Left-hand drive vehicles and conversions

Left-hand vehicle signage and registration

Which left-hand historic cars, trucks and buses require signage depends on their Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM):

• 4.5 tonnes or less – not required to display a 'left-hand drive' sign.
• Greater than 4.5 tonnes – require the words ‘left-hand drive’ displayed on the rear of the vehicle in letters at least 75 millimetres high, with a colour contrast background.

Left hand-drive historic vehicles have been able to be registered in NSW since 1999. They can either be:

• conditionally registered under the Historic Vehicle Scheme (if only driven occasionally), or
• fully registered with standard used vehicle registration (if driven more regularly).

Conversions to right-hand drive

Historic vehicles converted from left to right-hand drive before 1999 can be conditionally registered, if they meet the requirements of the Historic Vehicle Scheme.

Which vehicles require certification

When a vehicle is registered for the first time (and has not had NSW registration with a left to right-hand drive modification), a licensed certifier must provide a Vehicle Safety Compliance Certification Scheme (VSCCS) certificate for the modification.

VSCCS Compliance Certificates do not expire. Each modification only needs one certification.

Find a licence certifier

Licensed certifiers are only authorised to assess modifications and vehicles in their field of expertise. Check with the certifier if they’re able to assess your planned modifications. Find a licensed certifier in

File

Documents to show your club

Show the completed Historic Vehicle Declaration to your historic vehicle club and one of the following documents to support the declaration:

• previous registration papers on which a modification condition has been recorded and the vehicle has no other significant modifications
• evidence of previous full NSW registration – such as old registration papers
• evidence of previous registration in the HVS
• certificate from a licensed certifier for the left-hand to right-hand drive modification – where the modification was undertaken after 2011 or the vehicle has not previously been registered in NSW.

You'll also need to show the certification document at a service centre to get conditional vehicle registration.

If you have questions about certification documents please call 1300 137 302 or email technical.enquiries@transport.nsw.gov.au.

or search certifiers by location.