Victorian Consolidated Legislation

Road Safety Act 1986 - SECT 5AD

What are registration number rights?

5AD. What are registration number rights?



(1) The person who owns registration number rights in respect of a particular
registration number has-

   (a)  the right to have that registration number assigned to a vehicle
        registered by the Corporation of which that person is the registered
        operator or, with the consent of that person, to any other vehicle
        registered by the Corporation; and





   (b)  the right to be issued with 2 number plates (of a type that, in the
        opinion of the Corporation, is appropriate to that registration
        number) bearing that registration number; and

   (c)  the right to display number plates bearing that registration number on
        any vehicle to which that number is assigned by the Corporation.

(2) The rights referred to in subsection (1)-

   (a)  are exclusive to the owner of those rights; and

   (b)  may be exercised at any time, whether at the time of purchase of the
        registration number rights or at any later time; and

   (c)  may only be exercised subject to, and in accordance with, this Act and
        the regulations; and

   (d)  may be transferred to any other person, or otherwise dealt with, by
        the owner of those rights; and

   (e)  form part of the property of the estate of the owner on his or her
        death; and

   (f)  are, by force of this paragraph, cancelled on the expiry of the period
        of 12 months of the vehicle to which they were last assigned
        continuing to be not registered under Part 2 unless the owner of those
        rights has before that expiry notified the Corporation of their wish
        to retain the registration number that is the subject of those rights.

(3) Subject to this Act and the regulations, the Corporation must take all
necessary steps to give effect to the exercise of any right referred to in
subsection (1).

(4) If-

   (a)  a vehicle is sold (whether before, on or after the commencement of
        Division 1 of Part 6 of the Transport Legislation (Miscellaneous
        Amendments) Act 2004) together with a number plate issued by the
        Corporation displayed on it; and

   (b)  that number plate bears the registration number assigned to the
        vehicle at the time of the sale; and

   (c)  that registration number is at the time of the sale the subject of
        registration number rights-

it must be presumed for all purposes, in the absence of evidence to the
contrary, that the person who acquires the vehicle also acquires the
registration number rights in respect of that registration number.

(5) The Corporation must not assign to a vehicle, or issue a number plate
bearing, a registration number that is the subject of registration number
rights except on an application made by, or with the consent of, the owner of
those rights.

(6) A number plate issued by the Corporation bearing a registration number
that is the subject of registration number rights owned by a person remains
the property of the State despite the separate ownership of the registration
number rights.