Discounted licence renewal fees for safe drivers
Under the 'Fair go for safe drivers' scheme, you may be eligible for a 50% discount on the licence renewal fee.
Who is eligible?
To be eligible for the discount, you must hold an unrestricted NSW driver or rider licence (of any class) which expires on or after 1 July 2012.
You must also have no relevant offences recorded on your licence during the five years leading up to the date you renew your licence.
Note: Interstate and overseas driving records are not counted when determining eligibility.
If you are eligible, the discount applies whether you renew your licence for one, three or five years.
What are ‘relevant offences’?
Under the scheme, ‘relevant offences’ means any offence traditionally recorded on a driving record. These include:
- Any offence which attracts demerit points.
- A conviction for a major offence, such as drink or drug driving, or
- Any unlicensed driving offence.
Some offences are recorded on a traffic record, but will not be counted when determining eligibility for the discount. These include offences dealt with by way of a caution issued by the State Debt Recovery Office, or any offence which was dismissed without conviction under section 10 of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999.
Important note: Offences dealt with under section 10 before 31 January 2011 are counted as relevant offences, as they attracted demerit points.
You will not be eligible for the discount if at any time during that five year period your licence was not current for a period or periods totalling six months, for example because it was expired, cancelled, suspended or refused for any reason (except medical grounds).
You must renew your licence within six months of the expiry date. If you renew more than six months after expiry, the full renewal fee must be paid.
Learner and provisional licence holders
Learner licence holders are not eligible for the discount.
Provisional (P1 and P2) licence holders are not eligible for the discount, however time without relevant offences while holding a P1 or P2 licence will be counted towards the five-year eligibility period once you’ve progressed to an unrestricted licence.
Holders of combined licences:
If you hold a combined licence, for example an unrestricted car licence and a learner or provisional rider licence, the discount only applies when you renew the unrestricted licence.
Purpose of the scheme
The current penalty regimes, which include the application of fines, demerit points and licence sanctions, have proven to be a strong incentive for drivers to obey the road laws. While penalties do play an important role in influencing driver behaviour, the ‘Fair go for safe drivers’ scheme complements the penalty regimes by providing a balance to reward drivers who display safe driving practices by remaining offence free over a long period of time.
I feel ripped off, in victoria last time I renewed it was only 10%.