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 (eg, colour or garage address) or their personal details (eg, 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
• 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 these general conditions, VicRoads may impose an operating condition on a Club Permit that specifies the permissible use of the vehicle operating under that Club Permit.

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 logbook 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 logbook of all trips.

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

Logbook obligations

Club Permit holders must ensure that: 

• a Club Permit is affixed inside a club logbook
• on each day a Club Permit vehicle is driven more than 100 metres from the vehicle’s garage address, you must ensure that the next available entry in the club logbook is completed before beginning the journey
• if a journey begins before midnight and continues into the next day, an entry must be made in the club log book in respect of each of those days
• you must not complete or partially complete entries in a club logbook which relate to a future day
• you must ensure that, if a club permit is a 45-day Club Permit, only the first 45 entries in the club logbook are used, unless a second 45-day club permit is issued for the Club Permit period and affixed inside the club logbook
• if all available entries in the logbook have been used, the vehicle must not be driven outside a radius of 100 metres from the entrance to the vehicle’s garage address until a new permit is issued

Club Permit holders must not cause or permit a driver of a vehicle operated under the Club Permit to fail to comply with these obligations.

Penalties apply for logbook offences.

Replacement logbooks

Replacement Club Permit logbooks 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 logbook 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 logbook 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 logbook along with the date of the club statement

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

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.

Penalties apply for using a club permit vehicle as commercial passenger vehicle service.

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) Regulations 2021, 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. 

Permit holders of vehicles reported to VicRoads as unroadworthy and/or inappropriately modified will be requested to ask their club re-assess their vehicle in accordance with Club Permit Scheme requirements. This request may also require a Certificate of Roadworthiness or VASS approval certificate to be provided for the vehicle to ensure it meets the applicable vehicle standards.

VicRoads may request that a Club Permit holder produce a vehicle operated under the Club Permit Scheme to a nominated testing site or for inspection by an authorised officer or an authorised vehicle inspector.