If you own a historic or prescribed left-hand drive vehicle you may be eligible to apply for the conditional registration scheme to obtain reduced fees.
Conditional registration scheme for historic and left-hand vehicles
Historic and prescribed left-hand vehicles may be:
- conditionally registered to obtain reduced fees (applicant must be a financial member of a recognised motor vehicle club)
- registered for periods of one, two or three years
- driven on a road for up to 90 days during any one year period of registration.
How to apply for the conditional registration scheme
Step 1: Complete an MR1 application for registration and third party insurance form. Applicants must be a financial member of a recognised motor vehicle club.
Step 2: Return the completed application to a Service SA customer service centre with the following:
- an approval for conditional registration of a historic or prescribed left-hand drive vehicle issued by an authorised official of the recognised motor vehicle club
- the prescribed registration fees
- a left-hand drive exemption, if appropriate - these are issued by the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, Vehicle Standards, Kateena Street, Regency Park.
Conditional registration scheme conditions
The following conditions apply to vehicles registered under the conditional registration scheme for historic and left-hand drive vehicles.
- A vehicle registered as a historic or prescribed left-hand drive may not be driven for hire, fare or reward.
- The owner of the vehicle must be a financial member of a recognised historic vehicle club.
- Before the start of each journey, details of the journey must be recorded in a log book.
Log books must be:
- issued by the recognised historic vehicle clubs
- in a form approved by the Registrar of Motor Vehicles
- carried in the vehicle at all times during a journey.
Definitions of historic and prescribed left-hand vehicles
The Motor Vehicles Act 1959 provides the following definitions.
An historic vehicle:
- is a vehicle where 30 years or more have lapsed since 1 January of the year in which the vehicle was manufactured
- has not been modified from its original design to any significant extent.
A prescribed left-hand drive vehicle:
- is a vehicle that has its steering wheel on the left of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle
- was manufactured before 1 January 1974
- has not been modified from its original design to any significant extent.
Regulation changes
Changes to motor vehicle regulations for the owners of historic vehicles and prescribed left hand drive vehicles holding conditional registration, and for the first time street rod vehicles, will come into effect on 1 July 2012.
The changes to the eligibility criteria for participation in the scheme are as follows:
Age Criteria
- The eligibility for the Conditional Registration Scheme will change to include any vehicle manufactured before 1 January 1979.
- Historic vehicles manufactured after 1 January 1979 that are already currently registered under the Conditional Registration Scheme, or have been in the past, will be able to remain on the Scheme.
- Age requirements for a left hand drive vehicle will change from vehicles manufactured before 1 January 1974 to vehicles manufactured before 1 January 1979.
Introducing Street Rods
A new category of vehicles will be introduced to the Scheme in the form of Street Rods.
A Street Rod is a vehicle that has been modified for safe road use and has a body and frame that were built before 1949 (or is a replica of a vehicle, the body and frame of which were built before 1949).
The vehicle must have an exemption granted under Section 163 of the Road Traffic Act and meet standards as defined by the Registrar of Motor Vehicles.
Street Rods will be eligible for conditional registration under similar conditions and an identical fee structure as Historic Vehicles.
These conditions will include the requirement to carry and use a log book, a restriction limiting the use of their vehicles to 90 days per year.
The registered owner must be a member of a motor vehicle clubs recognised by the registrar for the purposes of the scheme.
Note: in order for a street rod to be registered in South Australia, inspection requirements remain unchanged.
General changes
For all Scheme participants, the following regulations will apply:
• the vehicle must be available for inspection by their club or the Registrar
• a statutory declaration must be provided annually to the club declaring the vehicle's eligibility to the Scheme.
• the vehicles cannot be used for fee, hire or reward.
More information
On this site
Vehicle registration Downloads
Code of practice for historic vehicles and prescribed left-hand drive vehicles (PDF)
Conditional registration of historic vehicles and prescribed left hand drive vehicles (PDF)