Frequently asked questions

Any business that meets the required criteria can choose to ’freeze’ the Tasmanian registration of their light vehicle, with heavy vehicles having the option to ’freeze’ or have some of the registration renewal fees waived for 12 months (referred to as extend registration).

Note: A heavy vehicle has a gross vehicle mass (GVM) rating exceeding 4.5t. Operators who choose to extend the registration of their heavy vehicle will be required to pay the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator fee component. Further details are provided below.

Applicants must meet each criteria:

1. Available to businesses only.
2. The business must have been in operation on or before 31 January 2020.
3. The business who is making the application must be registered for tax purposes in Australia with an Australian Business Number (ABN) or an Australian Company Number (ACN).
4. Each vehicle must be in the name of the business or if not, applicants must be able to prove that each vehicle is directly related to the business.
5. Each vehicle must be registered at the time the application.
6. Be a majority owned and operated Tasmanian business in one of the following severely impacted industries, seafood, tourism and accommodation, passenger transport, motor vehicle traders, retail, hospitality, arts and entertainment, fitness or an sector experiencing difficulties.
7. Applicants must be able to demonstrate that the business has been significantly impacted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This business relief package is available to Tasmanian registered vehicles only.

Subject to the Conditional registered vehicles core to the business section, light and heavy vehicles that are conditionally registered are not eligible. These include vehicles registered in the following conditionally registered schemes:

• Special Interest (SI)
• Vintage (VC)
• Street Rod (ROD)
• Vehicles registered for restricted use such as ATV, UTV used for recreational purposes and vehicles issued concessional registration. Vehicles issued with concessional registration are generally these vehicles are identified with an R or RV or C prefix registration plate.

Light vehicles have the option to freeze registration or cancel only.

Heavy vehicles (GVM exceeding 4.5t) have the option to freeze, cancel or extend (waiver) registration. The option to extend the registration is only available when the registration is current and due for expire between 26th March and 30th September 2020. Registrations will be extended a for 12 month period only.

ATVs, UTVs and similar small utility vehicles core to the business enterprise transporting passengers or conducting tours that are conditionally registered (e.g. tourism business) may be eligible.

Businesses who operate multiple ATVs/UTVs should refer to the section below titled what about tourism businesses who operate multiple ATV’s and/or UTVs.

Heavy vehicle operators that would like to talk to someone about the eligibility of their conditionally registered heavy vehicle prior to making application please call the number below and ask for a Registration Relief Package representative from the Registration and Licensing Services, Vehicle Management Team.

Vehicles registered with WV (work vehicle) registration plates may be eligible to apply to have their registration frozen or extended as part of the Registration Relief Package, or voluntarily cancelled. These vehicles are eligible to apply if the business is affected by COVID-19 and these vehicles are a core part of the operations of the business.

Freeze and extend options are for a maximum period of 12 months.

Yes – the ‘business vehicle registration relief package’ applies to businesses only.

Freezing the registration of a vehicle means the registration is suspended with the suspension days added to the registration period when it is reactivated (un-frozen). If you choose to freeze the registration, the vehicle cannot be used on the road network.

Registrations can be frozen for a maximum of 12 months, however, an operator can choose to unfreeze the registration at any point before the 12 month period ends.

If an operator chooses to un-freeze after 12 months from the requested freeze date, the vehicle will require a pre-registration inspection at an Approved Inspection Station. For more information on re-establishing the registration of a vehicle please select this link: re-establishing registration.

No, you may only freeze and unfreeze your vehicles registration only once, unless you can demonstrate exceptional unforeseen circumstances.

Extend (waiver) means the registration period is extended by 12 months from the current registration period end date.

There is a fee component required by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) which is not a Tasmanian Government charge. Refer to your registration papers and the heavy vehicle charging categories table below.

If an extension is granted, an invoice will be sent to you for payment of this fee.

No, you will not be able to freeze the registration.

Freezing (and also extending) is applicable to Tasmanian registered vehicles only.

This does not apply to taxis, taxi operators must refer to the taxi registration relief frequently asked questions for more information.

Light vehicles registered as a PPV -– If freezing the registration, the inspection requirement will also be frozen and the PPV inspection due date will be extended by the number of days the registration was suspended (up to 12 months) and a new inspection due date sticker will be provided at the time of reinstatement.

Heavy Vehicles registered as a PPV – If freezing the registration, the inspection requirement will also be frozen and the PPV inspection due date will be extended by the number of the days the registration was suspended depending on the amount of time the registration was suspended:

• If frozen for a period not exceeding 6 months the registration period and PPV due date will be extended by the amount of days frozen and a new inspection due date sticker provided.
• If frozen for a period 6 months or more, and if the PPV inspection fell due within that time, the vehicle will require a PPV inspection upon unfreezing the registration. To unfreeze a heavy PPV vehicle, please complete the online unfreeze application form where the PPV inspection report can be attached. If a PPV was not due within the time frozen, the registration period will be extended however the PPV due date will not be extended and will remain the same.

Note: If you choose to extend the registration, this does not extend the due date of the PPV inspection and the vehicle is to undertake the inspection as required. If you are continuing to operate a vehicle as a public passenger vehicle you must undertake the PPV inspections as required.

If you are an operator of a tourism business affected by COVID-19 and conditionally registered ATVs or UTVs are core to the business operations transporting passengers, you can apply to freeze the registration of these vehicles. To apply, complete the online form.

Normally, it is a requirement that registration plates are returned at the time the registration is cancelled. However, businesses electing to freeze the registration or voluntarily cancelling their registration due to the effects of COVID-19 pandemic can retain the registration plates. Vehicles with registration voluntarily cancelled cannot be used or parked on a road or road related area. Businesses wishing to cancel the registration and retain the plates must email their request to rbsp@stategrowth.tas.gov.au.

Each request will be individually assessed, the following information must be supplied as a minimum:

• Name of business
• ABN/ACN
• Business sector
• Email address
• Contact phone number
• Contact name
• Reason for request: (for example, " COVID-19 has had a significant disruption on the business")
• Registration numbers of each vehicle that is part of the request

Refunds of any unused portion of the Motor Accident Insurance Board (MAIB) compulsory third party insurance premium will be sent to the registered operator in the form of a cheque in the post within 21 days. Refunds deposited by electronic funds transfer (EFT) are not available at this time.

If an operator cancels the registration of a vehicle due to COVID-19, registration plates can be retained however must remain affixed to the relevant vehicle. The vehicle will not be required to undergo a pre-registration roadworthy inspection if you re-establish the vehicle within 12 months from the date of the cancellation. To re-establish a vehicle that has been cancelled this way you must email your request to: rbsp@stategrowth.tas.gov.au

If the vehicle remains un-registered after 12 months you must return the registration plates. Plates must be returned to any Service Tasmania outlet.

If the registration of your vehicle is to be cancelled for more than a 12 month period cancelling the registration via our existing process and return the registration plates. For more information please click here.

No, the freeze of registration must be lifted and the registration re-instated prior to transferring the vehicle.

Your refund will be calculated from the date the registration was frozen.

For a maximum period of 12 months.

No, they can stay on the vehicle, however the vehicle must not be used (driven) on a road or road related area.

Complete this form.

It is your responsibility to request that the freeze be removed from each vehicle. State Growth will not be sending notifications to operators.

No, the registration is reinstated at no cost, with the number of suspension days added to the registration period.

If you have a heavy vehicle and the registration expires between 26 March and 30 September 2020 it will be extended by 12 months.

No. You can elect to freeze or extend, but you cannot do both.

Yes, the only fee that will be charged is the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator component which is not a Tasmanian Government charge. This fee funds the operations of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator.

You will receive a separate invoice for this amount

The table at the bottom of this page shows the regulatory fee component for each heavy vehicle charging category.  The heavy vehicle category is nominated on your certificate of registration.

If you are eligible to apply, you can choose to freeze the registration (refer information above). When the freeze has been removed, a secondary request to the freeze the same registration is not available.

If you would like to cancel the registration of your vehicle and the reason is due to the COVID-19 pandemic you can do so, for more information please refer to the section above Can I cancel my registration but keep the registration plates to use again later?

Established conditions of use of Trade Plates apply, however under COVID-19 arrangements a Trade Plate may be used by Motor Vehicle Dealers on vehicles the Motor Vehicle Dealer has frozen.

Trade plates can be used to drive a vehicle that has had its registration frozen or cancelled and drive to places of repair or for test drives.

A form is available on the Transport Tasmania website. If you need assistance in completing this form or have any questions, please call Service Tasmania on 1300 135 513 or email rbsp@stategrowth.tas.gov.au.