Victoria will abolish registration labels for light vehicles and passenger cars (all vehicles, including trailers, up to 4.5 tonnes) from January 1, 2014. Victorian Premier Denis Napthine and the Minister for Roads, Terry Mulder, announced scrapping the traditional stickers would save $19.5 million a year, as part of the Victorian Coalition Government’s commitment to reducing the red tape burden on Victorians.
Registration stickers, first introduced in the 1920s, now cost VicRoads about $600,000 a year – Victorian motorists will benefit from the time saving of not having to peel off and replace stickers each year, and there will be significant cost reductions to businesses which operate a fleet of company vehicles. Drivers will still be sent registration renewal certificates to remind them to pay their registration. They will also be sent a reminder note if registration is not paid by the due date.
Car details can be checked on the VicRoads website by entering the number plate and finding out when a car’s registration will expire, as well as other details including VIN number, make, model and colour of the vehicle.
Mr Mulder said that enforcement would not be impacted because most Victoria Police vehicles have online access to registration data through their in-car mobile terminals and will continue to enforce the law to ensure that a vehicle is registered when it is used on a road. The only change will be that motorists will not need to stick a label on their windscreen.