If you believe a fine has been incorrectly issued or there is a valid reason why your fine should be withdrawn, you may be able to ask for a review. In most cases, you can only apply for one review for each fine.

You can only ask for a review under one of the eligible grounds and you have to provide supporting evidence to support the reasons you are asking for a review. The application may not be successful if you don’t apply under an eligible ground or provide supporting evidence.

I want more information on requesting a review for a fine at:

• Infringement or Penalty Reminder stage
• Notice of Final Demand or Enforcement Warrant stage

Request a review

What are the reasons I can ask for a review?

When you request a review, you must choose the grounds for review. The ground is the reason you are asking for a review and by law, there are only 5 eligible grounds for review.

Different rules apply for each of the grounds and not all fines are eligible for review on each of the grounds. If the reason you are asking for a review doesn’t meet the criteria of one of the grounds, your review will not be successful.

• Person unaware

  You can request a review under the Person Unaware ground if all the following apply:

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

  You must apply on this ground within 14 days from when you found out about the fine or 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 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 may not be successful.

  Fines at Infringement Notice or Penalty Reminder Notice stage: if your Person Unaware application is successful, you will be granted a further 21 days to deal with your fine.

  Fines at Notice of Final Demand stage or Enforcement Warrant stage: if your Person Unaware application is successful, the fine is sent back to the enforcement agency that originally issued your fine. The enforcement agency can then choose to:

  • 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

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

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

• Mistake of identity

  You can request a review under the Mistake of Identity ground 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.

  You cannot apply on this ground if:

  • someone else was driving your vehicle at the time of the offence, or
  • you are the registered owner of the vehicle and you received a camera-detected fine. If that has happened, you should Nominate the responsible driver.

  If you didn’t nominate the driver and your fine has reached the Notice of Final Demand or Enforcement Warrant stage, you cannot request a review on this ground.

• Exceptional circumstances

  You can request a review under the Exceptional Circumstances ground if you can show that the offence occurred due to circumstances that were out of the ordinary, unavoidable, or exceptional.

  For example, a medical emergency or a vehicle breakdown. Your application may not be successful unless you provide evidence showing what happened.

• Special Circumstances

  These circumstances are very specific. You should only select the Special Circumstances ground 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 you have severe or disabling long-term circumstances or condition, even you didn’t have it at the time of the offence.

  You will need to provide evidence from a qualified practitioner or agency to support your application.

  For more information on what is required and how to apply, see: Special Circumstances.

  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.

What do I need to include in my application?

You need to provide evidence to support the claims made in the application. You should provide as much information and supporting documentation as you can.

The type of information and supporting documents will depend on the ground you are requesting the review under. Some examples of the types of evidence you can provide are:

• medical reports
• bank statements
• hospital admissions documentation
• police statements or reports (including mail theft reports made to Victoria Police or Australia Post)
• images of the alleged offence (if relevant to your grounds) – for images of Victoria Police issued fines visit view your fine
• 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

Internal review

• What fines are not eligible for an internal review?

  You cannot request an internal review for:

  • excessive speeding offences
  • drink-driving offences
  • drug-driving offences
  • alcohol or drug-related boating offences
  • court issued fines
• What happens after I apply?

  After you apply, any fines included in the application will be put on hold while the application is reviewed.

  Your application will be decided within 90 days, using the information you gave. You may be asked to give more information; you should respond to these requests quickly.

  Once a decision has been made, you will receive a letter in the post.

  If your application is successful, 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, or
  • confirm its decision to issue you with the fine.

  If your application is not successful, you will receive a notice by mail 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 a chance to present your evidence in front of a magistrate, who will decide the outcome.

Enforcement review

• What fines are not eligible for an enforcement review?

  You can’t request an enforcement review if:

  • Your fine has been paid in full.
  • Your fine is not registered with Fines Victoria and a Notice of Final Demand from Fines Victoria has not been issued. 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 agreed to waive it.
  • You have previously had an enforcement review determined for the fine, on the grounds of exceptional circumstances, mistake of identity, contrary to law or person unaware.

  There are other reasons why a fine is not eligible for an enforcement review in the Guide to Enforcement Review (PDF).

• What happens after I apply?

  After you apply, any fines included in the application will be put on hold while your application is reviewed. It may take some time for us to consider your application.

  Your application will be reviewed using the information you have given us. You may be asked to give more information; you should respond to these requests quickly.

  If your application is not successful, we will send confirmation of the outcome to you by post. You must take one of the below actions within 21 days or enforcement action will continue:

  • pay the outstanding amount
  • apply to pay by instalments
  • if eligible, apply under the Family Violence Scheme
  • if eligible, apply for the Work and Development Permit scheme

  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 fine back to the enforcement agency.

  If the fine is referred to the enforcement agency, they can decide to:

  • 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 can't apply online

The easiest way to request a review is online. A request for a review must be made in writing. If you can’t apply online, you need to send your request by post.

• If you have an Infringement Notice or Penalty Reminder Notice – download the Application for Internal Review (PDF) and follow the steps in the form.
• If you have a Notice of Final Demand or Enforcement Warrant? – download the Application for Enforcement Review (PDF) 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 supporting documents to:

Fines Victoria
GPO Box 1916
Melbourne Vic 3001