Federal Interstate Registration Scheme (FIRS)

The Federal Interstate Registration Scheme (FIRS) commenced in 1987 as an alternative to state based registration for heavy vehicles weighing more than 4.5 tonnes.

FIRS was designed to provide uniform charges and operating conditions for heavy vehicles engaged solely in interstate operations.

FIRS operates under the following legislation:

• Interstate Road Transport Act 1985
• Interstate Road Transport Charge Act 1985
• Interstate Road Transport Regulations 1986
• Interstate Road Transport Charge Regulations 2009

FIRS Heavy Vehicle Registration Charge

From 1 July 2011 FIRS heavy vehicle registration charges will increase by 2.4 percent.  The adjustment is consistent with the Council of Australian Governments’ (COAG) road charging principle of full cost recovery of heavy vehicles’ share of road costs.

COAG and the Australian Transport Council agreed in February 2008 that heavy vehicle charges (including registration and fuel-based charges) should be adjusted annually to maintain recovery of road costs. The National Transport Commission (NTC) is responsible for reviewing national heavy vehicle charges and calculating the annual adjustment.

The NTC uses an economic formula (the annual adjustment formula) as documented in the Model Heavy Vehicle Charges Act 2007 (as amended) and the Interstate Road Transport Charge Regulations 2009 to determine the annual adjustment factor. This formula takes into account changes in road expenditure and changes in heavy vehicle road use to determine the extent of the price changes.

Schedule of FIRS Heavy Vehicle Registration Charges from 1 July 2011 [PDF: 40 KB]

How to Register under FIRS

State and Territory road transport authorities administer FIRS on behalf of the Australian Government. Operators wishing to register vehicles under FIRS apply to do so at the registration authority in their jurisdiction of residence.

Like state registration, vehicles must comply with relevant Australian Design Rules and other standard requirements in relation to vehicle construction, equipment and performance standards. FIRS vehicles must have compulsory third party insurance for the period of registration.

FIRS registration is available to heavy vehicles weighing over 4.5 tonnes and engaged solely in interstate operations. A vehicle registered under FIRS may not be used for intrastate work, ie goods carried by a FIRS vehicle must be in the process of being delivered to an interstate address in a continuous journey (origin/destination documented in a consignment note).

By nature of their definition, special purpose vehicles such as mobile cranes cannot be registered under FIRS. State/Territory permits are required for FIRS registered combinations operating as road trains and vehicles or combinations carrying large indivisible loads.

FIRS B-doubles and Higher Mass Limits routes

FIRS restricted access vehicles such as B-doubles and Higher Mass Limits combinations operate on designated routes which are generally consistent with State gazetted routes. Designated routes include those authorised by a relevant instrument made under State and Territory laws. Schedule 4A of the Interstate Road Transport Regulations 1986 specifies the relevant state and territory legislation. Determinations of FIRS routes by the Australian Government are made for those routes that are not authorised by a relevant instrument by the States and Territories. This is the case for restricted access routes in Western Australia which are authorised by Period Permit (rather than by notice) and published on the internet (rather than by gazette).

Operators wishing to drive on a road which has not been designated, either by a FIRS route Determination or operating under a relevant instrument, must obtain a permit from the relevant State or Territory registration authority.

Determinations of Federal Routes can be accessed via the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments (FRLI) at the ComLaw website: http://www.comlaw.gov.au/.

The current Determinations are:

• F2011L00977 Determination of Routes for Vehicles, other than B-doubles and Rigid Truck and Trailer Combinations, carrying Higher Mass Limits under the Federal Interstate Registration Scheme (FIRS) 2011 No. 1 NOTE that this Determination does not provide for the operation of road-trains.
• F2011L00976 Determination of Routes for B-doubles not Operating at Higher Mass Limits under the Federal Interstate Registration Scheme (FIRS) 2011 (No. 1)
• F2011L01043 Determination of Routes for B-double Vehicles carrying Higher Mass Limits under the Federal Interstate Registration Scheme (FIRS) 2011 (No. 2)

Further Information

For further information on FIRS registration you should contact your local registry office or you can ring the FIRS hotline on 1800 026 170.