Birthdays, Christmases, school holidays: Some things in life seem to come around all too quickly – and for many of us, car registration is one of them.
In Australia, you’re legally required to maintain your car’s registration and it’s one of the key ongoing costs of car ownership, along with paying for fuel, maintenance and car insurance.1
Knowing that your car registration fees help to build new roads and maintain the road network might take some of the sting out,2 but you might also be surprised to learn that how much you’ll pay can vary quite significantly, depending on which state or territory you call home.
So, how much is car rego where you live? How is it calculated? Is Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance always included in the registration fee? And are there ways you could save on the cost of your next rego payment?
We’ve answered all of this and more in this handy guide to car registration in Australia.
How much is car registration around Australia?
When your car registration renewal time rolls around, what you’ll actually pay could depend on a range of factors, including where you live, the type of vehicle you own, and if your registration fee includes mandatory CTP insurance or whether you need to organise and pay for that separately.1
In fact, car rego can cost anywhere between $2703 and $1,444,2 in Australia as of February 2025.
Furthermore, each Australian state and territory takes a slightly different approach to calculating registration fees – and that formula can be based on everything from a vehicle’s weight and its environmental emissions to whether you live in a city or somewhere more rural.4
New to paying car rego or just moved interstate? To help you get an idea of what to expect, here’s a breakdown of annual car registration costs by state and territory.
NSW car rego costs
- Estimated price: $270 to $835,* plus an $82 registration fee3
- Includes CTP: No – you’ll need to purchase a CTP Green Slip separately4
- Safety check: A Pink Slip is required annually for most light vehicles more than five years old5
- Rego calculated by: Vehicle weight3
- Concessions: Available for eligible pensioners,6 people affected by natural disasters,7 and primary producers, such as farmers and plantation forest cultivators.8
*This range reflects vehicles up to the 2505-2794kg range as per CarsGuide.
You can find out more at Service NSW,9 or estimate your rego costs using the Service NSW vehicle registration calculator.10
Vic car rego costs
- Estimated price: $652 to $932; new registrations may also incur a motor vehicle duty and number plate fee11
- Includes CTP (known as TAC): Yes12
- Safety check: Roadworthy certificate only required if re-registering after registration has expired13
- Rego calculated by: Location, including metropolitan Melbourne, outer metropolitan or rural, and vehicle type – for example, a passenger vehicle or goods carrying vehicle, such as a ute11
- Concessions: Available for eligible veterans, primary producers, trade apprentices, concession card holders and vehicles modified for accessibility.14
Learn more about registering a car in Victoria at the VicRoads website,15 or use the Renewal Fee Calculator to estimate your costs.16
Qld car rego costs
- Estimated price: $761 to $1,4442
- Includes CTP: Yes17
- Safety check: Not required17
- Rego calculated by: Vehicle’s number of cylinders, with different charges for fully electric vehicles, motorcycles and buses17
- Concessions: A range of concessions are available, including for seniors, pensioners, primary producers and current or former Australian Defence Force members who have an impairment.18
Find more information on the Queensland Government website,19 or use the quote for registration tool to get a cost estimate.20
WA car rego costs
- Estimated price: Flat fee of $6.60 for a 12-month registration, plus a vehicle fee calculated by weight – $28.64 per 100kg, so roughly $493 for a standard 1,700kg vehicle in total.21 In addition, there’s also a $9.50 administration fee21 and $504.70 for Motor Injury Insurance (MII), which is what CTP is called in WA22
- Includes CTP: Yes22
- Safety check: Not required for most light vehicles23
- Rego calculated by: Vehicle weight21
- Concessions: A range of concessions are available, including for seniors, veterans and pensioners, as well as for agricultural vehicles, classic cars, and vehicles fitted with wheelchair hoists or ramps.24
You can learn more from the Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure.25
SA car rego costs
- Estimated price: $675 to $1,18526
- Includes CTP: Yes, but unlike most states where CTP is included in a car’s registration fee, you can choose your SA CTP insurer26
- Safety check: Roadworthy not required, unless re-registering after a defect notice27
- Rego calculated by: Vehicle’s number of cylinders and location – drivers pay more for cars registered in metropolitan areas.26
- Concessions: Available for pensioners, people who are incapacitated, ex-service people, primary producers, electric vehicle owners, and drivers in outer areas such as Kangaroo Island, Coober Pedy and Roxby Downs.28
You can find out more on the Government of South Australia website,29 or by using the registration fee calculator.26
Tas car rego costs
- Estimated price: $608.66 to $953.6630
- Includes CTP (via MAIB): Yes4
- Safety check: Only required for new or expired registrations31
- Rego calculated by: Number of cylinders and vehicle weight30
- Concessions: Available to pension or healthcare card holders, those with a veterans’ white or gold card, members of the Transport Access scheme (TAS), and asylum seekers.32
You can learn more on the Tasmanian Transport Services website.33
ACT car rego costs
- Estimated price: Vehicle registration fee estimates aren’t published – instead, you can estimate the cost of your rego fee using Access Canberra’s vehicle registration tool4
- Includes CTP (known as an MAI insurance policy): Yes34
- Safety check: Roadworthy inspection only needed in certain situations, such as for re-registering a car with a lapsed rego35
- Rego calculated by: Primarily vehicle emissions, although weight and use – for example private or business – are also taken into consideration36
- Concessions: Available for seniors card holders, primary producers, diplomats and privileged personnel, as well as holders of concession cards, Department of Veterans’ Affairs cards and ACT Services Access cards.37
Find out more about car registration in the ACT via Access Canberra.38
NT car rego costs
- Estimated price: $672.25 to $1,226.2539
- Includes CTP (called MAC): Yes39
- Safety check: Roadworthy inspection only needed in certain situations for cars older than 7 years.40
- Rego calculated by: Number of cylinders and engine size41
- Concessions: Available to people who hold an NT Seniors card or NT Concession Scheme card,42 as well as for eligible plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs).41
Learn more on the Northern Territory Government website.43
Can you lower the cost of your car rego?
While registration is a mandatory cost of owning a car,1 there are some steps you can take that might help to reduce your annual fee – or at least make paying it more manageable.
Stick to standard plates
If you live in New South Wales and have personalised or custom number plates on your car, unlike in other states and territories, you’ll need to pay an annual fee as part of your registration to retain your specialised plates.44 This can cost between $129 and $499 a year,45 so choosing standard plates – which don’t attract an annual fee – could be more economical.
Change your renewal frequency
You could also choose to renew your car registration more frequently, rather than paying it as an annual lump sum, to spread your car registration costs out over the year.
Here are the car rego renewal frequency options that are available in each state and territory:
- NSW: Six or 12 months46
- Vic: Three, six or 12 months47
- Qld: One, three, six or 12 months48
- WA: One, three, six or 12 months21
- SA: One, three or 12 months26
- Tas: Three, six or 12 months33
- ACT: Three, six or 12 months49
- NT: One, three, six or 12 months.39
Apply for concessions
Each state and territory has its own concession scheme for vehicle registrations, so it could be worth checking to see if there’s an opportunity for you to save.
For example, for pensioners, the cost of car registration in Queensland, Victoria and South Australia is 50% of the usual rate, while pensioners in NSW don’t have to pay rego at all.50
Choose a car that’s cheaper to register
The type of car you drive can also impact your registration costs.50
For example, in NSW and Western Australia, registration costs are partly based on vehicle weight. So, driving a lighter car may help you save. In other states, you may pay lower registration fees for cars with smaller engines, fewer cylinders or lower emissions.50
So, while the answer to “how much is car rego?” depends on a range of factors,1 understanding how car registration is calculated in your state or territory – and the steps you could take to lower the cost – could help you avoid any unwelcome surprises at renewal time.
Once your vehicle registration and CTP insurance are sorted, you might be curious about other types of car insurance cover. Youi has multiple car insurance options, so why not consider starting a quote online or giving us a call on 13 9684 to see if there’s cover that suits you?
1 Source: Canstar – Cost of owning a car in Australia, June 2025
2 Source: Qld Government – Registration costs, January 2026
3 Source: NSW Government – Vehicle registration fees
4 Source: CarExpert – How much is car registration in Australia, and how is it calculated?, July 2024
5 Source: NSW Government – Safety checks and vehicle inspections
6 Source: NSW Government – Registration concessions and automatic renewal for pensioners
7 Source: NSW Government – Fee refunds or waivers after a natural disaster
8 Source: NSW Government – Primary producer registration concessions
9 Source: Service NSW – Vehicle registrations
10 Source: Service NSW – Use the vehicle registration calculator
11 Source: VicRoads – Vehicle Fees
12 Source: Transport Victoria – What does my rego pay for
13 Source: Transport Victoria – Roadworthy certificate
14 Source: VicRoads – Concession and discounts
15 Source: VicRoads – Registrations
16 Source: VicRoads – Vehicle fees
17 Source: Qld Government – How registration is calculated, August 2025
18 Source: Qld Government – About concessional registration, December 2017
19 Source: Qld Government – Registration
20 Source: Qld Government – Quote for registration
21 Source: WA Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure – Renew my vehicle licence “Rego”, January 2026
22 Source: WA Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure – Motor Injury Insurance, July 2025
23 Source: WA Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure – Get a vehicle inspected, December 2025
24 Source: WA Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure – Concessions, May 2025
25 Source: WA Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure – License my vehicle (registration), May 2025
26 Source: SA Government – Calculate vehicle registration fees, November 2025
27 Source: My Licence SA– Roadworthiness
28 Source: SA Government – Concessions for registration and driver’s licence, September 2025
29 Source: SA Government – Driving and transport
30 Source: Tas Transport Services – Registration fees, November 2025
31 Source: Service Tasmania – Arrange a vehicle inspection
32 Source: Tas Transport Services – Who are concessions available to?, June 2020
33 Source: Tas Transport Services – Renew your registration, January 2026
34 Source: ACT Motor Accident Injuries Commission – Learn about your MAI insurance policy
35 Source: Access Canberra – Roadworthy inspections
36 Source: Access Canberra – Emissions-based registration
37 Source: Access Canberra – Concessions for registration fees
38 Source: Access Canberra – Registration
39 Source: NT Government – Light Vehicle Registration Fees, July 2024
40 Source: NT Government – Check if your vehicle needs an inspection
41 Source: NT Government – Registration fees
42 Source: NT Government – Concession cards you can use at MVR
43 Source: NT Government – Registration and number plates
44 Source: carsales – Everything you need to know about personalised number plates, October 2023
45 Source: myPlates – Pricing
46 Source: NSW Government – Short-term vehicle registration
47 Source: VicRoads – Change your registration period
48 Source: Qld Government – Renew registration
49 Source: Access Canberra – Vehicle registration and transfer
50 Source: Drive – How to save hundreds of dollars on your rego, March 2024
