Vehicle and Traffic (Driver Licensing and Vehicle Registration) Regulations 2021

In this regulation – visitor’s exemption means an exemption under the Act from the requirement to hold a driver licence that operates in favour of a person who holds an Australian driver licence issued under a corresponding law or a foreign driver licence.

A person is not entitled to a visitor's exemption if – the person is currently disqualified from driving by order of an Australian court, by the operation of an automatic statutory penalty or under the law of a foreign country; or the person's licence to drive is under suspension under the law of another Australian jurisdiction or a foreign country in which it was issued.

A person ceases to be entitled to a visitor's exemption if – in the case of a person who holds an Australian driver licence issued under a corresponding law or a foreign driver licence issued under the law of New Zealand other than a valid Driver Identification Document issued by the Department of Defence, the person has resided in Tasmania for a continuous period of 6 months or a longer period determined by the Registrar; or in the case of an international visitor other than one ordinarily resident in New Zealand, the person has held a permanent visa under the Migration Act 1958 of the Commonwealth for more than 6 months or a longer period determined by the Registrar; or the person is issued with a driver licence under the Act.

The Registrar may terminate a visitor’s exemption if – in the case of an international visitor, 4 or more demerit points are recorded against the visitor in respect of offences committed within a period of 12 months or less; or the Registrar has refused to issue a driver licence to the person under the Act, for any reason, including that the person is not competent to drive a motor vehicle of the relevant class; or the Registrar believes, on reasonable grounds, that the person is not competent to drive a motor vehicle of the relevant class as the person has failed a test, assessment or training course that – is required under the Act for a driver licence for that class of motor vehicle to be issued under the Act; and was undertaken with the intention of applying for the driver licence to be issued to the person; or the Registrar believes, on reasonable grounds, that grounds exist that would, assuming the visitor's exemption were a driver licence, be sufficient grounds for – suspending or cancelling the licence; or imposing a condition on the licence.

If the Registrar terminates an exemption under subregulation (4), the Registrar must give the person in whose favour the exemption operated a written notice stating – that the exemption is terminated as from the date of the service of the notice or a later date stated in the notice; and that, as from the date of termination of the exemption, the person – is no longer exempt from the requirement to hold a driver licence in Tasmania; and must not drive a motor vehicle on a public street in Tasmania; and subject to any action specified under paragraph (d), is not entitled to the exemption under the Act while he or she continues to stay in Australia; and the reasons for termination of the exemption; and any action that may be taken by the person in order to regain the exemption under the Act; and the date by which the person must take that action.