Unregistered and uninsured vehicles Fines and Demerit Points by State (2026-27)
$266.25–$1,046 on-the-spot fine, lowest to highest state
Driving an unregistered vehicle (shortest lapse where the fine depends on it): VIC highest, TAS lowest
8 official offence schedules · verified between 17 July and 23 September 2026- For driving an unregistered vehicle (shortest lapse where the fine depends on it), the highest on-the-spot fine is VIC's $1,046 and the lowest TAS's $266.25: a spread of $779.75, with the highest 3.9 times the lowest.
- The median across the 6 states with an on-the-spot fine is $626; VIC, NSW, ACT charge more than that.
Every unregistered and uninsured vehicles penalty, state by state
| Offence | Points | Fine | Licence consequence |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | |||
| Driving an unregistered vehicle | 0 | $818 | — |
| Victoria | |||
| Driving an unregistered vehicle | 0 | $1,046 | — |
| Queensland | |||
| No row: we have not found an official on-the-spot fine figure to publish for this offence in QLD. | |||
| Western Australia | |||
| No row: we have not found an official on-the-spot fine figure to publish for this offence in WA. | |||
| South Australia | |||
| Driving an unregistered vehicle | 0 | $502 | — |
| Tasmania | |||
| Driving an unregistered vehicle | 0 | $266.25 | — |
| Australian Capital Territory | |||
| Driving an unregistered vehicle | 0 | $750 | — |
| Using an uninsured vehicle | 0 | $710 | — |
| Northern Territory | |||
| Driving unregistered (up to 1 month lapsed) | — | $300 | — |
| Driving unregistered (1–12 months lapsed) | — | $800 | — |
| Driving unregistered (12+ months lapsed) | — | $1,500 | — |
Double demerits
| State | Treatment of driving an unregistered vehicle (shortest lapse where the fine depends on it) |
|---|---|
| NSW | Holiday periods — points double for speeding, phone, seatbelt and helmet offences (fines unchanged) |
| VIC | None — Victoria has no double-demerit scheme |
| QLD | Year-round repeat-offence doubling — a second offence in the same group (phone, seatbelt, helmet, speeding 21+ km/h) within 12 months doubles the points |
| WA | Holiday periods — points double for speeding, drink/drug driving, seatbelt and child-restraint, red light, phone and camera-evasion offences |
| SA | None — SA does not use double demerit points |
| TAS | None — Tasmania has no double-demerit scheme |
| ACT | Holiday periods — points double for speeding, seatbelt, helmet and phone offences; every other point offence gets +1 point (fines unchanged) |
| NT | None — the NT has no double-demerit scheme |
How close one offence takes you to the limit
| State | Points | Full-licence limit | Offences to reach it | Learner and provisional limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 0 | 13 | — | P2: 7 points; P1 and learner: 4 points; good-behaviour period: 2 points. |
| VIC | 0 | 12 | — | Learner, P1, P2 (and overseas licence holders under 22): 5 points in any 12 months. |
| QLD | — | 12 | — | P1, P2 and learner: 4 points in 12 months. |
| WA | — | 12 | — | Learner and first-year provisional: 4 points; second-year provisional: 8 points. |
| SA | 0 | 12 | — | Learner and provisional: 4 points; probationary: 2 points. |
| TAS | 0 | 12 | — | Learner and provisional: 4 points in 12 months. |
| ACT | 0 | 12 | — | Provisional and learner: 4 points; probationary: 2 points. |
| NT | — | 12 | — | Learner and provisional: 5 points in any 12 months. |
| Full-licence points, first offence, before any double-demerit period. Learners and provisional drivers often face higher points or an automatic suspension for the same offence; see each state's row above. | ||||
Frequently asked questions
- Which state has the highest unregistered and uninsured vehicles fine?
- For driving an unregistered vehicle (shortest lapse where the fine depends on it), VIC ($1,046). The lowest is TAS ($266.25).
- Which states apply double demerits to unregistered and uninsured vehicles offences?
- None of the 8 states doubles points for this offence.
Other offences compared
Sources — figures verified between 17 July and 23 September 2026.
- NSW Government offence and demerit scheduleverified
- Transport Victoria / Fines Victoria (2026-27 schedule)verified
- Queensland Government demerit and fines schedule (1 July 2026)verified
- WA Road Safety Commission / Department of Transport (2026-27)verified
- SA expiation fees (Road Traffic (Miscellaneous) Regulations, 1 July 2026)verified
- Transport Tasmania offence list at the 2026-27 penalty unitverified
- ACT Road Transport (Offences) Regulation (Republication 104, 1 July 2026)verified
- NT Government traffic offences and penaltiesverified
Standard first-offence penalties for a full-licence holder from each state's own schedule. Bands are each state's own; a like-for-like comparison uses the same conduct or the same km/h over. Information, not legal advice.