If you believe you have been unfairly issued with a fine or that there is a valid reason your fine should be withdrawn, you may be able to ask for it to be reviewed.

Your review may take some time for us to process. After you have completed and submitted your form, your fine will be placed on hold and further fees will not be added.

What stage is your fine at?

• Infringement Notice or Penalty Reminder Notice

  If you have received an Infringement Notice or Penalty Reminder Notice, you may be able to apply to have your fine reviewed by the agency that issued your fine. This type of review is called an Internal Review. You can request only one internal review per infringement notice.

   

  You can request an Internal Review of your fine under one of the following grounds:

  Person unaware: you did not know about the fine

  You can request a review under this ground if all of the following apply:

  • you found out about the fine within the last 14 days, and
  • the fine was not personally given to you by an officer.

  If you moved house but you did not change your authorised address with the relevant agency (for example, VicRoads) within 14 days of moving, your application will not be successful.

   

  Your application may not be successful unless you provide evidence showing you didn't know about the fine. This could be a copy of your passport or boarding pass showing you were overseas, an invoice from a removalist showing that you moved house, a VicRoads address change confirmation or a report about mail theft.

   

  You must submit your application within 14 days of the date you became aware of the fine.

   

  If your application is successful you will be granted a further 21 days to deal with your fine.

   

  Contrary to law: the fine is invalid or was improperly issued to you

  You can apply under this ground if you believe that the enforcement agency's decision to fine you was inconsistent with the law.

   

  For example, the fine is incomplete or it does not comply with the formal legal requirements of an infringement notice, or the officer who issued the fine acted unlawfully, improperly or outside their authority.

   

  Mistake of identity: the fine was issued to the wrong person

  You can request a review on the ground of mistake of identity if you have been incorrectly identified as the person who committed an offence, and you have evidence to support your claim. For example, someone provided your licence or gave your details to police, or you have the same name as another person or family member and the wrong person received the fine.

   

  This review ground does not apply if someone else was driving your vehicle at the time of the offence, you are the registered owner of the vehicle and you received a camera-detected fine. Once your fine progresses to a Notice of Final Demand, it is too late to nominate (except in limited circumstances, such as family violence situations).

   

  You cannot request a review under this ground if someone else was driving your vehicle. Failing to nominate the responsible person is not a valid reason to apply for mistake of identity.

   

  Exceptional circumstances: the offence occurred due to an extraordinary or unavoidable situation

  You should select this ground only if you can show that the offence occurred due to circumstances that were out of the ordinary, unavoidable or exceptional – such as a medical emergency or a vehicle breakdown.

   

  Special circumstances: you have serious personal issues, disorders or difficulties

  These circumstances are very specific. You can select this ground only if you committed the offence and can show that:

  • at the time of the offence you:
    • had a mental or intellectual disability, disorder, disease or illness
    • had a serious addiction to drugs, alcohol or a volatile substance
    • were homeless
    • were a victim of family violence, or
  • you cannot deal with your fines because of severe disabling long-term circumstances.

  You need to provide evidence from a qualified practitioner or agency. For more information on what is required and how to apply, see: Special Circumstances.

   

  Following the commencement of the Road Safety (Drivers) Amendment Regulations 2023 on 27 March 2023 there are changes to the way demerit points are applied to your driver licence for eligible driving-related offences.

  
  If your application for an internal review on the ground of special circumstances is accepted, demerit points will be applied to your driver licence by the enforcement agency.

   

  Family violence: you have been impacted by family violence

  The Family Violence Scheme helps family violence victim survivors with fines if there is a link between the family violence and their fines.

   

  See: Family Violence Scheme for more information and assistance.

   

   

  Internal review is not available for:

  • excessive speeding
  • drink-driving offences
  • drug-driving offences
  • alcohol-related boating offences.

  See: Excessive speed, drug and alcohol offences for more information on these offences.

  Internal review is also not available if your fine was ordered by a court. See Court fines for more information on how to deal with court fines.

   

  Was someone else driving your vehicle? If you received a camera-detected fine, and someone else was driving your vehicle at that time, do not request a review. You should instead nominate the driver so we can re-issue the fine to them. You need to do this quickly, before the fine becomes a Notice of Final Demand.

   

  Official warnings

  For fines issued by Victoria Police, information about official warnings is available on the Victoria Police website. You can request an official warning from Victoria Police in an application for an internal review.

   

  What you need to provide

   

  Without supporting evidence, your application may not be successful.

  Examples of evidence can include, but are not limited to:

  • medical reports
  • bank statements
  • hospital admissions documentation
  • police statements or reports (including mail theft reports made to Victoria Police or Australia Post)
  • travel documentation (for example, copies of flight itineraries, date-stamped passports, boarding passes, or international movement records)
  • removalist invoices
  • tow truck or mechanic's invoices
  • identification documents (for example, driver's licence, birth certificate)
  • Motor Vehicle Transfer documents or other proof of sale of a motor vehicle.

  Please provide as much information and supporting documentation as you can, as this will help us make a decision. By law, you will get only one chance to request a review.

   

   

  Request a review

   

   

  What happens after you apply

  After you have completed and submitted your form, your fine will be placed on hold and further fees will not be added.

   

  The agency that issued the fine will review your request within 90 days of receiving your application. It may take longer if you are asked to provide additional information.

   

  If you do not respond to the agency's request for information, your application may be reviewed based on the information available.

   

  Your application for internal review will be assessed based on the information and evidence you provide to support your claim. Once a decision has been made, you will receive notice of the outcome in the mail.

   

  If your application is successful, depending on the grounds you applied under, the enforcement agency can decide to:

  • withdraw the fine and take no further action against you
  • withdraw the fine and issue an official warning instead
  • refer the matter to the Magistrates' Court (or the Children's Court if you're under 18)
  • approve a payment arrangement
  • waive or vary any fees associated with the fine
  • waive or vary any additional steps imposed by the fine
  • confirm its decision to issue you with the fine.

  If the application is not successful, you will receive a notice in the post to confirm:

  • the agency's decision
  • how much you need to pay
  • when you need to pay it by
  • any other options available to you.

  If your application is not successful, you can apply to have your matter heard in the Magistrates' Court – see Dispute your fine in court. This gives you (or your representative) a chance to present your evidence in front of a magistrate who can make a decision on your fine.

   

  Note: It's important you provide your most current address and contact details so we can contact you about your application if required.

   

   

   

• Notice of Final Demand or Enforcement Warrant

  If you did not deal with your fine, some time has passed and the fine has reached Notice of Final Demand stage, you may be able request a review – but some restrictions apply. This type of review is called an Enforcement Review.

   

  We can accept your Enforcement Review application only under one or more of the following grounds. The grounds available depend on the type of fine and the applicable legislation:

  Person unaware: you did not know about the fine

  You can request a review under this ground only if all of the following apply:

  • you found out about the fine within the last 14 days, and
  • the fine was not personally given to you by an officer, and
  • the fine was not for a traffic offence (see below) or tolling offence (Melbourne CityLink/Linkt or Eastlink). You can apply for parking fines.

  If your fine is for a traffic offence (see below) or tolling offence (Melbourne City Link/Linkt or Eastlink), you can apply for an Infringement Extension with the Magistrates' Court within 14 days of becoming aware of the fine. This will give you a further 28 days to deal with the fine.

   

  What is a traffic offence? A traffic offence is an offence: under the Road Safety Act 1986, the Road Safety Road Rules 2017 or road safety regulations that is prescribed for the purposes of Part 7 of the Road Safety Act, including offences captured by fixed or mobile cameras. for depositing waste from a vehicle, under section 115 of the Environment Protection Act 2017. for failing to produce a licence, learner permit or other document on request or within seven days, under section 59 of the Road Safety Act 1986 or section 216 of the Transport (Compliance and Miscellaneous) Act 1983. for drink-driving, drink-boating, drug-driving or excessive speeding.

   

  If you moved house but you did not change your authorised address with the relevant agency (for example, VicRoads) within 14 days of moving, your application will not be successful.

   

  Your application may not be successful unless you provide evidence showing you did not know about the fine. This could be a copy of your passport or boarding pass showing you were overseas, an invoice from a removalist showing that you moved house, a VicRoads address change confirmation or a report about mail theft.

   

  If your application is successful, the fine will be deregistered, your fees will be waived and the fine will be referred back to the enforcement agency who may:

  • withdraw the fine
  • issue an official warning
  • refer the matter to court
  • issue a new infringement notice
  • enter into a payment plan with you.

  Contrary to law: the fine was invalid or improperly issued to you

  You can request a review under this ground if you believe that the enforcement agency's decision to fine you was inconsistent with the law.

   

  For example, the fine was incomplete, or it does not comply with the formal legal requirements of an infringement notice, or the officer who issued the fine acted unlawfully, improperly or outside their authority.

   

  Mistake of identity: the fine was issued to the wrong person

  You can request a review on the ground of mistake of identity if you have been incorrectly identified as the person who committed an offence, and you have evidence to support your claim. For example, someone provided your licence or gave your details to police, or you have the same name as another person or family member and the wrong person received the fine.

   

  This review ground does not apply if someone else was driving your vehicle at the time of the offence, you are the registered owner of the vehicle and you received a camera-detected fine. Once your fine progresses to a Notice of Final Demand, it is too late to nominate (except in limited circumstances, such as family violence situations).

   

  You cannot request a review under this ground if someone else was driving your vehicle. Failing to nominate the responsible person is not a valid reason to apply for mistake of identity.

   

  Exceptional circumstances: the offence occurred due to an extraordinary or unavoidable situation

  You should select this ground only if you can show that the offence occurred due to circumstances that were out of the ordinary, unavoidable or exceptional – such as a medical emergency or a vehicle breakdown.

   

  Special circumstances: you have serious personal issues, disorders or difficulties

  These circumstances are very specific. You can select this ground only if you committed the offence and can show that:

  • at the time of your offence you:
    • had a mental or intellectual disability, disorder, disease, or illness
    • had a serious addiction to drugs, alcohol, or a volatile substance
    • were homeless
    • were a victim of family violence, OR
  • you cannot deal with your fines because of severe disabling long-term circumstances.

  You need to provide evidence from a qualified practitioner or agency. For more information on what is required and how to apply, see: Special Circumstances.

   

  Following the commencement of the Road Safety (Drivers) Amendment Regulations 2023 on 27 March 2023 there are changes to the way demerit points are applied to your driver licence for eligible driving-related offences.

   

  If your application for enforcement review on the ground of special circumstances is successful, any demerit points you received for an eligible driving-related offence will remain on your licence.

   

  Family violence: you have been impacted by family violence

  The Family Violence Scheme helps family violence victim survivors with fines if there is a link between the family violence and their fines.

  See: Family Violence Scheme for more information and assistance.

   

   

  Enforcement Review is not available if:*

  • your fine has already been paid in full.
  • your fine is not registered with Fines Victoria and you have not received a Notice of Final Demand from Fines Victoria. In these circumstances, you should contact the agency that issued the fine to discuss your options.
  • your fine was ordered by a court. See Court fines for more information on how to deal with court fines.
  • your fine was issued for an excessive speed, drink or drug-driving offence.
  • a Sheriff's officer served you with a 7 Day Notice, and the 7 day period has now expired or you have agreed to waive it.**
  • you have previously had an enforcement review determined for this fine, on the grounds of exceptional circumstances, mistake of identity, contrary to law or person unaware (unless you qualify/have Special Circumstances).

  If any of the above applies to you, you are not eligible to apply for a review.

   

  * There are other, less common factors that disqualify you from applying for an enforcement review. For a full list of disqualifying factors, see the Guide to Enforcement Review.

   

  What you need to provide

  Without supporting evidence, your application may not be successful.

  Examples of evidence can include, but are not limited to:

  • medical reports
  • bank statements
  • hospital admissions documentation
  • police statements or reports (including mail theft reports made to Victoria Police or Australia Post)
  • travel documentation (for example, copies of flight itineraries, date-stamped passports, boarding passes, or international movement records)
  • removalist invoices
  • tow truck or mechanic's invoices
  • identification documents (for example, driver's licence, birth certificate)
  • Motor Vehicle Transfer documents or other proof of sale of a motor vehicle.

  Please provide as much information and supporting documentation as you can, as this will help us make a decision. By law, you will generally get only one chance to request a review.

   

  Request a review

   

   

  What happens after you apply

  After you have completed and submitted your form, your fine will be placed on hold and further fees will not be added.

   

  It may take us some time to process your review.

   

  If your application is not successful, we will send confirmation of the outcome to you in the post.

   

  You must then do one of the following with 21 days:

  • pay the fine
  • apply to pay by instalments
  • apply under the Family Violence Scheme
  • apply for the Work and Development Permit scheme (if eligible).

  If you do not deal with your fine in 21 days, we will commence or continue enforcement action.

   

  If your application is successful, we will:

  • remove the collection fee,
  • cancel the enforcement of the infringement fine,
  • send confirmation of the outcome to you in the post, and
  • refer the matter back to the enforcement agency.

  If the matter is referred back to the enforcement agency, it can withdraw the fine, issue an official warning or serve you with a charge and summons to go to the Magistrates' Court of Victoria. This means that the court will hear the case against you and if you are found guilty, it may record a conviction and a higher penalty. The time, date and place for your hearing will appear on your charge and summons.

   

  If your application was successful on the grounds of Person Unaware, the enforcement agency can also issue you with a new fine.

   

  For more information on the Enforcement Review process, including the grounds for review, how to apply and the possible outcomes, see: Guide to Enforcement Review (PDF).

   

   

If you cannot apply online

The fastest way to request a review is to apply online. If you cannot apply for a review online, you will need to request a review in writing by mail. This will take longer for us to process.

The application form you need to download will depend on what stage your fine is at. You can find this at the top of your fine.

• Do you have an Infringement Notice or Penalty Reminder Notice? Download the Application for Internal Review and follow the steps in the form.
• Do you have a Notice of Final Demand or Enforcement Warrant? If you're applying for enforcement review, download the Application for Enforcement Review and follow the steps in the form.

If you need help, call us on (03) 9200 8111 (1300 369 819 regional callers).

Post your review application and any supporting documents to:

Fines Victoria
GPO Box 1916
Melbourne Vic 3001