Club Permit Victoria: Club Rego Explained
A club permit is VicRoads’ alternative to full registration for vehicles more than 25 years old. You join a VicRoads-approved club, keep a logbook, and drive your car, bike, truck or trailer for 45 or 90 days a year, anywhere in Australia. People call it club rego, club plates or red plates. It is one scheme, run by VicRoads, and this page explains all of it.
What is a club permit?
VicRoads puts it this way: “A club permit offers an alternative to regular vehicle registration for eligible historic vehicles. Instead of full registration, club permit holders can drive their vehicles for a limited number of days each year (either 45 or 90 days).” Transport Victoria adds that those days can be driven “anywhere in Australia”.
Three parties are involved. VicRoads decides eligibility, sets the fees, issues the permit, plates and logbook, and writes the conditions of use. A VicRoads-approved club confirms you are a financial member and signs the club section of your forms. You keep the vehicle roadworthy, fill in the logbook and renew each year.
The scheme covers more than cars. VicRoads lists veteran vehicles (made before 1 January 1919), vintage vehicles (made after 31 December 1918 and before 1 January 1931) and classic and historic vehicles (made after 31 December 1930 but more than 25 years old, including replicas), and notes that “this also applies to trailers, heavy vehicles, modified vehicles like street rods and motorbikes.”
Club permit, club rego, club plates, red plates, H plates
Five names, one thing. Club permit is the term VicRoads and the Road Safety (Vehicles) Regulations use, so it is the one we use. Club rego is the everyday shorthand, though strictly a permit is not registration: it runs for a fixed number of days and carries conditions ordinary registration does not.
Club plates and red plates describe the number plates. VicRoads says club permit plates “have white characters on a maroon background, and the words ‘club permit’ along the top”. H plates and historic plates are older vernacular from the days when the scheme was pitched purely at historic vehicles. The red plates guide covers the plates themselves; the glossary covers the jargon.
Who the Club Permit Scheme is for
Two tests: the vehicle and the owner. The vehicle must fit one of VicRoads’ three age categories, and the owner must be “a member of an approved VicRoads vehicle club or association” before the application starts.
| Category | Build date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Veteran | Before 1 January 1919 | No roadworthy certificate required; a club official can inspect and declare it safe |
| Vintage | 1 January 1919 to 31 December 1930 | As above |
| Classic and historic | After 31 December 1930 and more than 25 years old | Rolling cut-off. Includes replicas. Roadworthy certificate required if made on or after 1 January 1949 |
VicRoads dates a vehicle from the Register of Approved Vehicles build date, then the Australian compliance plate, then the build plate. The vehicle must “meet the standards relevant to its year of manufacture and have a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or a chassis number” clearly stamped on it, and it cannot be recorded as a statutory write-off. Modified vehicles must meet the relevant standards and may need a VASS approval certificate.
The eligibility guide works through the edge cases. There are separate guides for motorcycles, 4WDs and utes, modified vehicles, street rods and imports and trucks, trailers and motorhomes.
45 days or 90 days?
You choose the allowance when the permit is issued and renew “for a period of either 45 or 90 days, depending on your current permit period”. A day is a calendar day: Transport Victoria says that “if your trip spans before and after midnight, put an entry in your log book for each day.” VicRoads also has a process to extend or change the period of use.
Forty-five days suits a car that comes out for shows, club runs and fine Sundays. Ninety suits an owner who drives most weekends or takes the car on holidays. Neither allows daily driving. The rules and logbook guide compares the two in detail.
The logbook and the conditions of use
The logbook is the heart of the scheme. Transport Victoria’s rules are short enough to quote in full:
- “Complete a log book entry every time you drive the vehicle more than 100 metres from its garage address. If you drive a vehicle multiple times in a day, only record the first use by the first driver.”
- “If your trip spans before and after midnight, put an entry in your log book for each day.”
- “Don’t write log book entries for future journeys.”
Beyond the logbook you must stay a member of an approved club (“if you switch clubs, you can’t have a gap longer than 14 days between your memberships”), tell VicRoads within 14 days if the vehicle’s colour or garage address changes, present the vehicle for an audit inspection if asked, and make sure every driver follows their own licence conditions. Once the permit is issued you “put the club permit certificate inside your logbook’s cover”, attach the windscreen label and fit the plates.
Transport Victoria is blunt about the consequences: “If you don’t follow club permit rules, you may be fined”, and VicRoads “may suspend or cancel your club permit”. The FAQ summarises the penalties.
Club permit plates
Club permit plates are maroon with white characters and come in standard or slimline format. You receive them when you lodge the application at a VicRoads Customer Service Centre, “on the spot if we have them in stock. If not, we’ll post them to your address.” Lost or damaged plates are reordered through myVicRoads; stolen plates need a Victoria Police report first.
The plates stay with the permit, not the car. When you sell, the buyer can keep them only if the permit is current or expired no more than three months ago, they join the same approved club, and the plates are for the same vehicle. Otherwise the permit is cancelled and they apply afresh. Everything else about plates is in the red plates guide.
What a club permit costs in Victoria
There are three bills: club membership, the VicRoads permit fee for your chosen allowance, and a roadworthy certificate from a licensed tester. Plates are a one-off extra in the first year.
| Item | 45-day permit | 90-day permit |
|---|---|---|
| Club Plate Co membership (per year) | $99 | $99 |
| VicRoads permit fee (per year) | $27.60 | $55.30 |
| TAC charge (per year) | $60.50 | $117.70 |
| Logbook (one-off) | $3.40 | $3.40 |
| Club permit plates, standard pair (one-off) | $44.20 | $44.20 |
| Total paid to VicRoads | $135.70 | $220.60 |
| Roadworthy certificate | Set by the licensed tester | Set by the licensed tester |
Fees checked 5 September 2026 against the VicRoads permit fees page. VicRoads sets and revises these figures, normally each July — confirm the current amount before you pay.
Slimline plates are not in that table because VicRoads does not publish what they cost at issue. You buy them at the Customer Service Centre with the application, so ask for the price there. The pricing page explains what each line buys and how the total compares with twelve months of ordinary registration.
How to get a club permit in Victoria
- Join an approved club. VicRoads: “Before you can get started on your application, make sure you’re a member of an approved VicRoads vehicle club or association.” Club Plate Co membership is bought online in a few minutes.
- Check the vehicle. More than 25 years old, VIN or chassis number stamped, not a statutory write-off, standard or approved modifications only.
- Get the safety paperwork. A roadworthy certificate from a licensed vehicle tester if the vehicle was made on or after 1 January 1949, plus a VASS approval certificate or ASRF inspection report where the vehicle needs one.
- Have the club sign the forms. The Vehicle eligibility and standards declaration for club permit vehicles and the Club permit application form. A club official “can only sign if the roadworthy certificate is current and within 30 days of the application”.
- Lodge and pay at a VicRoads Customer Service Centre. Bring identification, the original forms, the roadworthy certificate, evidence the vehicle was made for the Australian market and any VASS certificate. You have 30 days from the date on the declaration form to lodge. The regional Victoria guides list the nearest office town by town.
With Club Plate Co steps one and four happen online: you upload the roadworthy and photos, sign electronically and our authorised officer endorses the forms. Start at Get a club permit, or read the longer walk-through in How it works, the forms guide and the roadworthy guide.
Renewing, transferring, checking and selling
Renewing
VicRoads posts a renewal notice about six weeks before the permit expires. You sign it, your club endorses it, and you renew through myVicRoads (about three to five business days) or at a Customer Service Centre. “If your existing permit has expired, you can’t drive the vehicle until you’ve got your renewal receipt.” Renewal guide.
Transferring to another club
The vehicle can move to a new approved club at a Customer Service Centre with a signed letter, a new Vehicle eligibility and standards declaration from the new club and a letter confirming membership. Keep the membership gap under 14 days. Transfer guide.
Checking and selling
“You can’t transfer a club permit. If you give or sell the club permit vehicle to another person, you’ll need to cancel the permit. The new owner can then apply for a new permit.” Before buying, confirm the permit is current: how to check a club permit and buying or selling a club permit car.
Why join Club Plate Co
Club Plate Co is on the VicRoads list of approved car clubs and associations. We exist to do the club’s part of the scheme well and nothing else: confirm your membership, check the vehicle appears eligible, and endorse your forms. Membership is $99 a year, bought online, with no meetings, runs or attendance requirements.
Any eligible vehicle is welcome: cars, motorcycles, 4WDs, trucks, trailers, street rods, replicas and imports, judged against the same VicRoads rules on this page. Get your club permit, see how we compare with other Victorian car clubs, or read about us.
Club permit Victoria FAQ
What are the three costs of a club permit?
Three parts. Club Plate Co membership is $99 a year. VicRoads then charges its own permit fee for the 45-day or 90-day period plus a one-off plate fee, and a licensed tester sets the roadworthy price. Current VicRoads figures are on its permit fees page; our pricing page walks through each line.
What is the benefit of a club permit in Victoria?
You keep a vehicle more than 25 years old legally on the road for a fraction of the cost of full registration, paying VicRoads only for 45 or 90 days of use a year. You can drive it anywhere in Australia on those days, and the plates mark it as a club permit vehicle.
What makes a vehicle eligible for the scheme?
It must be more than 25 years old by its build date, have a VIN or chassis number stamped on it, meet the standards for its year of manufacture, and not be a statutory write-off. You must also belong to a VicRoads-approved club. Full detail is on our eligibility page.
Is club rego worth it?
For a vehicle you drive on weekends, to shows and on club runs, usually yes: the VicRoads permit fee is for 45 or 90 days rather than a full year. It is not worth it if you need the car every day, because every day of use must be logged and the allowance is fixed.
Can you daily drive a car on club rego?
No. A club permit gives you 45 or 90 days of use a year, and each day you drive more than 100 metres from the garage address must be written in the logbook first. Any purpose is allowed on a logged day, including work, but the day count runs out fast if you commute. Rules and logbook guide.
How do I tell whether a car is already on a club permit?
Look for the maroon club permit plates, the windscreen label and the permit certificate inside the logbook cover, and ask the seller for the current renewal receipt. VicRoads can confirm the permit status of a vehicle. How to check if a car has a club permit walks through all three checks and what each one does and does not prove.
What is the point of club rego?
VicRoads describes the club permit as an alternative to regular registration for eligible historic vehicles. The point is to keep veteran, vintage, classic and historic vehicles roadworthy and in use without owners paying for twelve months of registration on a car they drive a few weekends a year.
What is the difference between classic and historic rego?
In Victoria there is no difference. VicRoads runs one Club Permit Scheme and groups vehicles as veteran (made before 1919), vintage (1919 to 1930) and classic and historic (after 1930 but more than 25 years old). All three get the same permit, the same plates and the same 45 or 90 day choice.
Does historic rego include CTP?
In Victoria, compulsory third-party injury cover is the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) charge collected with registration and permit fees rather than a separate policy. Confirm the current breakdown of the club permit fee on the VicRoads permit fees page. Damage to vehicles is not covered; that needs your own insurance.
What is a club rego vic?
“Club rego Vic” is the everyday name for a Victorian club permit: VicRoads’ limited-use permit for vehicles more than 25 years old, held through a VicRoads-approved club. It is legally a permit, not registration, which is why this site says “club permit” and why the scheme has its own rules, plates and logbook.
Every club permit guide
This page is the overview. Each topic below has its own guide, and the official sources are the VicRoads club permit pages and Transport Victoria’s club permit rules.
- Rules, logbook and 45 vs 90 daysConditions of use, what counts as a day, fines
- Red plates explainedWhat club permit plates are, formats, replacements
- MotorcyclesBikes on a club permit
- 4WDs and utesPatrols, Cruisers and utes turning 25
- Modified vehicles and street rodsVASS, ASRF, replicas, imports
- Trucks, trailers and motorhomesHeavy and towed vehicles
- Get a club permitJoin online and start the application
- Renew a club permitRenewal notice, endorsement, myVicRoads
- Transfer clubsMoving your permit vehicle to Club Plate Co
- Check a club permitConfirm a vehicle is on a current permit
- Application formsEvery VicRoads form by name
- Roadworthy and inspectionWho can issue it, the 30-day window
- Buying or selling a club permit carPlates, cancellation, new permit
- How it worksThe process in four steps
- EligibilityThe 25-year rule and the edge cases
- Pricing$99 membership and the VicRoads fees
- Compare car clubsHow approved clubs differ
- FAQShort answers, linked to the full guides
- GlossaryVASS, RWC, scrutineer, VESD and the rest
- Regional VictoriaTown guides and the nearest VicRoads office
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.