VICIn ForceAct
Summary Offences Act 1966
50ATrespass—land used for primary production 97
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50A Trespass—land used for primary production 97
Part III—Supplementary 99
Division 1—Assaulting emergency workers, custodial workers, local authority staff and health practitioners 99
51 Assaulting, etc. emergency workers, custodial officers, youth justice custodial workers or local authority staff on duty 99
51A Assaulting registered health practitioners 101
Division 2—Assaulting applicable customer-facing workers 103
51B Definitions 103
51C Meaning of *applicable customer-facing worker* 104
51D Assaulting applicable customer-facing workers 107
51E Review of certain amendments 108
Division 3—Miscellaneous offences 109
52 Besetting premises 109
52A Offence to harass witnesses etc. 110
53 Making false reports to police etc. 110
Division 4—Liability of directors and masters 113
54 Offence by body corporate 113
55 Liability of masters 113
Division 5—Procedure 114
56 Who may file charge-sheet 114
57 Neglect to prosecute 114
59 Procedure 115
60 Offences of more serious nature not to be dealt with under this Act 115
Division 6—Infringements 116
60AA Power to serve infringement notice 116
60AB Infringement penalty 118
Division 7—Forfeiture 120
60A Forfeiture of weapons or instruments 120
60B When certain seized things become eligible to be collected, and by whom 120
60C Collection of seized thing from police station 122
60D Forfeiture of seized thing that is not collected 123
60E Forfeiture of seized thing in other circumstances 123
61 Proceeds of sale of forfeited property to be paid to Consolidated Fund 124
Division 8—Regulations 124
61A Regulations 124
Division 9—Transitional provisions 125
62 Transitional provisions 125
63 Savings and validation provision—Summary Offences and Control of Weapons Acts Amendment Act 2009—lodgeable infringement offences 127
64 Transitional provision—Children and Justice Legislation Amendment (Youth Justice Reform) Act 2017 128
65 Transitional provision—Sex Work Decriminalisation Act 2022 128
66 Transitional provision—Sex Work Decriminalisation Act 2022 129
67 Transitional provision—Summary Offences Amendment (Nazi Salute Prohibition) Act 2023 129
Schedule 1—Scheduled public places 130
Endnotes 131
1 General information 131
2 Table of Amendments 133
3 Explanatory details 149
**Version No.** **147**
**Summary Offences Act 1966**
**No. 7405 of 1966**
Version incorporating amendments as at
An Act to re-enact with Amendments the Law relating to certain Police Offences.
**BE IT ENACTED by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly of Victoria in this present Parliament assembled and by the authority of the same as follows (that is to say):**
S. 1
amended by Nos 8642 s. 7(a), 74/2000 s. 3(Sch. 1 item 121.1).
1 Short title, commencement and division
This Act may be cited as the **Summary Offences Act 1966** and shall come into operation on a day to be fixed by proclamation of the Governor in Council published in the Government Gazette.
S. 2
repealed by No. 71/1993
s. 4(a).
No. 6337 s. 3.
3 Definitions
In this Act unless inconsistent with the context or subject-matter—
***animal*** includes every species of quadruped and every species of bird whether in a natural or domestic state;
***cattle*** includes any horse mare gelding ass bull cow ox ram ewe wether pig goat and every hybrid or cross thereof and the young of any such animals;
S. 3 def. of *designated place* inserted by No. 43/2011 s. 47, substituted by No. 37/2014 s. 10(Sch. item 160.1(b)).
***designated place*** has the same meaning as in the **Victoria Police Act 2013**;
S. 3 def. of *information* repealed by No. 57/1989 s. 3(Sch. item 190.1(a)).
S. 3 def. of *intelligence agency* inserted by No. 55/2025 s. 86.
***intelligence agency*** means—
(a) the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation; or
(b) the Australian Secret Intelligence Service; or
(c) the Australian Signals Directorate; or
(d) the Office of National Intelligence;
S. 3 def. of *law enforcement officer* inserted by No. 55/2025 s. 86.
***law enforcement officer*** means—
(a) a police officer or a member of the police force or police service of any other State or of the Northern Territory; or
(b) a member of the Australian Federal Police; or
(c) a member of staff of the Australian Crime Commission established by the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002 of the Commonwealth;
S. 3 def. of *local authority* amended by Nos 9019 s. 2(1)(Sch. item 214), 12/1989 s. 4(1)(Sch. 2 items
115.1–115.3), 57/1989 s. 3(Sch. item 190.1(b)).
***local authority*** means—
(a) the council of any municipal district;
(b) any member of the staff of any such council authorized in writing by the council to exercise any of the powers and discretions conferred on a local authority by this Act; or
(c) in the case of any portion of Victoria that is not part of any municipal district—the nearest venue of the magistrates' court;
S. 3 def. of *non-Government school* inserted by No. 55/2025 s. 86.
***non-Government school*** has the same meaning as in section 1.1.3(1) of the **Education and Training Reform Act 2006**;
S. 3 def. of *police officer* inserted by No. 37/2014 s. 10(Sch. item 160.1(a)).
***police officer*** has the same meaning as in the **Victoria Police Act 2013**;
S. 3 def. of *post-secondary education institution* inserted by No. 55/2025 s. 86.
***post-secondary education institution*** has the same meaning as in section 1.1.3(1) of the **Education and Training Reform Act 2006**;
S. 3 def. of *protective services officer* inserted by No. 43/2011 s. 47, substituted by No. 37/2014 s. 10(Sch. item 160.1(c)).
***protective services officer*** has the same meaning as in the **Victoria Police Act 2013**;
S. 3 def. of *public place* amended by No. 9549 s. 2(1)(Sch. item 219), substituted by No. 97/1987 s. 181(14), amended by Nos 74/2000 s. 3(Sch. 1 item 121.2), 24/2006 s. 6.1.2(Sch. 7 item 39.1).
***public place*** includes and applies to—
(a) any public highway road street bridge footway footpath court alley passage or thoroughfare notwithstanding that it may be formed on private property;
(b) any park garden reserve or other place of public recreation or resort;
(c) any railway station platform or carriage;
(d) any wharf pier or jetty;
(e) any passenger ship or boat plying for hire;
(f) any public vehicle plying for hire;
(g) any church or chapel open to the public or any other building where divine service is being publicly held;
(h) any Government school or the land or premises in connexion therewith;
(i) any public hall theatre or room while members of the public are in attendance at, or are assembling for or departing from, a public entertainment or meeting therein;
(j) any market;
(k) any auction room or mart or place while a sale by auction is there proceeding;
(l) any licensed premises or authorised premises within the meaning of the **Liquor Control Reform Act 1998**;
(m) any race-course cricket ground football ground or other such place while members of the public are present or are permitted to have access thereto whether with or without payment for admission;
(n) any place of public resort;
(o) any open place to which the public whether upon or without payment for admittance have or are permitted to have access; or
(p) any public place within the meaning of the words "public place" whether by virtue of this Act or otherwise;
***road*** includes and applies to every road street or bridge;
S. 3 def. of *Scheduled public place* inserted by No. 44/1997
s. 53(1).
***Scheduled public place*** means a public place described in Schedule 1;
***section*** means section of this Act;
***town*** means a populous area or place.
Part I—Provisions applicable throughout Victoria
Division 1—Public order
*Offences Relating to the Good Order*
No. 6337 s. 5.
S. 4
amended by No. 9554 s. 2(2)(Sch. 2 item 302).