Legal

Membership Terms and Conditions

Effective 4 September 2026 · Last updated 4 September 2026

1. Who we are and what these Terms cover

1.1 Club Plate Co. (“Club Plate Co.”, “the Club”, “we”, “us”, “our”) is a Victorian limited partnership, ABN 25 733 190 203. We operate the website and member application at clubplate.co (the “Platform”). We are a car club approved by VicRoads to participate in the Victorian Club Permit Scheme.

1.2 These Terms govern:

  1. your membership of the Club;
  2. your use of the Platform; and
  3. any club permit paperwork that we prepare, endorse or lodge with your authority.

If you are a workshop, mechanic or other business that lodges applications on behalf of vehicle owners, Part C (Partner Organisations) also applies to you.

1.3 By creating an account, applying for membership, paying a Membership Fee or otherwise using the Platform, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Platform.

1.4 We are not VicRoads. VicRoads administers the Club Permit Scheme. VicRoads decides whether to issue a permit, issues plates and logbooks, sets permit fees, and makes the rules. Our role is limited to the functions an approved club performs under the Scheme, as described in clause 6. Nothing on the Platform is a representation that VicRoads will approve any application.

2. Definitions

In these Terms:

  • “Authorised Officer” means a person we nominate, and VicRoads recognises, to sign club permit documents on behalf of the Club.
  • “Club Permit” means a permit issued by VicRoads under the Scheme that allows limited use of an eligible vehicle on public roads.
  • “Eligible Vehicle” means a vehicle that satisfies the requirements in clause 5.
  • “Financial Member” means a Member whose Membership Fee is paid in full and whose membership has not lapsed, been suspended or been terminated.
  • “Logbook” means the logbook issued by VicRoads with a Club Permit, in which each day of use must be recorded before the vehicle is driven.
  • “Member”, “you” and “your” mean a person who holds, or is applying for, membership of the Club.
  • “Membership Fee” means the annual fee for membership published on the Platform at the time you join or renew.
  • “Partner” means a business registered with us under Part C.
  • “RWC” means a Certificate of Roadworthiness issued by a Victorian licensed vehicle tester.
  • “Scheme” or “CPS” means the Victorian Club Permit Scheme established under the Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic) and the Road Safety (Vehicles) Regulations 2021 (Vic) and administered by VicRoads.
  • “VASS” means the Vehicle Assessment Signatory Scheme administered by VicRoads for modified vehicles.
  • “VicRoads” means the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning operating as VicRoads, and any successor body that administers the Scheme.

Part A — Membership

3. Nature of membership

3.1 Club Plate Co. is a business, not an incorporated association. Membership is a contract between you and us on these Terms. Membership does not make you a partner in the limited partnership, give you any ownership interest in the Club or the Platform, or give you voting, committee, annual general meeting or similar rights.

3.2 Membership gives you:

  1. status as a Financial Member of a VicRoads-approved club for the purposes of the Scheme;
  2. use of the Platform to prepare, sign and submit club permit paperwork for your Eligible Vehicles;
  3. a digital membership certificate; and
  4. access to member communications and any member events, content or offers we choose to provide from time to time.

3.3 Membership does not include insurance of any kind. You are responsible for insuring your vehicle. Some insurers require club membership as a condition of cover for club-permit vehicles. We make no representation that membership of Club Plate Co. will satisfy any insurer’s requirements. Check with your insurer.

3.4 We may run optional events or activities. Separate conditions may apply and will be provided at the time.

4. Who can join

4.1 To join you must:

  1. be at least 18 years old;
  2. hold a current full or probationary driver licence;
  3. provide accurate identity, contact and licence details and keep them up to date; and
  4. satisfy any residency and garaging requirements that VicRoads imposes on permit holders. At the date of these Terms, a vehicle on a Club Permit must be garaged in Victoria.

4.2 We may ask you to verify your identity or licence before accepting your application or endorsing any document. We may decline an application at our discretion, including where we have concerns about the accuracy of information provided or the intended use of a vehicle. We will tell you if we decline.

4.3 A membership covers one person. You may register more than one Eligible Vehicle under your membership at an additional cost. Each Club Permit is issued by VicRoads to one permit holder, and that person must be the Financial Member.

5. Eligible vehicles

5.1 We will only endorse a vehicle that meets VicRoads’ current requirements for the Scheme. At the date of these Terms those requirements include that the vehicle:

  1. was manufactured at least 25 years before the date of application, calculated in the way VicRoads specifies;
  2. is in a safe and roadworthy condition, evidenced by a current RWC, or by any alternative safety evidence VicRoads accepts for the vehicle’s category;
  3. if modified beyond what VicRoads allows without certification, holds a current VASS approval certificate for those modifications;
  4. is not a street rod (street rods are handled through the Australian Street Rod Federation, not through general car clubs);
  5. is not recorded as a statutory write-off, and if recorded as a repairable write-off has passed any vehicle identity validation VicRoads requires; and
  6. is not excluded from the Scheme by VicRoads for any other reason.

5.2 VicRoads’ rules change from time to time. If VicRoads’ current requirements differ from clause 5.1, VicRoads’ requirements prevail.

5.3 We require photographs of the vehicle in the views we specify, supporting documents, or at our discretion an in-person or video inspection before endorsing a vehicle. We may decline to endorse a vehicle whose eligibility or condition we cannot verify to our satisfaction.

6. Applications, endorsement and our role

6.1 The Platform lets you prepare a VicRoads club permit application, eligibility declaration and related documents, and sign them electronically. When our Authorised Officer is satisfied that you are a Financial Member and that the vehicle appears to be an Eligible Vehicle, we will complete and sign the club section of those documents and return them to you, or lodge them on your behalf where VicRoads permits.

6.2 Endorsement is at our discretion. We are not obliged to endorse any application. We will tell you if we decline and, where practical, why.

6.3 VicRoads decides. Our endorsement does not guarantee that VicRoads will issue a Club Permit, accept the vehicle as eligible, or issue any particular plate or plate number. VicRoads may inspect the vehicle, request further information or refuse the application. Fees paid to VicRoads are governed by VicRoads’ policies, not ours.

6.4 Processing times we publish are estimates only. We are not responsible for delays caused by VicRoads, by incomplete or inaccurate information, or by matters outside our reasonable control.

6.5 You must give us accurate and complete information and confirm that each declaration you sign is true. Making a false statement in a Scheme document may be an offence under Victorian law. It is also grounds for us to terminate your membership and to notify VicRoads.

6.6 Unless we tell you otherwise on the Platform, you are responsible for completing the application with VicRoads, paying VicRoads’ fees, and collecting your plates and Logbook.

7. Fees and payment

7.1 The Membership Fee is set per membership year, in Australian dollars, as published on the Platform. Club Plate Co. is not currently registered for GST. If that changes, the published fee will be stated inclusive of GST.

7.2 Payment is processed by our payment provider (currently Stripe). We do not store your full card details.

7.3 Auto-renewal. Your membership renews automatically for a further year at the end of each membership year, and the then-current Membership Fee is charged to your saved payment method. We will send a reminder to your registered email address at least 14 days before each renewal, stating the fee and the date it will be charged. You may turn off auto-renewal or cancel at any time through your account or by emailing [email protected]. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current membership year.

7.4 We may change the Membership Fee for a future membership year by giving you at least 30 days’ notice before your renewal date.

7.5 If a renewal payment fails, we will notify you and retry the payment. If the fee remains unpaid 14 days after your renewal date, your membership lapses and clause 10 applies.

7.6 VicRoads permit fees, RWC inspection fees, VASS fees and any other third-party costs are payable to those third parties and are not included in the Membership Fee.

8. Cancellation and refunds

8.1 You may cancel your membership at any time. Cancellation does not entitle you to a refund of the current year’s Membership Fee, except as set out in this clause or as required by law.

8.2 If, during your first membership year, we decline to endorse your first application and you have not obtained a Club Permit through us, we may, at our discretion, refund your Membership Fee in full on request. We will not refund the Membership Fee where we decline to endorse because you provided false, fraudulent or misleading information, or because of your misconduct.

8.3 If we terminate your membership other than for your breach of these Terms, we will refund the unused portion of your current year’s Membership Fee on a pro rata basis.

8.4 If your membership auto-renews and you contact us within 14 days of the renewal charge, and you have not used the Platform to prepare, sign or submit any Scheme document in the new membership year, we will refund the renewal fee on request.

8.5 Nothing in this clause limits your rights under the Australian Consumer Law (see clause 18).

8.6 Warning about your permit. Your Club Permit is only valid while you are a Financial Member. If you cancel or let your membership lapse, clause 10 applies and you must not use the vehicle under that permit. Consider the timing of any cancellation carefully.

9. Your obligations as a Member and permit holder

9.1 You must remain a Financial Member for as long as you hold a Club Permit obtained with our endorsement.

9.2 You must comply with the conditions of your Club Permit and the rules of the Scheme, which at the date of these Terms include that you:

  1. carry the Logbook in the vehicle and complete an entry before each day the vehicle is used on a road;
  2. do not use the vehicle on more days than your permit allows (45 or 90 days per permit year);
  3. display the club permit plates as VicRoads requires and do not transfer them to another vehicle;
  4. use the vehicle only for the purposes the Scheme permits, and not for hire, reward or any commercial purpose;
  5. keep the vehicle in a safe and roadworthy condition; and
  6. renew your Club Permit with VicRoads before it expires if you wish to keep using the vehicle.

9.3 You must notify us through the Platform or by email within 14 days if:

  1. your name, contact details, residential address, garaging address or licence details change;
  2. you sell, transfer, dispose of, scrap or lose a vehicle that has a Club Permit obtained with our endorsement, or it is stolen or written off;
  3. you make modifications to the vehicle that affect its eligibility or require VASS certification; or
  4. VicRoads issues, renews, cancels or changes your Club Permit, including the permit and plate number once issued.

You must also notify VicRoads of any change the Scheme requires you to report.

9.4 You must cooperate with our reasonable requests to confirm your continued eligibility, including providing updated photographs, an updated RWC or other evidence, particularly where VicRoads asks us to verify a member or vehicle.

9.5 You must not attempt to obtain our endorsement, or a Club Permit, by misleading conduct, and you must not allow another person to use your membership, account or Club Permit.

9.6 You must treat our staff, Authorised Officers, Partners and other members with courtesy.

9.7 Any fines, infringement notices, penalties, permit cancellation, insurance consequences or other loss arising from your use of a vehicle, or from your failure to comply with the Scheme, are your responsibility.

10. When membership ends

10.1 Your membership ends when:

  1. you cancel and your current membership year expires;
  2. it lapses for non-payment under clause 7.5; or
  3. we terminate it under clause 11.

10.2 When your membership ends:

  1. you cease to be a Financial Member;
  2. any Club Permit issued in reliance on our endorsement is no longer valid under the Scheme, and you must not drive the vehicle under that permit;
  3. you must deal with the club permit plates and Logbook as VicRoads requires, which may include returning them to VicRoads or transferring the permit to another approved club; and
  4. we will notify VicRoads that you are no longer a Financial Member, as the Scheme requires approved clubs to do.

10.3 We may accept an application to rejoin at our discretion. VicRoads may require a fresh permit application.

11. Suspension and termination by us

11.1 We may suspend or terminate your membership with immediate effect by notice to you if:

  1. you provide false, misleading or incomplete information to us or to VicRoads;
  2. you breach these Terms and, where the breach can be remedied, do not remedy it within 14 days after we ask you to;
  3. you use, or allow another person to use, a vehicle under a Club Permit in a way that breaches the permit conditions, the Scheme or the law;
  4. your conduct puts our approval under the Scheme at risk;
  5. you harass, threaten or abuse our staff, Authorised Officers, Partners or other members;
  6. a payment is charged back or reversed, or we reasonably suspect fraud; or
  7. VicRoads directs us to.

11.2 We may also terminate your membership for any other reason by giving you 30 days’ written notice, in which case clause 8.3 applies.

11.3 We may report suspected misuse of the Scheme to VicRoads or Victoria Police.

Part B — Platform

12. Your account

12.1 You may sign in with your email address or a Google account. You are responsible for all activity under your account. Keep your sign-in details secure and tell us promptly if you suspect unauthorised use.

12.2 You may hold one account only. Your account details must be accurate and kept current.

12.3 We may suspend access to the Platform for maintenance, security or to investigate suspected misuse.

13. Electronic signatures and documents

13.1 You agree that we may provide documents, notices and Scheme paperwork to you electronically, and that you may sign documents electronically through the Platform and our e-signature provider (currently DocuSeal).

13.2 A document you sign electronically through the Platform has the same effect as if you had signed it by hand, in accordance with the Electronic Transactions (Victoria) Act 2000 and the Electronic Transactions Act 1999 (Cth). Signed copies are stored in your account for you to download.

13.3 Check every document before you sign. You are responsible for the accuracy of information in documents you sign. If VicRoads requires an original or handwritten signature for any document, you must provide it.

14. Content and intellectual property

14.1 The Platform and its content, including text, guides, designs, logos, software and the Club Plate Co. name, are owned by or licensed to us. We grant you a personal, non-transferable licence to use the Platform for the purposes of your membership. You may not copy, scrape, reproduce or commercially exploit any part of the Platform without our written consent.

14.2 Information on the Platform about the Scheme is general guidance only, based on VicRoads’ published rules at the time of writing. It is not legal advice. VicRoads’ current published requirements prevail over anything on the Platform.

14.3 You retain ownership of photographs and documents you upload. You grant us a licence to store, reproduce and disclose them as needed to provide membership services, endorse and lodge applications, comply with the Scheme, and as described in our Privacy Policy.

14.4 The Platform may link to third-party websites, including VicRoads. We are not responsible for their content or availability.

15. Acceptable use

You must not:

  1. use the Platform for any unlawful purpose or in breach of the Scheme;
  2. upload content that is false, infringing, offensive or contains malicious code;
  3. interfere with the security or operation of the Platform, or attempt to access another person’s account or data;
  4. use automated tools to access or extract data from the Platform; or
  5. impersonate any person, or misrepresent your relationship with a vehicle or its owner.

16. Communications

16.1 We will send service messages by email, SMS or in-app notification about your account, applications, permit paperwork, renewals and changes to these Terms. These messages are part of the service and you cannot opt out of them while you are a Member.

16.2 With your consent, we may also send marketing messages about the Club and related offers. You can opt out at any time by using the unsubscribe link in an email, replying STOP to an SMS, or contacting us. We comply with the Spam Act 2003 (Cth).

Part C — Partner Organisations

This Part applies to workshops, mechanics, licensed vehicle testers, restorers, dealers and other businesses that register with us as a Partner. In this Part, “you” and “your” refer to the Partner.

17. Partner registration

17.1 To register as a Partner you must be a business with a current ABN. We verify your details against the Australian Business Register. The person who registers must be authorised to bind the business to these Terms.

17.2 We may accept or decline a Partner registration at our discretion, and may ask for evidence of your licences, insurance or business standing.

18. What Partners may do

18.1 A Partner may, with the vehicle owner’s authority, create an application on the Platform on the owner’s behalf, upload vehicle details, photographs, RWC details and supporting documents, and send the application to the owner for review.

18.2 The owner must personally review the application, become a Member, pay the Membership Fee and sign all declarations through the Platform. A Partner must not sign, or purport to sign, any document on behalf of an owner, and must not enter false contact details to control the owner’s account or approvals.

18.3 By submitting an application on behalf of an owner, you warrant that:

  1. you have the owner’s authority to provide their personal information to us and to prepare the application;
  2. you have told the owner that their information will be provided to Club Plate Co. and referred them to our Privacy Policy;
  3. the information, photographs and documents you provide are accurate, current and relate to the vehicle described; and
  4. any RWC or inspection details you provide are genuine and were issued by a licensed vehicle tester.

19. Commission

19.1 We will pay you a referral commission of 25% of the Membership Fee (excluding any GST) that we actually receive from an owner’s first-year membership that arises from an application you submitted. No commission is payable on renewals.

19.2 Commission is paid through our payment provider’s payout facility (currently Stripe Connect) to the account you connect, on our standard payout cycle. You are responsible for your own tax obligations, including GST. Where you are registered for GST, we will issue a recipient-created tax invoice (RCTI) for each commission payment. By registering as a Partner you agree that we may issue RCTIs, that you will not issue tax invoices for those payments, and that you will tell us immediately if you cease to be registered for GST.

19.3 If a Membership Fee is refunded, charged back or reversed within 12 months of payment, we may recover the related commission by offsetting it against future payouts or by invoice, and you must pay any invoiced amount within 14 days.

19.4 No commission is payable on memberships we decline, on memberships that arise from applications we determine were not genuinely referred by you, or where you have breached this Part.

20. Partner conduct

20.1 You are an independent business. You are not our agent, employee, representative or partner in any legal sense, and you must not represent otherwise. You must not guarantee to any owner that we will endorse an application or that VicRoads will issue a permit.

20.2 Any fees you charge an owner for your own services are a matter between you and the owner and must be disclosed to the owner clearly and separately from our Membership Fee. You must not describe any charge of yours as a Club Plate Co. fee.

20.3 You must handle owners’ personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and our Privacy Policy, use it only for the purpose of the application, keep it secure, and delete or return it when it is no longer needed for that purpose.

20.4 You may only use our name, logo and marketing materials in the form and manner we approve in writing.

20.5 We may suspend or terminate your Partner status immediately if you breach this Part, or on 30 days’ notice for any other reason. Commission already earned on completed memberships will be paid; no other amount is payable on termination.

20.6 You indemnify us against any loss, claim or expense we suffer arising from your breach of this Part, your dealings with an owner, or any inaccurate information you provide, to the extent caused or contributed to by you.

Part D — General

21. Consumer guarantees and our liability

21.1 Our services come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law. Nothing in these Terms excludes, restricts or modifies any right or remedy you have under the Australian Consumer Law or any other law that cannot be excluded.

21.2 Subject to clause 21.1 and to the extent permitted by law:

  1. we exclude all terms, conditions and warranties not expressly set out in these Terms;
  2. our total liability to you for all claims arising in a membership year, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), statute or otherwise, is limited to the Membership Fee you paid for that year or, at our option, to re-supplying the relevant services; and
  3. we are not liable for any indirect or consequential loss, or for loss arising from: any decision, delay or action of VicRoads; fines, penalties or infringement notices; loss or cancellation of a Club Permit; refusal or reduction of insurance cover; the acts or omissions of a Partner or a third-party service provider; or your failure to comply with the Scheme or these Terms.

21.3 Where the Australian Consumer Law applies but the services are not of a kind ordinarily acquired for personal, domestic or household use, our liability for a failure to comply with a consumer guarantee is limited to re-supplying the services or paying the cost of re-supply.

21.4 You indemnify us against any loss, claim or expense we suffer arising from your breach of these Terms, your misuse of a Club Permit, or false or misleading information you provide, to the extent caused or contributed to by you.

22. Changes to these Terms

22.1 We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by email at least 14 days before they take effect, and will publish the updated Terms on the Platform. Continued use of the Platform or membership after the effective date is acceptance of the updated Terms.

22.2 If a change materially disadvantages you, you may cancel your membership within 30 days after we notify you and we will refund the unused portion of your current year’s Membership Fee pro rata.

23. Notices

Notices to you will be sent to the email address, mobile number or in-app inbox associated with your account. Notices to us should be sent to [email protected].

24. Complaints and disputes

24.1 If you have a complaint, contact us at [email protected]. We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 business days and aim to resolve it within 30 days.

24.2 If we cannot resolve your complaint, you may contact Consumer Affairs Victoria (consumer.vic.gov.au) or seek other remedies available to you, including through the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal or the courts.

24.3 Nothing in these Terms prevents you from contacting VicRoads directly about the Scheme or your Club Permit.

25. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of Victoria, Australia. You and we submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Victoria and the courts entitled to hear appeals from them.

26. Other matters

26.1 These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any conditions we publish for specific events or services, are the entire agreement between you and us about membership and the Platform.

26.2 If any part of these Terms is invalid or unenforceable, the rest continues in force.

26.3 A failure by us to enforce any right is not a waiver of that right.

26.4 We may assign or novate these Terms to a person who acquires the Club or the Platform and continues to operate it as a VicRoads-approved club, and will notify you if we do. You may not assign your membership.

26.5 We are not liable for delay or failure caused by events outside our reasonable control.

26.6 Clauses 9.7, 10.2, 19.3, 20.6, 21 and 25 survive the end of your membership or Partner status.

27. Contact

Club Plate Co.
ABN 25 733 190 203
Email: [email protected]
Web: clubplate.co

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