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Trade apprentice discounts

If you’re a trade apprentice using your car for work, check if you qualify for free rego.

How to get a discount for your registration

Trade apprentices should follow these steps to see if you qualify for free registration for your work vehicle.

  1. 1

    Step 1: Check you’re eligible

    You can apply if you meet these criteria:

    • you're the registered* operator of a car, ute or van that does not exceed 4.5 tonnes GVM. You must be using it for either:
      • driving your car as part of your apprenticeship (such as transporting tools or toolboxes, that are necessary for your apprenticeship, to and from your place of employment or between worksites)

        OR
      • as part of your apprenticeship, regularly driving to or from your place of employment at night, between 8.30pm and 5.30am.
    • you're an apprentice registered in an approved training scheme registered with any of the below:
    • you're a Victoria resident
    • you have a current Victoria driver licence
    • you've received your registration renewal notice.

*If you’re registering a new vehicle or re-registering an unregistered vehicle, you’ll need to pay the full registration fee. Then you can apply for a full refund through your myVicRoads account. We can only give you a refund if you were eligible for the discount on the date you paid the registration.

You won’t be able to apply for this discount if:

  • you're a learner driver
  • your licence is expired, cancelled or suspended
  • your vehicle is registered in someone else’s name
  • you're already receiving a trade apprentice discount on another vehicle under your name*.

*You can still be eligible if you have another vehicle registered in your name with a different concession type, such as the Health Care Card.

Only one discount is allowed per vehicle. If you also have a Centrelink concession card, you can't claim the concession discount and a trade apprentice discount for the same vehicle.

  1. 2

    Step 2: Get your information ready

    When you submit your application, you’ll need to tell us:

    • your name, date of birth, email and phone number
    • your VRQA registration number* or training contract ID (New South Wales or South Australia)
    • the registration number of the vehicle applying for the apprentice discount
    • your employer’s name and email (if you’re completing a training contract in SA or NSW)
    • your Victorian driver licence number.

    Let your employer know that you’re giving us their contact details in your application and make sure they support your application before you apply. We’ll check your details with them so we can make sure you’re using your vehicle for work purposes. If we've approved your application and they can't confirm this, you’ll need to pay the difference.

*If you change employer, VRQA will issue you with a new number. This means you’ll need to submit a new application with the new number.

To find your VRQA registration number or training contract ID you can either:

  • check any letters you got from VQRA, Training Services NSW or Skills SA
  • call your Apprentice Support Network Provider (Victoria) or Training Services NSW or Skills SA.
  1. 3

    Step 3: Apply for the registration discount

    Once you have all your information, you can apply for the registration discount. You need to do this at least 5 days before your rego expires.

    Log in to your myVicRoads account and find the ‘Apprentice registration discount’ section.

    Don’t have an account? Sign up for a myVicRoads account today.

If you’re in an eligible apprenticeship with the VRQA, we'll apply the discount straight away when you apply online. We'll also update your vehicle expiry date within 24 hours of approval.

If you’re in a training contract in NSW or SA, we’ll process your application within 7 to 14 business days.

If you know your registration will expire while we review your application, pay the full amount. This means you’ll be able to keep using your vehicle on the road while you wait. 

If we approve your application, we’ll refund you the amount you’ve overpaid.

If we’ve approved your application and you’re eligible for a refund, we’ll process it within seven business days. You'll get a cheque in the mail for the refunded amount. 

If you don’t receive your cheque within 14 business days of your confirmation email, let us know by calling our contact centre.