Motor Vehicles Act 1949
101Identification requirements for motor vehicles and trailers
Start here
Get a plain-English read of 101
Turn the raw legal text into a practical explanation grounded in Motor Vehicles Act 1949.
101 Identification requirements for motor vehicles and trailers (1) Subject to subsection (3), the identification requirements for a motor vehicle are as follows: (a) for a motor vehicle that was manufactured on or before 1 January 1971 – the motor vehicle has a vehicle identification number; (b) for a motor vehicle that was manufactured during the period from 2 January 1971 to 1 August 1989, the motor vehicle:
Motor Vehicles Act 1949 76 (ii) has a compliance plate that was placed on the motor vehicle in accordance with an approval by the body known as the Australian Motor Vehicle Certification Board; (c) for a motor vehicle that was manufactured during the period from 2 August 1989 to the RVSA commencement date, the motor vehicle: (ii) has a plate or label that was placed on the motor vehicle in accordance with an approval given under the repealed Act before its repeal; (d) for a motor vehicle that was manufactured after the RVSA commencement date, either: (i) the motor vehicle: (A) has been entered on the RAV; and (B) has a vehicle identification number; and (C) has a plate or label identifying the motor vehicle that was placed on it in accordance with requirements under the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 (Cth); or (ii) the motor vehicle: (A) has a vehicle identification number; and (B) has a plate or label that was placed on the motor vehicle in accordance with an approval mentioned in the transitional Act provisions. (2) Subject to subsection (3), the identification requirements for a trailer are as follows: (a) for a trailer that was manufactured on or before 1 August 1989 – the trailer has a vehicle identification number; (b) for a trailer that was manufactured during the period from 2 August 1989 to the RVSA commencement date, the trailer:
Motor Vehicles Act 1949 77 (ii) has a plate or label that was placed on the trailer in accordance with an approval given under the repealed Act before its repeal; (c) for a trailer that was manufactured after the RVSA commencement date, either: (i) the trailer: (A) has been entered on the RAV; and (B) has a vehicle identification number; and (C) has a plate or label identifying the trailer that was placed on the trailer in accordance with requirements under the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 (Cth); or (ii) the trailer: (A) has a vehicle identification number; and (B) has a plate or label that was placed on the trailer in accordance with an approval mentioned in the transitional Act provisions. (3) The identification requirement for a special vehicle is that it has a vehicle identification number. repealed Act means the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989 (Cth) (repealed). RVSA commencement date means the day on which section 15 of the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 (Cth) commences. special vehicle means a vehicle that is not a road vehicle as defined in section 6 of the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 (Cth). transitional Act provisions means Schedule 3, Part 3, Division 1 of the Road Vehicle Standards (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Act 2018 (Cth). 101AA Allocation, marking and interference with vehicle identification numbers (1) The Registrar may allot a number to a motor vehicle or trailer if the motor vehicle or trailer does not have a vehicle identifier.