If you’re a learner driver this won’t apply to you yet, but it’s something you can look forward to. Once you get your unrestricted licence (one-, three- or five-year) if you have no relevant offences for five years you can get an automatic 50% discount on your licence fee. That can save you up to $85, and so far over 850,000 people have taken advantage of it.
NSW is the only state that offers this reduction and in the time this scheme has been running it has saved drivers around $70 million dollars.
To qualify for the scheme you have to have had your unrestricted licence for 5 year and have:
- Not get any speeding tickets
- Not get any demerit points through any other form of breaking the law while driving
- Not get caught drunk or drug driving
- Not get caught for an unlicenced driving offence
You must hold an unrestricted NSW licence of any class which expires on or after 1 July 2012 (it doesn’t apply to interstate licences, or if you are on your Ls or Ps), and you must renew it within six months of the expiry date. If you renew more than six months after the expiry you will have to pay the full renewal fee.
If you are appealing an offence when you apply for your licence, the discount won’t be applied. If you are successful in your appeal, the discount will be applied retroactively and you will be refunded 50% of the renewal fee you paid.
The renewal fees are currently $54 for one year, $128 for three years or $170 for five year, so your savings would be $27, $64 or $85 respectively.
When you renew your licence you need to go to registry or service centre in person so that your identity can be verified and your photo be taken.
The expectation is that around 2.1m drivers will receive the discount eventually. So far, 500,000 of the 850,000 have been women, so it’s time for guys to step up to the mark!
Darren is an expert on driving and transport, and is a member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists
