Club permit FAQ Victoria: 60 questions answered
Sixty questions about the Victorian Club Permit Scheme, answered in a sentence or two each. Costs, eligibility, the logbook, renewals, switching clubs, buying and selling, and how Club Plate Co fits in. Every answer links to the page that covers it in full. Victoria only: VicRoads sets these rules and every figure here is a VicRoads figure.
Getting started and eligibility
What is a club permit in Victoria?
A club permit is VicRoads’ alternative to full registration for eligible historic vehicles. Instead of registering the vehicle for a year, you buy either 45 or 90 days of road use, record each day in a logbook, and belong to a VicRoads-approved car club that endorses the paperwork. The Club Permit Scheme explained.
How old does a car have to be for club rego in Victoria?
More than 25 years old, measured from the build date. VicRoads splits older vehicles further: veteran means built before 1 January 1919, vintage means built between 1919 and 1930, and classic and historic covers anything built after 1930 that has passed 25 years. Full eligibility rules.
What do I need before I can apply?
Five things: an eligible vehicle more than 25 years old, a VIN or chassis number stamped on it, current membership of an approved club, the signed eligibility and standards declaration, and a roadworthy certificate for anything built from 1949 onwards. Then you lodge it in person. What you need, step by step.
Who is eligible to get club plates in Victoria, Australia?
Any Victorian who owns a qualifying vehicle and joins an approved club. There is no age or membership-length rule set by VicRoads, though many clubs impose their own qualifying period. The vehicle does the qualifying, not the owner: it must meet the age and standards tests. Eligibility in detail.
Does club rego need a roadworthy?
Yes, if the vehicle was made on or after 1 January 1949. Anything built on or before 31 December 1948 is exempt and can instead be inspected and declared safe by a club official. A roadworthy certificate is only valid for 30 days. Roadworthy and inspection.
Do I need a VASS approval certificate?
Only in four cases: the vehicle is modified beyond the standards, it is an individually constructed replica never previously permitted, it is a street rod never registered in Australia, or it was built between 1969 and 1988 and imported under the Motor Vehicle Standards Act. Modified vehicles and street rods.
Can I get a club permit for a motorcycle?
Yes. Motorcycles use the same 25-year test and the same scheme, and take a single plate rather than a pair. VicRoads charges the same TAC and permit components as a car, but the plate itself costs less because there is only one. Club permits for motorcycles.
Can I get a club permit for a 4WD, ute, truck or trailer?
Yes. VicRoads states the scheme applies to trailers, heavy vehicles, modified vehicles such as street rods, and motorbikes, alongside cars. A trailer pays no TAC component, which makes it the cheapest thing on the scheme, and takes a single plate. 4WDs and utes.
Is a club permit the same as historic rego or classic rego?
Same thing, different names. Historic rego, classic rego, club rego, club plates and red plates are all the vernacular for a VicRoads club permit. VicRoads only uses the term club permit, and only the vehicle category changes between veteran, vintage, and classic and historic. Glossary of club permit terms.
Can a written-off car go on a club permit?
No. VicRoads will not issue a club permit for a vehicle recorded as a statutory write-off on the Victorian or an interstate written-off vehicles register, or for a vehicle already listed on another club permit. Those are hard exclusions with no exception process. Eligibility exclusions.
Costs and fees
What does a club permit cost all up?
Three separate bills. Club Plate Co membership is $99 a year. VicRoads charges $135.70 for a 45-day car permit or $220.60 for 90 days, both including plates and logbook. A licensed tester sets the roadworthy price. Nothing else is payable to us. The full cost breakdown.
How much is a 45-day club permit?
For a car, $135.70 all up when you first apply: a $60.50 TAC charge, a $27.60 permit fee, $3.40 for the logbook and $44.20 for the pair of plates. VicRoads publishes that issue-time table only; your renewal amount comes on the renewal notice. What each line covers.
How much is a 90-day club permit?
For a car, $220.60 on first application: a $117.70 TAC charge, a $55.30 permit fee, $3.40 for the logbook and $44.20 for plates. The extra 45 days therefore costs about $85 more a year than the shorter option. Choosing 45 or 90 days.
How much are club permit plates?
A pair of standard car plates is $44.20 with a new permit, and a single motorcycle or trailer plate is $22.10. Replacements cost more: $81.80 for a standard pair, $211.80 for a slimline pair and $146.80 for a mixed pair. Red plates explained.
Which Victorian car club costs the least to join?
There is no single answer, and any club claiming to be the cheapest is guessing. Published annual fees across approved clubs run from about $45 to $200, and several add a one-off inspection or scrutineering charge. Compare the first-year total, not the headline figure. Compare club types and costs.
Is a club permit worth the money?
It depends how often you drive. Full Victorian registration costs several hundred dollars a year regardless of use. A 90-day club permit plus our $99 membership comes to $319.60 in year one. If the car sits most weekends, the permit wins comfortably. Club permit versus full registration.
Are there hidden fees at Club Plate Co?
No. Membership is $99 a year, there is no joining fee, no scrutineering fee and nothing to pay us at renewal. Adding a second or third vehicle to your membership carries a smaller additional fee, always shown before you add it. VicRoads fees and the roadworthy are paid elsewhere. Pricing.
Does the club permit fee include a TAC charge?
Yes for cars and motorcycles. The TAC component is $60.50 on a 45-day permit and $117.70 on a 90-day permit, and it is the largest single line in the VicRoads bill. Trailers pay no TAC charge, which is why they are much cheaper. Where each dollar goes.
VicRoads fees quoted on this page were checked on 5 September 2026 against the VicRoads permit fees page. VicRoads changes them without notice, so confirm the current figure before you pay. See the VicRoads permit fees page.
Switching to Club Plate Co
How do I move my club permit vehicle to another club?
You visit a VicRoads Customer Service Centre with three documents: a signed letter naming the vehicles you are moving, an eligibility and standards declaration from the new club for each vehicle, and a letter from an official of the new club confirming you are a current member. Changing clubs.
Do I need a new roadworthy certificate to switch clubs?
No. VicRoads asks for a fresh eligibility and standards declaration from the incoming club, not a new roadworthy. Your permit period, expiry date and plates are unaffected, and VicRoads publishes no fee for the change. What changing clubs involves.
What happens to my logbook and plates when I switch clubs?
Both stay with the vehicle. Changing clubs changes only which club endorses your paperwork, so the permit number, the plates on the car and the days already recorded in the logbook all carry over untouched. You keep driving the same permit. Switching without downtime.
Can I be a member of more than one car club?
Yes. Nothing in the scheme stops you belonging to a marque club for the social side and to Club Plate Co for the paperwork. Only one club is recorded against each permit, which is the club that must endorse your renewals. How club membership works.
Does a lapsed club membership invalidate my permit?
No. Current financial membership of an approved club is a condition of the permit, so a lapsed membership can leave the vehicle effectively unpermitted even though the permit has not expired. Rejoin, or move the vehicle to another approved club, before you drive again. Renewals and membership.
Driving, the logbook and the rules
How many days can you drive on club rego in Victoria?
Either 45 or 90 days a year, chosen when the permit is issued and fixed for that permit period. A day is a calendar day, not a distance or a number of hours, so a five-minute drive and a full day out both use one day. Rules, logbook and the 45/90 day choice.
Can a club permit replace registration on a daily driver?
No. Even 90 days is fewer than two days a week, so the scheme cannot replace registration on a car you need every day. There is no restriction on the purpose of a logged trip, but the day count runs out fast. What the permit does and does not allow.
How far can you drive on club rego?
There is no distance limit. The scheme counts days, not kilometres, so a logged day covers as much driving as you like, anywhere in Australia. What it does not cover is any use for hire or reward, which is prohibited outright. Conditions of use.
Do I have to fill in the logbook before I drive?
Yes. The entry must be made before the wheels turn, not afterwards, and the club permit certificate lives inside the logbook cover. An unfilled logbook is the single most common way an otherwise valid permit turns into an unregistered-vehicle problem. How the logbook works.
Can I drive my club permit car interstate?
Yes. A Victorian club permit is recognised across Australia, so a logged day can be spent driving interstate. Log the day before you leave and carry the logbook with you, because the permit is only evidence of legal use while the entry exists. Driving on a club permit.
Can someone else drive my club permit car?
Yes. The permit attaches to the vehicle, not to a nominated driver, so anyone with an appropriate licence may drive it on a logged day. The permit holder still has to be the one keeping the logbook honest. Who can drive.
What rules apply once the permit has been issued?
Four in practice: log every day before you drive, keep the permit certificate in the logbook and the label on the windscreen, stay a financial member of an approved club, and tell VicRoads within 14 days if the vehicle or your details change. The full rule set.
What happens if I drive without a logbook entry?
The vehicle is treated as unregistered for that trip, which carries a fine and can void your insurance. It is not a paperwork technicality. Fill the entry in before you move the car, even for a short run to the fuel station. Staying compliant.
What do the maroon plates on a car signify?
It means the vehicle is on a club permit. VicRoads describes the plates as white characters on a maroon background with the words club permit along the top, which is why enthusiasts call them red plates. They are not a private or novelty plate. Red plates explained.
Insurance
Do I need insurance on a club permit vehicle?
The TAC charge inside your permit fee covers injury to people, and it is compulsory. It does not cover damage to your car or anyone else’s property, so comprehensive or third-party property cover is a separate purchase. Club Plate Co does not sell insurance. What the permit fee covers.
Is insurance cheaper on club rego?
Usually, because insurers price limited-use and agreed-value policies for enthusiast vehicles on the assumption the car is driven rarely and stored securely. Premiums vary widely by vehicle and insurer, so get quotes rather than assuming. Tell the insurer the car is on a club permit. Club permits explained.
Am I covered if I have not logged the day?
Assume not. Driving without a logbook entry means the vehicle is unpermitted for that trip, and most insurers exclude cover for a vehicle being used unlawfully. This is the practical reason the logbook matters more than any other rule in the scheme. Logbook rules.
Renewals and membership
What does renewing a permit involve?
VicRoads posts a renewal notice about six weeks before expiry. You sign it, we endorse it to confirm your membership, then you pay either through your myVicRoads account or at a Customer Service Centre. Online renewals take about three to five business days. Renewing a club permit.
Is there a grace period for a club permit renewal?
No. VicRoads states that once your permit has expired you cannot drive the vehicle until you have the renewal receipt. Because online renewals take three to five business days to process, start at least a week before the expiry date. Renewal timing.
Who can endorse my renewal notice?
An authorised office bearer of your club. VicRoads publishes which roles may sign and which may not, and a club safety officer is on the cannot list even though the same person can sign a new application’s standards declaration. Who signs what.
Which form do I need in order to renew?
The renewal notice itself is posted to you and is the primary form. Where the club cannot sign it in person, VicRoads publishes a separate club permit endorsement form as a PDF, and it accepts a scanned signature pasted into that form. Renewal forms.
Can I renew a club permit online?
Yes, through your myVicRoads account, provided you upload either an endorsed renewal notice or a signed notice plus the club permit endorsement form. Permits held in a company or organisation name are the exception and must be renewed at a Customer Service Centre. Online renewal.
When does my Club Plate Co membership renew?
Annually from the day you join, at $99. There is no minimum term and no renewal paperwork on our side. While your membership is current we endorse the renewal for every vehicle listed on it, and we do not charge a separate fee to sign a renewal. Membership pricing.
About Club Plate Co
Is Club Plate Co on the VicRoads approved list?
Yes. Club Plate Co is listed on the VicRoads register of approved clubs and associations, which is the only thing that allows any club to endorse a club permit. The register is public, and the link is in our footer so you can check before joining. About Club Plate Co.
Do I have to attend meetings or events?
No. There are no meetings, no minimum membership period, no qualifying period before we will sign, and no attendance requirement of any kind. Membership exists to get your permit endorsed properly and on time, which is a job that works fine over the web. Why we built an online club.
How do I confirm a permit is still current?
Use the VicRoads vehicle registration check with the plate number: a current club permit shows there. The permit certificate inside the logbook and the windscreen label give you the expiry date offline, and both should agree with what VicRoads shows. Checking a club permit.
How do I join Club Plate Co?
Sign up online, upload photographs of the vehicle and its identifying plate, and pay the $99 annual membership. We check the vehicle against the VicRoads eligibility rules and send back the signed declaration you take to a Customer Service Centre. Join now.
Are you the same as the Red Plate Club?
No. Club Plate Co and the Victorian Red Plate Club are separate, unrelated organisations. Both operate under the Club Permit Scheme, and because red plates is the common nickname for club permit plates the two names get confused. We are online only. Who we are.
How do I contact you?
Email [email protected], or write to Sam or Riley directly. There is no phone queue and no committee to get past. If you are not sure whether your vehicle qualifies, send photographs of it and of the build plate and we will tell you before you pay. Contact us.
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.