What the Scheme is
The Conditional Registration Scheme is a form of restricted registration in South Australia for eligible vehicles that are not used every day. In exchange for reduced registration fees, the vehicle may be used on the road network for no more than 90 days a year (the Code’s Introduction).
The Scheme is set up by section 25 of the Motor Vehicles Act 1959 and regulations 22 and 23 of the Motor Vehicles Regulations 2025. The Registrar of Motor Vehicles (the Registrar) runs it, and the Code of Practice sets out how it works in practice. The Code should be read alongside the Act, the Regulations, the Road Traffic Act 1961 and its regulations, and the Australian Design Rules.
The Code names three things every Scheme registration depends on:
- the vehicle meets the eligibility criteria;
- the owner is a financial member of a motor vehicle club recognised by the Registrar;
- the vehicle is only used in line with the Scheme’s conditions.
The second point is why clubs matter. A club that is recognised for the Scheme is the gatekeeper for its members’ access to it, and it takes on record-keeping and reporting duties in return.
A short history
The Scheme began in 1992 for historic and left-hand drive vehicles, and street rods joined in 2012. Since 2017 clubs have not been required to inspect vehicles entering or renewing. In July 2022 the minimum age for historic and left-hand drive vehicles dropped from 30 to 25 years, and individually constructed vehicles have been eligible since 16 November 2023 (the Code’s Foreword).
Who does what
Several organisations share the work, and knowing who holds which job saves misdirected emails.
| Who | Their role under the Code |
|---|---|
| The Registrar of Motor Vehicles | Recognises clubs, authorises the people who sign MR334 forms, supplies MR334 booklets, receives the yearly report of non-financial members, and can audit club records |
| The recognised club | Confirms members are financial, approves vehicles through its authorised persons, issues and cancels log books, keeps records and makes the yearly reports |
| Authorised persons | Club members authorised in writing by the Registrar to complete MR334 forms, including confirming the applicant is a financial member (Definitions, clause 2.8) |
| The Issuing Body | The Federation of Historic Motoring Clubs SA (the Federation), or another body the Registrar authorises. It supplies log books and receives the Logbook Declaration and the report of log books issued (Definitions, clauses 2.30, 2.32, 4.2) |
| The vehicle owner | Keeps their membership financial, records journeys before they start, carries the log book, and keeps the vehicle roadworthy and lawful (clauses 3.5 to 3.11) |
| Service SA | Processes the registration application and assesses eligibility (clause 3.3) |
| The Department’s Vehicle Standards division | Issues section 163AA exemptions and carries out inspections (clauses 1.3 to 1.13) |
The Australian Street Rod Federation and the South Australian Hot Rod Association support street rod clubs, and the Federation issues bulk log books to both associations for their member clubs (clauses 4.14 to 4.16).
The four vehicle categories
Every Scheme vehicle is recorded on the MR334 as one of four categories (clause 3.2). The 25-year test for historic and left-hand drive vehicles counts from 1 January of the year of manufacture, so a vehicle built at any time in 2001 reaches 25 years on 1 January 2026.
| Category | The Code’s test | Exemption needed |
|---|---|---|
| Historic | 25 years or more since 1 January of the year of manufacture; legally drivable in its current configuration; steering not left of centre. Includes motorcycles and trailers (clauses 1.2, 1.3) | Only if the vehicle needs one to be legal, for example because of modifications (clause 1.3) |
| Left-hand drive | 25 years or more since 1 January of the year of manufacture, with the steering wheel left of centre (clause 1.4) | Yes, a Left-Hand Drive Exemption under section 163AA (clause 1.5) |
| Street rod | Modified for safe road use, with a body and frame built before 1949 or a replica of one; right-hand drive (clauses 1.6, 1.8) | Yes, under section 163AA (clause 1.9) |
| Individually constructed vehicle (ICV) | A new one-off vehicle built to an individual plan, with a new VIN, new body and chassis, not a trailer, under 4.5 tonnes GVM, steering not left of centre (clauses 1.11, 1.12) | Yes, and it must identify the vehicle as an ICV, or the Department’s records must (clause 1.13) |
A few details trip people up. An imported street rod over 25 years old can be registered as left-hand drive (clause 1.7). Whether a street rod qualifies can depend on when its Statement of Requirements was obtained, with different rules for builds from September 2007, from 1982 to 2007, and before 1982 (clause 1.10). An ICV must have passed all the Department’s inspections before it seeks Scheme registration (clause 1.11). Where a manufacture date or category is in dispute, the Registrar decides and may require an inspection at the owner’s cost (clause 1.14).
Clubs that specialise in these vehicles will find more on the street rod clubs and left-hand drive and ICV clubs pages.
What a recognised club must do
Clause 2.1 lists 14 conditions a club must meet to receive and keep its recognition. This is the clause every committee should know.
| Clause | The club must |
|---|---|
| 2.1a | Keep a constitution approved by the Registrar |
| 2.1b | Whatever membership types it offers (annual, multi-year, life), make sure a member who owns a conditionally registered vehicle is a financial member under the constitution |
| 2.1c | Ensure, so far as is reasonably practical, that members with Scheme vehicles follow the Code |
| 2.1d | Notify the Registrar of vehicles that do not comply with the Code |
| 2.1e | Nominate members to be authorised persons |
| 2.1f | Ensure its authorised persons follow the Code |
| 2.1g | Keep records of all MR334 forms it issues, and of all financial members and their Scheme vehicles |
| 2.1h | Notify the Registrar in writing if an authorised person leaves the club or resigns the role |
| 2.1i | Notify the Registrar and the relevant Federation within 14 days if the club ceases to operate, and return Scheme documents |
| 2.1j | Within two months of the end of its financial year, report to the Registrar the members with Scheme vehicles who are no longer financial |
| 2.1k | Inspect members’ vehicles when the Registrar asks |
| 2.1l | Take all appropriate measures in issuing, managing and recording log books |
| 2.1m | Make sure members can get a copy of the Code |
| 2.1n | Help the Scheme operate successfully |
Becoming a recognised club
A club applying for recognition must have operated in South Australia for at least 12 months, unless the Registrar grants an exemption in exceptional circumstances (clause 2.2).
The application includes the constitution (with a statement relevant to the club type), the certificate of incorporation if the club is incorporated, detailed minutes for at least the past 12 months, a calendar of events for at least the next 12 months, and anything else the Registrar asks for (clause 2.3). The president or secretary nominates the club’s proposed authorised persons in the application (clause 2.4). Applications are emailed to DIT.RegistrationPolicy@sa.gov.au (clause 2.5).
Recognition is published as a notice in the Government Gazette, and members can apply for conditional registration from that date (clause 2.6). The Registrar can attach conditions to recognition and can withdraw it if those conditions are breached or there is reasonable cause, with at least 28 days’ notice in the Gazette (clause 2.7).
Authorised persons
Authorised persons are the club members who sign members’ vehicles into the Scheme. They are nominated by the club and authorised in writing by the Registrar (Definitions, clause 2.8).
- Nomination: made in writing by an elected official (the president or secretary), with the club’s name and the nominee’s full name, address and SA client or licence number (clause 2.9). Adding more authorised persons later follows the same process (clause 2.15).
- Certificate: each authorised person receives a certificate of authorisation, and their client or licence number is recorded on every MR334 they complete (clause 2.10).
- No self-approval: an authorised person cannot certify their own financial membership or approve their own vehicle (clause 2.11).
- Tied to membership: the appointment lasts only while they remain a member of that club, though one person can be authorised for several clubs (clause 2.12).
- Leaving the role: if an authorised person leaves the club or resigns the role, an elected official must notify the Registrar in writing at DIT.PlateEnquiries@sa.gov.au within 14 days, and the club returns the certificate within 14 days (clauses 2.13, 2.14).
- Removal: the Registrar can revoke an appointment at any time (clause 2.16). If the club wants someone removed, it must first ask them to step down voluntarily, then apply in writing to the Registrar with reasons (clauses 2.18, 2.19).
Committee changes at the AGM are the usual moment these notices get missed, so put them on the handover list.
MR334 forms and getting a vehicle registered
The MR334 is the form an authorised person completes to confirm the applicant is a financial member and to record the vehicle’s details. The mandatory vehicle details are the eligibility category, plate number, make, body type, year and chassis or VIN (clause 2.8).
To enter the Scheme, the owner and the club’s authorised person complete the MR334, and the owner completes an MR1 (Application for Registration and Compulsory Third Party Insurance). If the vehicle is jointly owned, all owners must be financial members (clause 3.1). The owner then takes the forms, and any original exemption documents, to a Service SA Customer Service Centre, where an officer assesses eligibility (clause 3.3). If an MR334 is refused because of incorrect information, only the authorised person may correct it (clause 3.4).
The booklets need care:
- MR334 booklets come only from the Registrar, requested in writing to DIT.PlateEnquiries@sa.gov.au (clause 4.1).
- Each form is numbered in sequence; the original goes to the applicant and the duplicate stays in the book (clause 2.24).
- Booklets remain the Registrar’s property and must be stored securely (clause 2.25).
- A lost, destroyed or wrongly completed form must be reported in writing with its sequence number and the reason, signed by an authorised person (clause 2.26).
Log books
Every Scheme vehicle has a log book, issued by the club, in which the owner records each journey before it starts. The club gets blank log books from the Issuing Body (clause 4.2), checks the applicant is a financial member who owns an eligible vehicle before issuing one (clause 2.27), and cancels log books when members resign (clause 2.29).
A log book covers up to three years from its first issue (clause 2.28), and an owner must not have more than one current log book for a vehicle (clause 3.5g). The detail, including transfers, journey recording and storage of unissued books, is in the guide to log book rules.
What owners must do
Owners carry the day-to-day conditions of use. Clause 3.5 lists them, and a club cannot change them.
| Clause | The owner must |
|---|---|
| 3.5a | Keep a financial membership of a recognised club at all times |
| 3.5b | Not drive the vehicle on a road or road related area more than 90 days in each period of 12 months registration |
| 3.5c | Record the journey in the log book before starting it |
| 3.5d | Carry the log book while driving and produce it to police or an authorised officer on request |
| 3.5e | Not use the vehicle for fee, hire or reward |
| 3.5f | Not drive the vehicle if it does not comply with the Code |
| 3.5g | Not have more than one current log book for the vehicle |
| 3.5h | Carry the vehicle’s exemption documents while driving |
| 3.5i | Present the vehicle for inspection when the club or the Registrar asks |
| 3.5j | Cancel the conditional registration when ownership changes or they stop being a financial member, and return the log book to the issuing club for cancellation |
| 3.5k | Carry a load in a commercial vehicle only if it is not for hire, fare or reward |
If a member stops being financial, they must not drive the vehicle or let anyone else drive it until they are verified as a financial member of a club again or have taken out standard registration (clause 3.11). The guide to financial members explains what “financial” means, and the guide to lapsed members who still hold log books covers how clubs handle it.
Penalties
Penalties for breaching a condition fall on the owner (clauses 3.12 to 3.14), and the Registrar may suspend or cancel a vehicle’s conditional registration when the owner is no longer a financial member (clause 3.13). The club’s exposure is to its recognition.
The yearly reports
Every recognised club makes three reports after the end of its financial year.
| Report | Sent to | Due | Clause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Members with Scheme vehicles who are no longer financial | The Registrar | Within two months | 2.33 (and 2.1j) |
| Logbook Declaration | The Issuing Body (the Federation) | Within two months | 2.30 |
| Report of log books issued to members | The Issuing Body (the Federation) | Within three months | 2.32 |
The due dates run from the club’s financial year, which may differ from its membership year. The guide to the yearly Scheme reports works through the dates for different year ends and what each report needs.
Records and audits
A recognised club must keep Scheme records for five years from the date of each document (clause 2.39):
- all vehicles for which an MR334 was issued;
- the duplicate copies of all MR334 forms;
- all log books issued to financial members;
- other documents about the club’s administration of the Scheme, including membership records and meeting minutes.
The Department may audit club records and ask for copies, and inadequate records can lead the Registrar to withdraw the club’s recognition (clause 2.40).
Five years can outlast several committees. Records that live in one volunteer’s spreadsheet or garage are the ones most at risk when that person steps down.
When things change
Most Scheme questions come up when something changes. This table points to the clause for each situation.
| What happens | What the Code says |
|---|---|
| A member resigns | The club cancels their log book (clause 2.29) |
| A member moves to another club | They return the log book to the issuing club for cancellation; the new club issues a new MR334 before a new log book; the 90-day period carries on from the original start unless a new registration period is bought (clauses 3.9, 3.10) |
| A member stops being financial | They must not drive the vehicle (clause 3.11); they must cancel the registration and return the log book (clause 3.5j); the club includes them in the yearly report (clause 2.33) |
| A Scheme vehicle is sold | Registration cannot be transferred and is cancelled; the issuing club cancels the log book (clause 4.9) |
| An owner cancels their Scheme registration | The issuing club cancels the log book (clause 4.10) |
| An authorised person leaves or resigns the role | An elected official notifies the Registrar within 14 days and the certificate is returned within 14 days (clauses 2.13, 2.14) |
| The club ceases to operate | Notify the Registrar within 14 days; return unused log books and documents to the Issuing Body; give the Registrar unused MR334 numbers and Scheme vehicle details within 14 days (clauses 2.34 to 2.36) |
| The club loses recognition | Members must join another recognised club and get a new MR334 and log book, or leave the Scheme (clause 2.38) |
Once a club has ceased operating and notified the Registrar, it no longer needs to keep its Scheme records and can destroy them securely (clause 2.37).
Renewals
Owners renew their Scheme registration directly. A renewal invitation generally arrives five to six weeks before expiry, and renewing does not need the club’s approval, but the owner must still be a financial member and must enter the new registration period in the log book (clauses 4.6, 4.7). Registration can be renewed for one, two or three years (clause 4.8).
Decisions the Code leaves to the club
The Code sets the rules but leaves a good deal of the method to each club. These are the main choices a committee makes for itself:
- Inspections on entry: optional, set in the constitution if wanted (clause 3.1).
- When a member stops being financial: governed by the club’s constitution and its membership types (Definitions, clause 2.1b). Any grace period after the renewal date is a club decision written into the constitution or club policy, not a Scheme rule.
- How the club reminds members: the Code requires owners to apply for a new log book after three years (clause 2.28) and to stay financial (clause 3.5a), but does not say how the club should remind them. Letters, emails or a word at the monthly meeting are all fine.
- How many authorised persons to have: the Code sets no number. Two or more avoids the self-approval problem in clause 2.11 and keeps the club running if one is away.
- Where records are kept: the Code requires them to be kept and produced on request (clauses 2.39, 2.40), not any particular system.
Write these decisions down in the constitution, the minutes or a short policy, so the next committee can follow them.
How MemberCrew helps
MemberCrew is membership software built for motor vehicle clubs. It keeps members, their financial status, vehicles and log books in one record, tracks each log book as current, expired or cancelled, lists lapsed members who still hold log books, and produces the yearly reports for the Registrar and the Federation in one click. Every change is recorded in an activity log, which helps when records need to be produced years later. The club still sends each report itself: MemberCrew does not lodge anything with the Registrar or the Federation. See how MemberCrew handles the Scheme.
Reading the Code yourself
The Code is the authority, and clause 2.1m requires the club to make it available to members. The Scheme compliance checklist turns the club’s duties into a list you can tick off each year. For questions the Code does not answer, contact the Department’s Number Plates and Historic Vehicles team at DIT.PlateEnquiries@sa.gov.au or 13 10 84.