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Unpaid fines

Information about when your licence will be suspended for unpaid fines, and how to end your suspension.

If you have unpaid fines in NSW, Transport for NSW (TfNSW) can suspend your driver licence, marine safety licence, or visiting driver privileges, and/or cancel your vehicle or vessel registration.

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

You have a number of options for dealing with fines. For more information, see Fines in NSW. 

Don’t drive while your licence is suspended.

  • Warning

    Warning

    It is an offence to drive while suspended. Serious penalties apply, including licence disqualification, heavy 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.

When you receive a fine, you will usually have 21 days to pay.

If you don't pay, you will be sent a reminder notice, which gives you another 28 days to pay the fine.

If you still don't pay the fine, you will get an overdue fine from Revenue NSW.

When you get an overdue fine, additional costs of $65.00, or $25.00 if you are under 18 (as at July 2023), are added to the amount you owe.   

You have 28 days to pay your overdue fine, if you receive it by post.

If you don’t pay the overdue fine in full by the due date or apply for a payment plan, Revenue NSW can take recovery action against you. This can include directing Transport for NSW to:

  • suspend your driver's licence
  • cancel any motor vehicle registration in your name
  • suspend your visitor driver privileges.

If you have a current interstate or overseas driving licence, you have visiting driver privileges. You can drive in NSW using your interstate or overseas licence as long as:

  • your licence is current
  • you are not disqualified from driving in NSW or anywhere else
  • your licence is not suspended or cancelled
  • your visiting driver privileges haven’t been suspended
  • you carry your licence with you, including an English translation if necessary.

Revenue NSW can suspend your visiting driver privileges if you have unpaid overdue fines. 

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

In some cases, you can negotiate to lift them when overdue fines are still owing. For more information about how to have these restrictions lifted before your overdue fines are paid in full contact Revenue NSW.

If you can’t afford to pay your fine in full, you have other options for dealing with your fine. For more information, see What if I do nothing with my fine?

You should check that Transport for NSW has lifted your suspension before you start driving again.

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

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

Resources

Fined Out

Fined Out is a practical guide to the NSW fines system. It provides information about how to deal with fines and contact information for services that can help people with their fines.