Registration of vehicle when residing in another state

everything camper trailers, trips, tips, tricks & mods

Moderators: krp102, Coxy68, robcaz

Post Reply
User avatar
tastrax
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Feb 11, 2014 9:48 am

Registration of vehicle when residing in another state

Post by tastrax » Mon Mar 03, 2014 2:04 pm

OK, here is the scenario - I go to QLD and buy a car and I want to tour around for a couple of months before returning to Tasmania. The question is how do I get the car in my name, with my Tasmania address?

Well, it seems I cant unless I have a "garage address" in QLD (which of course I don't). The solution I was offered on their inquiry phone line was to update (ie falsify!!) my address on a bank statement to that of a local caravan park and then print off the statement with that address and use it as my "garage address"! :o :o

The alternative (if I don't go touring) is that I can get a permit which (believe it or not) will allow me to drive from QLD to Tasmania (in the most direct route) with no plates (!!) so that I can get it registered in my name. I suspect my chances of traveling 2000kms without licence plates without getting pulled up is about a zillion to 1!

Why is this so hard? - and after some investigation it now seems its the same in most states of Australia.

Does anyone have any past experience of this? Is it the same if you buy a van/caravan/trailer interstate? I assume it is. Are there different rules if I buy from a dealer versus private? Seems to me its a policy that is just plain bureaucratic and set up to support individual state treasury coffers. We are , after all, one country.
Cheers - Phil
=============

Image

User avatar
Dave G
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Feb 11, 2014 1:50 pm
Location: Hawkesbury

Re: Registration of vehicle when residing in another state

Post by Dave G » Mon Mar 03, 2014 6:04 pm

We're only Australians when we're overseas, otherwise we're Queenslanders, New South Welshmen, Mexicans, Taswegians etc. ;)

It's a damn nuisance but that's what we have to live with. It was the same for me when I bought our camper with Qld rego. I could have used my brothers Qld address but in the end the cost of the trip up and back for the inspection to transfer the rego to me exceeded what I would have saved in rego after a few years so I changed it to NSW.

Cheers

Dave

User avatar
robcaz
Posts: 1311
Joined: Sat Oct 12, 2013 4:07 pm
Location: Stockton NSW
Contact:

Re: Registration of vehicle when residing in another state

Post by robcaz » Mon Mar 03, 2014 6:49 pm

It would make it so much easy if each state had the same rules. I have been trying to put together an article for tech tips covering the laws when the number plates of a trailer are obscured by a bike on a bike rack. Of course each state has their own ideas of how this should be done. In NSW you have to remove the trailer's number plate & put it on the bike rack, while in SA you can buy a number plate the same as the tow vehicle's rego & put that on the trailers bike rack on the trailer. A little common sense there.

There is no info on any of the state motor authorities websites covering what to do when a number plate is covered with a bike rack on the rear of a trailer. It only refers to a motor vehicle.

I have emailed each state motor authority asking what the rules are when a trailer's number plate is covered by a bike rack & have only received replies pointing to a motor vehicle document on their website. I don't think they know the answer. The info I have so far is from asking in the CamperTrailers Group & then I have details for only a couple of states.
happy camping
Rob & Carol
Australian CamperTrailers Group co-owner


Image
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year

User avatar
tastrax
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Feb 11, 2014 9:48 am

Re: Registration of vehicle when residing in another state

Post by tastrax » Mon Mar 03, 2014 7:48 pm

Well I have not given up yet. I have asked what the situation is for an "international backpacker" who purchases a vehicle with no fixed address and then heads off travelling. They must be able to register the vehicle in their name and must surely only have limited "local garaging address options". Also what would happen if you had a vehicle accident whilst touring and needed to purchase a new car? It must happen.

I am actually happy to pay whatever fees etc but it seems strange that I seem to need to "falsify" information (which will be useless after I depart the caravan park) rather than give my true and correct address in Tasmania. All this because I want to travel instead of coming straight back to Tasmania.

I suspect there may be something to do with Compulsory Third Party and differences in each state. Again, the car would be fully insured so I cant see an issue. When I get back to Tassie it will be transferred to Tasmanian registration as per requirements.

At the moment I have had no responses from any email enquiries via their websites. I have had to call up each time and sit in the telephone queue.
Cheers - Phil
=============

Image

terrya
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Feb 24, 2014 6:46 am

Re: Registration of vehicle when residing in another state

Post by terrya » Wed Mar 05, 2014 4:36 pm

When we purchased our new AOR camper they asked us to provide a receipt for our accommodation at a QLD van park for 3 days (it had to be for 3 days minimum). We booked and paid for 3 days. This became our garaging address. The trailer was then registered in QLD. The rego papers are in our NSW address and the garaging address is specified on the rego papers as the QLD caravan park where we stayed for 3 days. I guess the same rules would apply for any vehicle - maybe not , after all , it is QLD. I will transfer it to our NSW address before the rego is due again. Terry

User avatar
tastrax
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Feb 11, 2014 9:48 am

Re: Registration of vehicle when residing in another state

Post by tastrax » Wed Mar 05, 2014 4:51 pm

Many thanks Terry,

That almost sounds the same as my second call to Transport and Main Roads. On the second call they told me to come with a receipt for my accommodation and use that as my garaging address. No mention of the three day requirement but I knew if I asked here I would get some answers. I knew there had to be some way as I suspect plenty of backpackers buy vans and head off around the country.

I am almost confident enough to pack my backpack and camping gear, jump on a plane, buy the car and have a holiday! :D :D
Cheers - Phil
=============

Image

barry_4440
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon Feb 17, 2014 4:30 pm

Re: Registration of vehicle when residing in another state

Post by barry_4440 » Mon Mar 10, 2014 11:58 am

Hi Phil.
We are picking up a new caravan next month in Qld, we live in Victoria. I thought it was going to be easier for Lifestyle, the supplier, to put Qld registration on it using my friends Qld address, but VicRoads still wants to inspect the caravan before I transferred the registration to Vic.
So I opted for the temporary permit, looks like it is more straight forward.
Probably doesn't help you, just thought I'd throw my experience in.

Cheers Barry

User avatar
tastrax
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Feb 11, 2014 9:48 am

Re: Registration of vehicle when residing in another state

Post by tastrax » Mon Mar 10, 2014 12:26 pm

Thanks Barry,

It seems the permit is the default position and after that things get slightly complicated. I am confident that I can get something organised, but I have missed out on one car whilst trying to get a definitive answer. I shall continue my search.
Cheers - Phil
=============

Image

User avatar
KevKathQld
Posts: 14
Joined: Mon Feb 10, 2014 7:49 pm
Location: Pacific Pines, Qld

Re: Registration of vehicle when residing in another state

Post by KevKathQld » Fri Mar 14, 2014 7:24 pm

We live in Qld and happy for you to use our address for reg if it's easier till you get home...
Kevin & Kathleen
Lifestyle Breakaway Two Plus. Tug is a 2009 Toyota Prado D4D 120 Series GXL with lots of mods...

Post Reply