Revenue NSW enforcement action

Suspending your driver licence, marine safety licence, visiting driver privileges and/or cancelling your vehicle or vessel registration

If you have overdue fines in NSW, Transport for NSW (TfNSW) can suspend your driver licence or visiting driver privilege, and/or cancel your motor vehicle registration.

TfNSW can suspend all types of NSW, interstate, and overseas licences.

Your motor vehicle insurance won’t be cancelled when your registration is.

If you pay your fines in full, your licence or visiting driver privileges suspension, and/or vehicle registration cancellation will be lifted.

You should confirm that Transport for NSW has lifted the suspension or cancellation before you start driving again.

If your licence or registration has expired, you must renew it before you drive.

It is an offence to drive with a suspended, cancelled, or expired licence. Serious penalties apply, including driver licence disqualification, large fines, and imprisonment. The police can also impound your vehicle or confiscate your number plates.

There are also large fines and demerit points for driving an unregistered vehicle.

If you have been caught driving with a suspended or cancelled licence or registration, you should get legal advice.

Seizing and selling your property

Revenue NSW can make a Property Seizure Order that allows the sheriff to seize your personal property and sell it to pay your fine.

Before the sheriff seizes your property, they will visit your home and demand you pay your fine. If you pay, the Property Seizure Order will be cancelled.

If you don’t pay, the sheriff will give you a Notice to custodian that lists the property they are going to seize and sell. The sheriff may also attach a notice of seizure to some of your property. You will then have seven days to pay the fine.

The sheriff won’t take your property on the first visit to your home unless they have good reason to believe you will remove the property. It is an offence to remove your property.

If you don’t pay the fine, the sheriff will return to your home and seize and sell your property to pay your fine. The sheriff’s costs will be added to the money you owe.

A Property Seizure Order is valid for 12 months.

Garnishing your bank account or wages

A garnishee order allows Revenue NSW to take money from your wages or bank accounts to pay your overdue fine(s).

If Revenue NSW garnishes your wages or bank accoun​t, you should get legal advice.

Issuing an examination notice

An Examination Notice requires you to provide details about your financial circumstances to Revenue NSW.

If you fail to provide your financial details on the Examination Notice, Revenue NSW can issue an Order for Examination. An Order for Examination requires you attend a Local Court so that a representative of Revenue NSW can ask you questions about your financial situation.

If you are served with an Examination Notice and don’t attend court, a warrant can be issued for your arrest.

If you have been served with an Examination Notice you should get legal advice.

Registering an interest on your land or property

If you own land in NSW, Revenue NSW can register an interest (charge) on your land. A charge on your land means that you can’t sell your land without paying the debt owed to Revenue NSW.

If Revenue NSW has registered a charge on your land, you should get legal advice.

Private debt collection

Revenue NSW may send your overdue fine to a private debt collection company for enforcement.

If you receive a visit from a debt collector, you should get legal advice.