Do I need a permit?

If you need help with any of the steps in this process, please contact us for support. Use the tool below to decide if you need a heavy vehicle road access permit, or a notice, to operate on Australian roads. Select one of the buttons to answer the question. If you're not sure, click links within the question for more information.

1. Is my heavy vehicle a General Access Vehicle (GAV) or a Restricted Access Vehicle (RAV)?

Not sure of your vehicle type? First, check if you drive a General Access Vehicle (GAV) like the examples below, as these generally don't need a permit when within mass and dimension limits. 

Examples of General Access Vehicles

General Access Vehicle - 5 Axle Twinsteer Rigid Rigid trucks
General Access Vehicle - 6 Axle Semitrailer 3, 4, 5 or 6 axle semitrailers
General Access Vehicle - 4 axle truck with 4 axle dog trailer 2, 3 or 4 axle trucks with 2, 3 or 4 axle dog or pig trailers

Press the buttons below to select your vehicle type...

   

2. Can my heavy vehicle use a notice?

3. Am I travelling on the approved network or other roads which are NOT on the approved network?


Plan your route

  • NHVR Route Planner - Use this online mapping tool to plan and save your heavy vehicle journey routes. Find out which road networks have approved routes and which ones may require you to submit an access application. Our Route Planner’s GIS mapping information uses government GIS data.
  • State road transport authority mapping sites – For more help planning your journey, these sites display authorised heavy vehicle routes within each state and some additional route information. They provide the most up-to-date network access information regarding route descriptions and restrictions.

Check the gazette notices

  • To check the notices, search for your permit types below, or on the Access permit application process page. Select your permit type and scroll down to the gazette notices table to see the recent notice announcements.
  • Check the full list of relevant gazette notices and scheme for your journey area to identify all conditions and route requirements on our Notices and permit-based schemes page.

Which permit do I need?

The permit you are issued depends on the heavy vehicle class in which you are operating, and the jurisdiction in which you are travelling.

Class 1 permit

  • Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV)  - for SPVs that don’t comply with mass, dimension or operating requirements set out in a gazette notice or are coming off the networks covered under the relevant notice
  • Agricultural (AG) - for agricultural vehicles or agricultural combinations that don’t comply with mass, dimension or operating requirements set out in a gazette notice or are coming off the networks covered under the relevant notice
  • Oversize Overmas (OSOM) - for OSOM combinations that don’t comply with mass, dimension or operating requirements set out in a gazette notice or are coming off the networks covered under the relevant notice

Class 2 permit

  • B-double - for travel on a road outside of the approved B-double network where a permit is required
  • Road Train - for travel on a road outside of the approved Road Train Network where a permit is required
  • Performance-Based Standards - for travel on or off the PBS network if the vehicle doesn’t comply with mass, dimension or operating requirements set out in a gazette notice
  • Controlled Access Bus - for travel on a road outside of the approved controlled access bus network

Class 3 permit

Higher Mass Limits (HML) permit

  • HML permit - is required for travel on a road outside of the approved HML network.