Club permits

Club permit holders must:

• ensure that the vehicle is only used for private use and is not used for commercial use
• ensure they are familiar with their particular club’s requirements for club permit holders
• ensure they are familiar with the log book requirements
• maintain their vehicles in a manner which ensures that the vehicle is in a 'safe' condition for use on a highway
• present their vehicle for periodic safety checks if prescribed by their club, or in the case of street rods, if prescribed by the Australian Street Rod Federation
• maintain financial membership of the club at all times whilst holding a club permit
• ensure that the log book and permit is carried in the vehicle at all times the vehicle is in use
• ensure that the number plate(s) and windscreen label as issued by us are correctly displayed on the vehicle at all times when the vehicle is in use. 

• You can buy either a 45 day or 90 day permit. This means, means you can use your club permit vehicle for that many days per year, but you must keep a log book of all your trips.
• A club permit vehicle may be driven by anyone (including learner permit holders) who holds the applicable licence category for the vehicle, unless legally as a 'driver under instruction'
• For motorcycles, the E licence condition for LAMS restrictions applies.

Victorian probationary licence holders may drive a vehicle on a club permit provided that:

Renewing with no changes

If you receive your renewal for your club permit in the mail and don't wish to change your period of days, you must:

1. Provide your club/association with the club permit renewal for your vehicle. The renewal must then be signed by an authorised officer of the club/association to declare that you are a current member of that particular club/association. Authorised officers include:

• club president 
• treasurer
• secretary
• permit scheme officer.

If you get a 45 day permit but later on decide that you want to use the vehicle more, another 45 day permit may be purchased later on by contacting us on 13 11 71 or attending a VicRoads Customer Service Centre to request a second 45 day renewal.

Once received, provide the renewal to the club's authorised official who must sign the renewal to declare that you are a current member of that particular club/association.

Attend any VicRoads Customer Service Centre to pay the renewal fee, or mail the renewal to us with a cheque, money order or credit card details to:

VicRoads
GPO Box 1644
MELBOURNE VIC 3001.

Club permit holders will not be able to get a permit to drive their vehicle for more than 90 days in each 12 month period.

The club permit certificate is to be attached to the nominated page in the club permit log book but only after payment has been processed and the certificate stamped by us.

Transferring club permit vehicles between approved vehicle clubs

If you wish to transfer your club permit vehicle to another approved car club, you must provide us with:

• a signed letter from you (the club permit holder), advising of the change and list any club permit vehicles that you want to link to the new club
• a Vehicle Eligibility and Standards Declaration for each vehicle from the new nominated club
• a letter from the club president, treasurer, secretary or permit scheme officer at the new club confirming that the applicant is a current member. 

Transferring club permits between individuals or companies or associations

• Club permits are not transferable.
• If the vehicle is given or sold to another person, the current club permit must be cancelled and a new club permit application is required. 

Club permits and deceased estates

If a club permit vehicle is inherited as a result of the death of the holder of a club permit, the club permit cannot be transferred. The club permit will be cancelled and a new club permit application must be made to us.

Changing the vehicle description

You'll need to advise us about changes to the description of a club permit vehicle. Visit a VicRoads Customer Service Centre and provide a letter detailing the changes and the club permit number of the vehicle.

Notifying a change of address on a club permit

Vehicles operating under the club permit scheme can have a residential, postal and a Victorian garage address recorded.

Change an address on your club permit by:

• mailing us at VicRoads GPO Box 1644 MELBOURNE VIC 3001
• visiting a VicRoads Customer Service Centre.

• club permit number/s
• driver licence number
• name
• address (residential, postal and garage if different)
• signature
• vehicle details (year, make, body type: sedan, roadster etc).

The club permit scheme may be modified. However, specific restrictions apply. You can modify a club permit vehicle within certain guidelines before you need to get an approval certificate from a signatory of the Vehicle Assessment Signatory Scheme (VASS).

You will need to get a (VASS) approval certificate when the vehicle:

• is modified outside what is permitted in the vehicle standards or the guidelines as specified in the table below
• the vehicle was not originally manufactured in Australia, does not have any previous Australian registration history and was manufactured after 31 December 1968 (30 June 1975 for motorcycles).

Modification of vehicles with a club permit

Clubs may also voluntarily choose to re-certify existing modified vehicles and for the vehicle be issued an “M” series number plate.

If this is the case, the following requirements apply:

• a new Vehicle Eligibility and Standards Declaration for Club Permit Vehicles form signed by the club's safety officer/scrutineer.
• an original VASS approval certificate
• for vehicles manufactured after 1948 (excluding trailers and machinery), an original Victorian certificate of roadworthiness
• for vehicles manufactured prior to 1949, a certificate of roadworthiness is not mandatory but may be provided by the applicant.

Note: The certificate of roadworthiness and VASS must be current at the time of declaration date.

Modified vehicles with a VASS approval without M plates

If your vehicle is modified and a VASS has already been provided regarding the modifications (either while the vehicle was operating on a club permit or registered), you can request M plates by visiting a VicRoads Customer Service Centre with a new Vehicle Eligibility and Standards Declaration for Club Permit Vehicles form signed by the club's safety officer/scrutineer.

A new certificate of roadworthiness is not required to be provided if the vehicle is currently on the club permit scheme and is applying to swap a ‘H plate’ for an ‘M plate’.

Carry over models

Information on carry over model vehicle modifications can be found in the VicRoads’ guidelines for modifications to vehicles operated under Victoria’s Club Permit Scheme (VSI33) [PDF 265 Kb].

Completing the log book

A 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 by several drivers or for several trips 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 statutory declaration, which must only be lodged by the club permit holder, 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. It is suggested that the VicRoads statutory declaration form [PDF 134 Kb] be used.
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. Log book payment. Visit club permit fees for details about log book fees.

• Club permit plates have white characters on a maroon background.
• Custom plates cannot be issued to a vehicle on the club permit scheme.
• Bike rack and exempt trailer plates may be ordered by contacting us on 13 11 71.
• Registration number rights are not attached to any club permit number combination. The number plates remain the property of VicRoads. 

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 will not be reproduced.
• If one plate is lost, damaged or destroyed, the remaining plate must be returned to us and a new set displaying a new number will be issued. 

To replace club permit number plates, attend a VicRoads Customer Service Centre to get the new number plates. 

Veteran, vintage and street rod permit holders plates will be mailed new club permit plates, while modified and classic and historic permit holders will get their numbers plates on the spot.

Note: Some Customer Service Centres may carry veteran or vintage plates, and will issue them on the spot.

Assignment of club permit or street rod number plates

When a club permit vehicle is sold, 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 not more than three months.

If the club permit is expired by more than three months, a new club permit application must be made. The existing club permit number may remain on the vehicle provided that the application is by the same club permit holder.

Club permit number plate(s) can be returned to any VicRoads Customer Service Centre.

Club permit vehicles that may not meet vehicle standards

While we will not actively identify existing modified vehicles for re-certification, periodically vehicles are reported to us as unroadworthy and/or inappropriately modified and we are required to take action when this occurs. In these instances, we will write to the permit holder advising them to request that their club re-assess the vehicle in accordance with the new requirements.