Operating a club permit vehicle

Obligations of Club Permit holders 

A Club Permit holder must: 

• remain a current member of an approved club or association.
  • if ceasing membership at a club, there must not be more than 14 days between that and joining a new club.
• notify VicRoads within 14 days of a change to:
  • the vehicle’s details (e.g. colour or garage address) or their personal details (e.g. residential address or name).
  • ceasing membership at their club and/or joining a new club. 

• if requested by VicRoads, present the vehicle for a vehicle audit inspection.

Responsibilities whenever using a Club Permit vehicle 

Whenever a Club Permit vehicle is being used, the permit holder must make sure that:

• the vehicle isn’t used for hire or reward, or the carriage of freight.
• the vehicle isn’t used as a commercial passenger vehicle service as defined by the Commercial Passenger Vehicle Industry Act 2017.
• the log book is carried in the vehicle, and that the Club Permit sticker is correctly included in the log book.
• they are familiar with their particular club’s requirements for Club Permit holders.
• they are familiar with the Club Permit conditions, and the permit holder must ensure that these are all being complied with.
• the vehicle is safe for use on public roads the number plate(s) and windscreen label are correctly displayed.
• if the vehicle is subject to any operating conditions, these must be complied with and the certificate of approved operations must be carried in the vehicle.

In addition to obeying the road rules, Club Permit vehicle holders are subject to different rules and procedures from standard road vehicles. 

Additional restrictions for Club Permit holders

Club Permits are valid for either 45 or 90 driving days per year. This means Club Permit holders can use their Club Permit vehicle for that many days per year, but a log book of all trips must be kept.

A Club Permit vehicle may be driven by anyone who holds the applicable licence category for the vehicle, unless operating the vehicle as a 'driver under instruction'. Refer to the below table to see the different types of Club Permit restrictions for each Victorian licence category.

Use of Victorian Club Permit vehicles interstate

• Club Permit vehicles may be driven throughout all states and territories provided that the vehicle complies with Victorian requirements for the holding of the club permit.

Use of interstate Club Permit vehicles in Victoria

• A person may use a vehicle temporarily in Victoria if it has a permit issued interstate and is observing the conditions of that registration or permit.
• The vehicle must have third party insurance cover in its home state or Transport Accident cover issued in Victoria.

Club Permits are valid for either 45 or 90 driving days per year, and therefore Club Permit holders are required to keep a log book of all trips.

The log book is issued by VicRoads with the initial Club Permit and is renewed annually. 

A log book entry must be made for each day the vehicle is used (if a vehicle is used multiple times during a day, only the first use by the first driver is required to be recorded).

Replacement log books

Replacement Club Permit log books can be purchased from any VicRoads Customer Service Centre with the following three items:

1. A VicRoads statutory declaration form [PDF 134 Kb], stating the reasons for requesting a replacement log book, and how many entries in the previous log book were completed at the time the log book was lost, damaged, destroyed or stolen. This must be signed and lodged by the Club Permit holder only.

2. A statement signed by the club secretary or authorised person of the club of which the permit holder is a financial member must be submitted with the statutory declaration.

The statement from the club must:

• indicate that the club is aware that a statutory declaration supporting a request for a replacement log book has been made by the permit holder concerned
• certify that the permit holder is a financial member of the club
• certify that the club has documented in its records that the permit holder concerned has applied to us for a replacement log book along with the date of the club statement.

3. Payment for the log book. Visit club permit fees for details about log book fees.

Club Permit plates have white characters on a maroon background, to easily identify these vehicles for law enforcement purposes.

Custom plates cannot be issued to a vehicle on the Club Permit scheme.

Registration number rights are not attached to any Club Permit number combination. The number plates remain the property of VicRoads. 

Bike rack and exempt trailer plates may be ordered by contacting us on 13 11 71.

Lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed plates

If a Club Permit number plate is lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed, a new number plate with the next available sequential number will be issued (the original number plate won’t be reproduced).

If one plate is lost, damaged or destroyed, the remaining plate must be returned to VicRoads and a new set displaying a new number will be issued. 

How to replace Club Permit number plates

To replace Club Permit number plates, attend a VicRoads Customer Service Centre. 

• Classic and modified ‘M’ type permit holders will get their numbers plates on the spot. 
• Veteran, vintage and street rod permit holders plates will be mailed new Club Permit plates (unless the Customer Service Centre has these plates in stock).

Assignment of Club Permit or street rod number plates

If a vehicle is given or sold to another person, the current Club Permit must be cancelled, and a new Club Permit application is required. However, the Club Permit holder may request that the existing number plates remain on the vehicle provided that:

• the new Club Permit holder is a member of the same approved vehicle club as the previous permit holder
• the Club Permit number plate is assigned to the same vehicle
• the Club Permit must be current or expired no more than three months.

If the vehicle has not been sold but the Club Permit is expired by more than three months, a new Club Permit application must be made. The existing Club Permit number plates may remain on the vehicle provided that the application is by the same Club Permit holder.

Return of number plates

Club Permit vehicles that may not meet vehicle standards

The Club Permit Scheme allows conditional use of classic and historic vehicles for recreation purposes. Vehicles operating on Club Permit must not be used for a commercial purpose.  

For Club Permit vehicles, commercial use includes using the vehicle for hire or reward, including carrying goods or passengers for hire or reward. Examples of commercial use includes using Club Permit vehicles for purposes such as carrying tools as part of a landscaping or gardening business or using Club Permit vehicles as wedding cars for hire or for tours.

It is a general condition of use for all Club Permit vehicles that they must not be used for hire or reward for the carriage of goods or freight, or to provide a commercial passenger vehicle service.

Where VicRoads can determine that a vehicle is being used in breach of the general conditions, Club Permit will be suspended and cancelled.     

VicRoads will also inform Commercial Passenger Vehicles Victoria and the State Revenue Office, as well as the permit holder’s club, for consideration of potential further action if Club Permit vehicles are being used commercially.  

Vehicles operating on Club Permit must meet the applicable requirements of the vehicle standards contained in Schedule 2 of the Road Safety (Vehicles) Interim Regulations 2020, and if modified, must meet the requirements of VicRoads’ Guide to Modifications for Motor Vehicles (Vehicle Standards Information No. 8) and VicRoads’ Guide to modifications to vehicles operated under Victoria’s Club Permit Scheme (Vehicle Standards Information No. 33). 

Motorcycles must meet the requirement of VicRoads’ summary of registration requirements for motorcycles and mopeds (Vehicle Standards Information No. 4). 

Modifications outside the above standards and guidelines are not acceptable. If VicRoads is notified that a Club Permit vehicle is non-compliant and possibly modified outside of the above standards and guidelines, the permit holder will be required to provide written confirmation from the club, and/or a Vehicle Assessment Signatory Scheme (VASS) approval certificate that the vehicle continues to meet the standards for registration under the Club Permit scheme (the Vehicle Standards referred to above).

Where the permit holder fails to provide evidence and written confirmation of the vehicle meeting the required standards, VicRoads will suspend and cancel the permit. 

Notifying us of Club Permit vehicles that are operating outside the guidelines endorsed by the Club Permit Scheme:

To notify VicRoads of a club permit vehicle that is undermining the integrity of the Club Permit scheme: 

• by being modified outside the acceptable standards and guidelines or
• by operating for commercial purposes

Please send an email along with photographic evidence and any other additional information to [email protected] or via mail to:

VicRoads
Licence and Registration Services
GPO Box 1644
Melbourne Vic 3001