sold or first registered. The build date, as recorded on the vehicle.
The rule rolls forward continuously, which is the part people miss. A vehicle that was six months short last year is eligible this year, and nothing about the vehicle has to change for that to happen. Some worked examples, taken from today:
- Built March 2001 — eligible since March 2026. Apply now.
- Built September 2001 — eligible from September 2026. That is this month.
- Built December 2001 — eligible in December 2026. Book the roadworthy for late November and lodge in December.
- Built June 2002 — eligible in June 2027. Worth diarising.
Cars turning 25 in 2026 lists the models built in 2001 that cross the line this year.
How to find the build date
VicRoads accepts three sources, in this order:
- The build date listed on the Register of Approved Vehicles.
- The Australian compliance plate. The date on the plate is the date of manufacture — usually under the bonnet, on the door pillar or on the firewall.
- The vehicle’s build plate, where there is no RAV entry and no compliance plate.
If your compliance plate is missing, corroded or has been replaced during a restoration, photograph what is there and start the application anyway. The eligibility check happens before you pay us anything.
Eligible vehicle categories
VicRoads sorts club permit vehicles into three age categories. Only the third one rolls; the first two are fixed dates that every vehicle made before them has already passed.
| Category | Build date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Veteran | Made before 1 January 1919 | No rolling cut-off — every veteran vehicle qualifies on age |
| Vintage | Made after 31 December 1918 and before 1 January 1931 | No rolling cut-off — every vintage vehicle qualifies on age |
| Classic and historic | Made after 31 December 1930 and more than 25 years old | The rolling category most members are in. Includes replica vehicles |
Within those categories, the scheme is far broader than the phrase “classic car” suggests. VicRoads states that it also applies to trailers, heavy vehicles, modified vehicles such as street rods, and motorbikes.
| Vehicle type | Eligible | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Cars | Yes | The largest group. Make, model and country of origin make no difference |
| Motorcycles | Yes | Same age rule; one plate instead of two |
| 4WDs and utes | Yes | Treated as cars. Load-carrying use is not permitted use |
| Trucks and heavy vehicles | Yes | VicRoads lists heavy vehicles as club permit eligible |
| Trailers | Yes | Light trailers are exempt from the roadworthy requirement |
| Street rods | Yes | Endorsed by the Australian Street Rod Federation, not by a general club |
| Modified vehicles | Yes, with conditions | Must meet VSI 8 and VSI 33; may need a VASS certificate |
| Replicas | Yes, with conditions | An individually constructed replica needs a VASS approval certificate |
Deeper detail by vehicle type sits on its own page: motorcycles, 4WDs and utes, modified vehicles and street rods, and trucks, trailers and motorhomes.
Roadworthiness and vehicle standards
Age alone is not enough. The vehicle must meet the standards relevant to its year of manufacture, carry a VIN or chassis number clearly stamped on it, and be safe to use on the road network.
A vehicle made on or after 1 January 1949 needs a current certificate of roadworthiness from a licensed vehicle tester. A club official can only sign your declaration while that certificate is current and within 30 days of the application, so book the test close to the date you intend to lodge.
A vehicle made on or before 31 December 1948 does not need a roadworthy certificate. A club official can inspect it and declare it safe for road use instead. Street rods, light trailers and plant-based special purpose vehicles like tractors are also exempt.
Vehicles on a club permit must meet Schedule 2 of the Road Safety (Vehicles) Regulations 2021. Motorcycles must additionally meet the requirements summarised in VSI 4. If a vehicle does not comply, VicRoads can ask for a roadworthy certificate or a VASS approval certificate, or send the vehicle to a nominated testing site for inspection.
Modified vehicles, street rods and replicas
Modification does not disqualify a vehicle. Light changes — period wheels, a different exhaust, minor trim — affect nothing. Heavier ones bring the modification standards into play: VSI 8, the general guide to modifications, and VSI 33, which covers modifications to vehicles operated under the Club Permit Scheme specifically.
You will need a VASS approval certificate if the vehicle:
- has been modified outside the vehicle standards or guidelines;
- is an individually constructed vehicle replicating a club-eligible vehicle that has never been registered or issued a club permit before;
- is a street rod that has never been registered in Australia or issued a street rod permit in Victoria before; or
- was manufactured after 31 December 1968 — 30 June 1975 for motorcycles — but before 1 January 1989, and was imported under the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989.
If you already hold a VASS approval certificate for past modifications and nothing has changed since, you do not need a new one.
Street rods run on a separate track. If you want SR plates, your application must be endorsed by an authorised representative of the Australian Street Rod Federation, and you may need an ASRF vehicle inspection report. A general club, ours included, cannot endorse a street rod application in place of the Federation. Veteran, vintage and classic historic applications are not affected by any of that.
Probationary drivers cannot drive a vehicle that someone other than the manufacturer has modified to increase its performance. That applies to club permit vehicles like any other.
Imports, compliance plates and left-hand drive
A vehicle made for the Australian market is proved with a photo of its Australian compliance plate or build plate. For a vehicle not made for the Australian market you need either a Vehicle Import Approval, or the VIN entered on the Register of Approved Vehicles.
Left-hand-drive vehicles are eligible. The condition is on their use rather than their permit: they can only be driven at night if the required lights and lamps, including dipping headlamps, are suitable for driving on the left.
Where a vehicle is currently registered somewhere other than Victoria, VicRoads requires the old number plates to be returned to it. If you cannot return them, contact the authority that issued them.
What disqualifies a vehicle
Two things stop an application outright. VicRoads will not issue a club permit for a vehicle that is:
- recorded as a statutory write-off on the written-off vehicles register; or
- already listed on a club permit.
Buying a car already on club plates? The seller’s permit is cancelled on sale and you apply for your own.
A repairable write-off is a different case from a statutory one and is not on that list, but expect VicRoads to check the vehicle’s identity before it will proceed.
Three more situations end an application in practice rather than by rule:
- No VIN or chassis number. The number has to be clearly stamped on the vehicle. A restoration that removed or obscured it needs sorting out first.
- The vehicle is fully registered. A vehicle holds full registration or a club permit, never both. Cancelling the registration is part of switching over.
- You want it as a daily driver. Nothing is checked at the counter, but 45 or 90 logged days a year is the whole scheme, and driving past your allowance is driving an unregistered vehicle. Full registration is the right tool for that job.
Commercial use is also outside the scheme, and regulation 186 of the Road Safety (Vehicles) Regulations 2021 says exactly what that means: no use for hire or reward for the carriage of goods or freight, and no commercial passenger vehicle service. VicRoads asks people to report club permit vehicles used for commercial purposes or modified beyond vehicle standards, and can suspend or cancel a permit for either.
Who can hold the permit
- You need a current driver licence.
- You must be a financial member of a VicRoads-approved club for as long as you hold the permit. The permit lapses if the membership does.
- If you switch clubs, there cannot be a gap longer than 14 days between the two memberships.
- A company or incorporated association can hold a permit, with a completed Authority to act as an agent form.
- If a permit holder dies, their spouse or domestic partner can take the permit over provided they belong to an approved club.
Quick self-check
Ten yes/no questions. Ten yeses and you are eligible.
- Was the vehicle built more than 25 years ago, or before 1931?
- Can you find that date on the RAV, the compliance plate or the build plate?
- Is the VIN or chassis number clearly stamped on the vehicle?
- Is it clear of the written-off vehicles register as a statutory write-off?
- Is it free of any existing club permit?
- If it was built after 1948, can you get a roadworthy certificate within 30 days of lodging?
- Are its modifications either minor or already covered by a VASS approval certificate?
- Can you show it was made for the Australian market, or produce an import approval?
- Will 45 or 90 days of use a year genuinely be enough?
- Do you hold a current driver licence?
Unsure on one of them? Start the application anyway. The eligibility check runs before any payment, so the worst outcome is a straight answer at no cost. If everything checks out, how it works takes it from here, or join Club Plate Co for $99 a year.
Club permit eligibility questions
How old does a car need to be for a club permit?
More than 25 years old, measured from the date it was built rather than the model year or the date it was first sold. The rule rolls forward continuously, so a car with a compliance plate reading 09/2001 became eligible in September 2026. Veteran and vintage vehicles qualify outright on their build dates.
How does a car qualify for club rego?
Four things have to line up. The vehicle must be more than 25 years old by its build date, it must have a VIN or chassis number clearly stamped on it, it must meet the vehicle standards relevant to its year of manufacture, and it must not be recorded as a statutory write-off or already sit on another club permit. You also have to be a financial member of a VicRoads-approved club.
Can a modified car get a club permit in Victoria?
Yes. Modified vehicles are explicitly part of the scheme. Period wheels, a different exhaust or trim changes need nothing extra. Anything modified outside the published guidelines needs a VASS approval certificate from an approved signatory before VicRoads will issue the permit, and the vehicle must meet the modification standards in VSI 8 and VSI 33.
What is required for a club permit in VicRoads?
An eligible vehicle, club membership and paperwork. Specifically: a completed Club permit application form, a completed Vehicle eligibility and standards declaration signed by a club official, a roadworthy certificate if the vehicle was built after 1948, evidence the vehicle was made for the Australian market, proof of identity, a VASS certificate where one applies, and payment of the permit, plate and logbook fees.
Who is eligible to get club plates in Victoria?
Anyone who holds a current driver licence, is a financial member of a VicRoads-approved club or association, and owns a vehicle that meets the age and standards rules. There is no requirement to be a collector, to own more than one vehicle, or to have held a licence for any particular length of time.
At what age is a car considered a classic in Australia?
For the Victorian Club Permit Scheme, 25 years and older. VicRoads groups anything made after 31 December 1930 that is more than 25 years old as “classic and historic”. Car clubs, insurers and auction houses all use their own definitions, but the only one that decides whether you get a permit is the VicRoads one.
Start whenever it suits. Pay only when everything’s in.
Your classic deserves to be driven. Begin your application now and it waits for your roadworthy — we don’t charge you until it’s all in hand. Not sure you’re eligible? It’s just the build date: 25 years or older and you’re in.