Licence and registration offences and penalties
Information on offences and penalties for driving unregistered, uninsured or unlicensed.
Unlicensed driving
There are heavy penalties for driving without a licence, or driving a type of vehicle that your licence doesn't authorise you to drive. It is your responsibility to renew your licence by the due date.
Police can impound vehicles and confiscate number plates from drivers who continue to drive unlicensed or disqualified.
Fines are regularly updated. Use the penalties listed below as a guide. See Search offences and penalties for a full list of unlicensed driving offences and their penalties.
You must not drive with a licence that is disqualified, cancelled, suspended or refused. If you do, penalties will apply.
| Penalties | First offence | Second or subsequent offences |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum court-imposed fine | $3300 | $5500 |
| Maximum prison term | 6 months | 12 months |
| Minimum disqualification | 3 month | 6 months |
| Default disqualification period | 6 months | 12 months |
If your licence is cancelled or suspended for not paying a fine and you are caught driving a vehicle, you may face penalties.
| Penalty | First offence | Second or subsequent offence |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum court-imposed fine | $3300 | $5500 |
| Maximum prison term | N/A | 6 months |
| Minimum disqualification | 1 month | 3 months |
| Default disqualification period | 3 months | 12 months |
If you have never been licensed and are caught operating a vehicle, you may face penalties.
| Penalty | First offence | Second or subsequent offence |
|---|---|---|
| Fine | $1045 | N/A |
| Maximum court-imposed fine | $2200 | $3300 |
| Maximum prison term | N/A | 6 months |
| Minimum disqualification | N/A | 3 months |
| Default disqualification period | N/A | 12 |
These are some other driving/licence offences not included above.
| Offence | Maximum court-issued fine | First offence | Second or subsequent offence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class C, R, LR or MR - Driver held a licence but not one for the class of vehicle driven | $2200 | $682 | $1045 |
| Class HR, HC or MC - Driver held a licence but not one for the class of vehicle | $2200 | $818 | $1636 |
| Driver held a licence issued in another State or Territory, but has resided continuously in NSW during the previous 3 months | $2200 | $682 | $1045 |
| Driver held a licence that had expired less than 2 years before | $2200 | $682 | $1045 |
| Driver held a licence that had expired more than 2 years before | $2200 | $818 | $1636 |
Unregistered and uninsured vehicles
There are heavy penalties for using an unregistered or uninsured vehicle in NSW. This includes driving and parking the vehicle on a road or road-related area. Fines may also apply if you are the last registered operator of an unregistered vehicle.
See Search offences and penalties for a full list of relevant offences and their penalties.
When is a vehicle unregistered?
A vehicle becomes unregistered when:
- the registration is not renewed by the expiry date, or
- the registration is cancelled or suspended.
You can only drive an unregistered vehicle if:
- you are going to get or renew your registration, or
- you have an unregistered vehicle permit (UVP).
Check if your vehicle is registered
When is a vehicle uninsured?
A vehicle is uninsured when it does not have Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance. In NSW, CTP insurance is also known as a green slip. All vehicles except trailers and caravans must have CTP insurance.
When a vehicle is unregistered, CTP insurance is usually not valid. This means that the vehicle may also be uninsured.
When you renew your vehicle registration, you must also renew your green slip for the same amount of time. You cannot complete your registration without getting a green slip.
| Offence | Light vehicles | Heavy vehicles (GVM more than 4.5 tonnes) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drive or park an unregistered vehicle on a road or road-related area | $818 | $1728 and 4 demerit points | |
| Drive or park an uninsured vehicle on a road or road-related area | $818 | $818 | |
| Park an unregistered trailer (not part of a combination) on a road | $227 | $227 |
Even if you are not the driver you may still receive a fine for the use of an unregistered vehicle if you were its last registered operator.
| Offence | Light vehicle | Heavy vehicle (GVM more than 4.5 tonnes) | Trailer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cause or permit use of unregistered vehicles | $818 | $818 | $818 |
| Cause or permit use of uninsured vehicles | $818 | $818 | N/A |