Caravan registration costs
State by state.
Victoria charges $70.54 a year and South Australia $110, whatever the van weighs.
New South Wales, Western Australia, the ACT and the Northern Territory price it off the van's tare weight, so a heavier van pays more.
Published . 10 min read • Buying Guide
Each state and territory sets its own caravan registration fee. No national fee exists.
Most price it off the caravan's tare weight, which is what the van weighs empty.
- Victoria, 12 months - $70.54 (flat fee for any tare)
- South Australia, 12 months - $110 (flat fee for any tare)
- Western Australia - $7.44 per 100kg of tare (mass component, trailer-type caravan)
What sets the fee, jurisdiction by jurisdiction
There is no national caravan registration fee. Four jurisdictions set the fee from the caravan's tare weight, the weight of the van empty: New South Wales, the ACT and the Northern Territory use tare bands, and Western Australia charges a rate per 100kg of tare. Victoria and South Australia charge one flat fee whatever the van weighs, at $70.54 and $110 for 12 months. Tasmania has two rates split at half a tonne of unladen mass. Queensland does not publish a towed light trailer figure in a table.
The 4.5 tonne cut-off that decides whether a caravan is a light trailer at all runs on a loaded mass rather than on tare. Queensland and South Australia draw it on ATM or GTM, and the ACT and Tasmania draw it on GVM. So the number that decides which schedule you are on and the number that sets the fee inside it are two different weights off the same compliance plate.
| Where | Fee set by | Published 12-month figure |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | Tare weight | $84 registration fee plus vehicle tax of $0 to $915 |
| VIC | Nothing, one flat fee | $70.54 |
| QLD | Not published as a table | Published through the quote tool |
| WA | Tare weight | $7.44 per 100kg of tare, plus flat fees |
| SA | Nothing, one flat fee | $110 |
| TAS | Unladen mass, two bands | $153.81 renewal above 0.5t unladen |
| NT | Tare weight | $110.85 to $600.85 |
| ACT | Tare weight | $0 to $1,437.90, rising 1 September 2026 |
How to read this page
These are the figures the authorities publish, captured on 1 August 2026 and linked to the page each one came from. They are not a quote, and they are not advice about what you have to pay. Schedules usually change on 1 July, concessions and short-term periods vary, and your authority is the one that decides. Check the link on each card before you budget.
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Caravan registration fees by state and territory
Each card names the authority, links its page, gives the date the figures were captured, and reproduces the weight bands the way that authority prints them.
New South Wales
Fee set by tare weight
NSW charges an $84 annual registration fee on all vehicles, then adds a vehicle tax worked out from the caravan's tare weight.
Privately registered towed caravans and purpose-built camper trailers weighing from 255kg up to 4.5 tonnes get a 40% reduction on that vehicle tax, applied automatically at registration and renewal. The page states that motorhomes and campervans are not eligible for it.
| Tare weight | Vehicle tax | With 40% reduction |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 254kg | $0 | $0 |
| 255 to 764kg | $156 | $94 |
| 765 to 970kg | $278 | $167 |
| 971 to 1,150kg | $314 | $188 |
| 1,151 to 1,500kg | $362 | $217 |
| 1,500 to 2,500kg | $550 | $330 |
| 2,501 to 2,790kg | $860 | $516 |
| 2,791 to 3,050kg | $977 | $586 |
| 3,051 to 3,300kg | $1,070 | $642 |
| 3,301 to 3,560kg | $1,165 | $699 |
| 3,561 to 3,810kg | $1,250 | $750 |
| 3,811 to 4,060kg | $1,343 | $806 |
| 4,061 to 4,320kg | $1,434 | $860 |
| 4,321 to 4,500kg | $1,525 | $915 |
The $84 registration fee sits on top of the vehicle tax column. NSW prints the 1,151 to 1,500 and 1,500 to 2,500 bands with a shared boundary; the labels above are reproduced as published.
Source. NSW Government (Transport for NSW)
The page states that from 1 July 2026 registration fees increase by 2.65%, rounded to whole dollars. Captured 1 August 2026.
Victoria
Fee set by nothing, one flat fee
Victoria publishes a single figure for a light trailer or caravan: an annual registration fee of $70.54, with no weight bands and no risk-zone loading.
The page also states that light trailers and caravans do not pay the TAC charge or motor vehicle duty, and that only a 12-month registration option is available for them.
Source. VicRoads
The page carries no effective date, so treat the capture date as the only freshness signal. Captured 1 August 2026.
Queensland
Fee set by not published as a table
This page does not carry a Queensland dollar figure, because TMR does not publish one in a table.
Its registration cost tables run to cars by cylinder count, motorcycles, motorised caravans by axle count and primary-producer heavy trailers. A towed light trailer or caravan is not among them, and the route the department publishes to that number is its own registration quote tool.
What the Queensland pages do state: a trailer or caravan with an aggregate trailer mass of 4.5 tonnes or less is a light trailer, no vehicle registration duty is payable when registering a trailer or caravan, and a trailer over 750kg ATM or with more than one axle needs a pre-registration inspection.
Get the figure from the Transport and Main Roads registration quote tool at service.transport.qld.gov.au/quoteforregistration.
Source. Queensland Government (Transport and Main Roads)
Also. Register your trailer or caravan (Queensland Government)
The cost tables on that page are marked as at 1 July 2026. Captured 1 August 2026.
Western Australia
Fee set by tare weight
WA is the only jurisdiction that charges a rate rather than a bracket. A caravan of the trailer type is licensed at $7.44 per 100kg, with the tare weight rounded up to the next whole 100kg.
On top of that sit a prescribed flat fee of $13.20 a year, discounted by 50% on a standard renewal, and a light vehicle standard administration recording fee of $9.70 for a 3, 6 or 12 month renewal. The department rounds the total to the nearest five cents.
The same page states that caravans that are not motor propelled, and camper trailers permanently fitted for human habitation and used primarily in the course of a journey, are exempt from vehicle licence duty.
A motor-propelled caravan is charged at $29.76 per 100kg on the same page, so the trailer-type rate is the one that applies to a towed van.
Source. Department of Transport WA
The rates are published for the 2026/2027 financial year, on a page last updated 29 June 2026. Captured 1 August 2026.
South Australia
Fee set by nothing, one flat fee
South Australia publishes one figure for trailers and caravans: $110 for 12 months, $38 for 3 months and $11 for one month.
Metropolitan and country rates are identical for trailers, which is unusual, since SA loads cars and utes differently by district. The row applies to light trailers or caravans with a GTM of 4.5 tonnes or less.
The page notes that the figures include a compulsory third party insurance estimate and a level 1 administration fee, and that actual amounts may vary slightly.
Source. SA.GOV.AU (Department for Infrastructure and Transport)
The page states these fees are effective from 1 July 2026, and was last updated 1 June 2026. Captured 1 August 2026.
Tasmania
Fee set by unladen mass, two bands
Tasmania splits at half a tonne of unladen mass and gives caravans their own line, separate from general trailers.
A caravan or horse float over 0.5t unladen with a GVM of 4.5 tonnes or less renews at $153.81, or $176.35 to establish the registration including the plate fee. Practically every touring caravan sits in that line.
A trailer, caravan or horse float at 0.5t unladen or less renews at $102.81, or $125.35 to establish. A general trailer over 0.5t, which is not a caravan, renews at $199.81.
Source. Transport Services Tasmania (Department of State Growth)
The schedule is marked current as at 1 July 2026, on a page last updated 1 July 2026. Captured 1 August 2026.
Northern Territory
Fee set by tare weight
The Territory publishes a trailer and caravan table banded on tare weight, running from $110.85 for 12 months at the light end to $600.85 at 4,001 to 4,500kg.
The page states that registration fees include Motor Accidents Compensation cover, the Territory's compulsory third party insurance, and lists a registration administration fee of $16.
| Tare weight | 12 months |
|---|---|
| 1 to 200kg | $110.85 |
| 201 to 400kg | $127.85 |
| 401 to 600kg | $145.85 |
| 601 to 800kg | $162.85 |
| 801 to 1,000kg | $180.85 |
| 1,001 to 1,200kg | $223.85 |
| 1,201 to 1,400kg | $245.85 |
| 1,401 to 1,600kg | $267.85 |
| 1,601 to 1,800kg | $288.85 |
| 1,801 to 2,000kg | $310.85 |
| 2,001 to 3,000kg | $397.85 |
| 3,001 to 4,000kg | $499.85 |
| 4,001 to 4,500kg | $600.85 |
Source. NT.GOV.AU (Motor Vehicle Registry)
The page carries no effective date and states the fees are subject to regulatory changes. Captured 1 August 2026.
Australian Capital Territory
Fee set by tare weight
The ACT sets its trailer fees in a determination rather than on a web page, and the determination bands them on tare weight for trailers with a GVM of 4.5 tonnes or less, caravans included.
It carries two money columns because the Territory's light-trailer reduction has an end date. Access Canberra states that reduced registration fees apply to light trailers with a registration period commencing from 1 September 2025 until 31 August 2026, cutting the fee by up to $150. The second column below is the determination's own figure for periods commencing on or after 1 September 2026, and every row is exactly $150 higher.
The determination also excludes trailers from the road rescue fee that other ACT vehicles pay.
| Tare weight | Before 1 Sep 2026 | From 1 Sep 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 250kg or less | $0.00 | $104.90 |
| More than 250kg, under 765kg | $121.50 | $271.50 |
| 765kg to under 976kg | $198.80 | $348.80 |
| 976kg to under 1,155kg | $234.30 | $384.30 |
| 1,155kg to under 1,505kg | $281.30 | $431.30 |
| 1,505kg to under 2,500kg | $468.30 | $618.30 |
| 2,500kg to under 2,795kg | $778.40 | $928.40 |
| 2,795kg to under 3,055kg | $894.80 | $1,044.80 |
| 3,055kg to under 3,565kg | $1,079.40 | $1,229.40 |
| 3,565kg to under 3,815kg | $1,164.30 | $1,314.30 |
| 3,815kg to under 4,065kg | $1,257.40 | $1,407.40 |
| 4,065kg to under 4,325kg | $1,346.30 | $1,496.30 |
| 4,325kg up to 4,500kg | $1,437.90 | $1,587.90 |
Source. ACT Legislation Register
Also. Trailer and caravan registration (Access Canberra)
From the Road Transport (General) (Vehicle Registration and Related Fees) Determination 2026 (No 2), which commenced 2 July 2026. Captured 1 August 2026.
Where Australian caravans actually land
A fee table only means something once you know which row your van sits in. The figures below come from the published tare weights of the caravans on this site, worked out fresh every time this page is built.
The median published tare is 2,298kg, which is the figure used in the worked example.
A 2,298kg van against each tare-priced schedule
- NSW. Sits in the 1,500 to 2,500kg band, so the published vehicle tax is $550, or $330 with the private caravan reduction, on top of the $84 registration fee.
- ACT. Sits in the 1,505kg to under 2,500kg band, so the determination sets $468.30 for a registration period commencing before 1 September 2026 and $618.30 from that date.
- NT. Sits in the 2,001 to 3,000kg band, so the published 12-month figure is $397.85.
- WA. Rounds up to 2,300kg, so the mass component is $171.12 at $7.44 per 100kg, before the prescribed flat fee and the administration recording fee.
How the catalogue spreads across the NSW tare bands
NSW has the most familiar band structure, so it makes the clearest map. The right column counts the caravan ranges on this site whose published tare falls in each band.
| Tare band | Tax after reduction | Ranges |
|---|---|---|
| 255 to 764kg | $94 | 26 |
| 765 to 970kg | $167 | 12 |
| 971 to 1,150kg | $188 | 21 |
| 1,151 to 1,500kg | $217 | 46 |
| 1,500 to 2,500kg | $330 | 351 |
| 2,501 to 2,790kg | $516 | 87 |
| 2,791 to 3,050kg | $586 | 54 |
| 3,051 to 3,300kg | $642 | 12 |
| 3,301 to 3,560kg | $699 | 6 |
| 3,561 to 3,810kg | $750 | 1 |
Some vans cross the 4.5 tonne line
1 of the caravan ranges on this site publish an aggregate trailer mass above 4,500kg. Above that line a caravan is no longer a light trailer, every schedule on this page stops applying, and heavy vehicle charges take over. The van's compliance plate carries the ATM that decides it.
Tare, ATM, GTM and GVM, and which one the fee uses
Four different weights appear in the schedules above, and they are not interchangeable. All four are printed on the caravan's compliance plate.
Tare, the empty weight
The van as it left the factory, unloaded. This is the figure NSW, the ACT, the NT and WA set the fee from, and it is also the figure most likely to differ from the brochure once options are fitted.
ATM, the loaded limit
The most the caravan may legally weigh, loaded, while uncoupled. Queensland uses it to decide whether a trailer is light or heavy at 4.5 tonnes.
GTM, the loaded limit on the axles
The same loaded van, but measured through the wheels with the ball weight carried by the car. South Australia writes its light trailer test on GTM.
GVM on a trailer
The ACT and Tasmania write their 4.5 tonne light trailer test using GVM. Read it as the loaded limit rather than the empty weight, which is the distinction that matters here.
Where the registered tare cannot be confirmed from a specification sheet, the authorities ask for a weighbridge certificate. NSW says so directly, and Access Canberra requires trailers to be weighed completely empty with all body components fitted. Our public weighbridges guide covers where to get that done, and caravan weights explained walks through each term in full.
Registration cost questions, answered
How much does it cost to register a caravan in Australia?
There is no national caravan registration fee. Four jurisdictions set the fee from the caravan's tare weight, the weight of the van empty: New South Wales, the ACT and the Northern Territory use tare bands, and Western Australia charges a rate per 100kg of tare. Victoria and South Australia charge one flat fee whatever the van weighs, at $70.54 and $110 for 12 months. Tasmania has two rates split at half a tonne of unladen mass. Queensland does not publish a towed light trailer figure in a table.
Is caravan registration based on tare weight or ATM?
Mostly tare. New South Wales, the ACT and the Northern Territory band the fee on tare weight, and Western Australia charges $7.44 per 100kg of tare for a trailer-type caravan. The 4.5 tonne cut-off that decides whether a caravan is a light trailer at all runs on a loaded mass rather than on tare. Queensland and South Australia draw it on ATM or GTM, and the ACT and Tasmania draw it on GVM. So the number that decides which schedule you are on and the number that sets the fee inside it are two different weights off the same compliance plate.
Which state publishes the lowest caravan registration fee?
Of the schedules on this page, Victoria publishes the lowest 12-month figure at $70.54, and South Australia is next at $110. This compares published schedules rather than offering a choice. The figure that applies is the one for the state where you register the caravan.
Is the ACT trailer registration discount still running?
The ACT determination carries two columns. Access Canberra states the reduced fees apply to light trailers with a registration period commencing from 1 September 2025 until 31 August 2026, cutting the fee by up to $150, and the determination's own figures for periods commencing on or after 1 September 2026 are $150 higher in every band.
Where do I get the Queensland figure?
From Transport and Main Roads directly. Its published registration cost tables cover cars, motorcycles, motorised caravans and primary-producer heavy trailers, but not towed light trailers, and the department publishes the trailer figure through its registration quote tool instead.
Which tare weight do the authorities use, the brochure figure or a weighbridge ticket?
The registered figure, not the brochure. NSW states that a weighbridge ticket is required where the tare mass cannot be confirmed from a specification sheet, where the trailer is imported, or after a major change to it. Access Canberra requires trailers to be weighed completely empty with all body components fitted. Our public weighbridges guide covers where to get that done.
Know the weight before you budget the rego
In half the country the fee is decided by a number printed on the compliance plate. Every caravan on this site shows its published weights, so you can see which bracket a van lands in before you go looking at one.
Working out what the van will cost to own? Caravan insurance explained covers the other annual bill.
For the full year, including servicing, tyres and storage, see what a caravan costs to run.