Frequently asked questions

Any business that meets the required criteria can choose to ’freeze’ the Tasmanian registration of their vehicle for a continuous period of up to 12 months (referred to as extend registration).

Eligibility criteria:

Applicants must meet each criteria:

1. Be majority Tasmanian-owned and operate in Tasmania as a sole trader, trust, partnership or private company. Tasmanian Incorporated Associations that operate business undertakings for the purpose of generating income streams will also be eligible to apply at the Registrar of Motor Vehicle’s discretion.
2. 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).
3. The business must have been in operation on or before 31 January 2020.
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. Applicants must be able to demonstrate that the business has been significantly impacted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This 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. Generally these vehicles are identified with an R or RV or C prefix registration plate.

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 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 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 as part of the 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.

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, businesses can only freeze vehicle registration once, however, significantly impacted Tasmanian business owners may re-apply to re-freeze a vehicle registration.

Business must be able to demonstrate that they have experience exceptional, unforeseen circumstances.

Any application for vehicle registration re-freeze will be at the discretion of the Registrar of Motor Vehicles.

To re-apply or if you have any further questions, please email: rbsp@stategrowth.tas.gov.au

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

Freezing is applicable to Tasmanian registered vehicles only.

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.

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.

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

To remove the freeze (reinstate the registration of your vehicle) please complete this form.

If you have voluntary cancelled the registration of your vehicle due to COVID-19 and you would like to re-establish it, please visit any Service Tasmania outlet (fees apply). To be eligible to have the registration of your vehicle established with no inspection, you must re-establish the registration within 12 months of the date the cancellation.

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

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.