There are around 938,000 caravans and campervans registered in Australia (Tourism Research Australia, 2025), and a decent share of them cross a state border every winter. Here's the bit that catches people out: caravan towing laws in Australia change state by state. The speed you towed at legally in Queensland this morning can earn you a fine in New South Wales this afternoon.
The differences cluster in three areas: speed limits, licence conditions and mirrors. This guide covers all three, state by state, with links to the official pages so you can check the source yourself. It sticks to driving rules; towing weights, GVM, ATM and the compliance-plate side live in our Towing Weights Explained guide.
The short version first. Western Australia caps all towing at 100 km/h. NSW caps you at 100 km/h once your car-plus-van combination weighs more than 4.5 tonnes. Everywhere else you tow at the signed limit. A standard car licence covers caravan towing in every state. And nobody, in any state, is allowed to ride in the caravan while it's moving.
Towing speed limits by state
Only two jurisdictions set a specific speed cap for towing a caravan. Western Australia limits every towing vehicle to 100 km/h, and New South Wales limits you to 100 km/h once the combination passes 4.5 tonnes. In the other six, the signed limit is your limit.
WA is the strict one. Its Road Traffic Code caps any vehicle towing a trailer or caravan at 100 km/h, or the signed limit if that's lower, no matter how light the rig, per the WA Road Safety Commission.
NSW takes a different route, and it catches more people. If your tow vehicle's GVM is over 4.5 tonnes, or your car and van together weigh more than 4.5 tonnes, you're limited to 100 km/h regardless of the signs, per the NSW Government towing rules. A 2.8-tonne dual-cab towing a 2.5-tonne van is a 5.3-tonne combination. Over the threshold, so those 110 km/h motorway zones aren't for you.
The NT sits at the other end. No towing-specific cap exists, and signed limits reach 130 km/h on sections of the Stuart, Barkly, Victoria and Arnhem Highways, per the NT Government speed limits page. Legal at 130 isn't smart at 130 with three tonnes on the back.
| Jurisdiction | Speed rule when towing a caravan |
|---|---|
| NSW | Signed limit, but 100 km/h max once the combination exceeds 4.5 t (or the tow vehicle's GVM does) |
| VIC | Signed limit, no towing-specific cap |
| QLD | Signed limit, no towing-specific cap |
| WA | 100 km/h maximum for all towing, statewide |
| SA | Signed limit, no towing-specific cap |
| TAS | Signed limit, no towing-specific cap |
| ACT | Signed limit (100 km/h is the territory's highest anyway) |
| NT | Signed limit, up to 130 km/h on marked highway sections |
One more layer: your vehicle manufacturer may set its own towing speed cap, some as low as 80 km/h according to RAC WA. That's not road law, but ignore it and you hand your insurer and warranty assessor an easy out.
Licence rules: who's allowed to tow
No Australian state or territory requires a special licence to tow a caravan. A full car licence (Class C) covers a tow vehicle up to 4.5 tonnes GVM towing within its rated capacity, which covers nearly every 4WD-and-caravan rig. Queensland spells out the ceiling: a C-class holder may tow one trailer up to 9 tonnes GVM or the manufacturer's limit, whichever is less, per the Queensland Government towing rules.
The complications start when a learner or P-plater takes a turn at the wheel. The rules are all over the place:
| State | Learners | Provisional drivers |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | No towing at all | P1: trailers up to 250 kg unloaded only, P-plate on the trailer. P2: no restriction |
| VIC | No towing | P1: no towing except for work or under instruction. P2: no restriction |
| QLD | May tow, with an L-plate on the back of the van as well | No restriction |
| WA | May tow with a supervisor, plates on car and van | May tow, plates on car and van |
| SA | No towing restriction | No towing restriction |
| TAS | No towing on L1 or L2 | P1 may tow, plate on the van if it hides the car's plate |
| ACT | Nothing over 750 kg GVM | Same rule for the first 12 months of P1, then unrestricted |
| NT | No published towing ban, but the 80 km/h learner speed cap applies | No published towing ban, 100 km/h provisional cap applies |
The NSW P1 rule deserves a second look, because the 250 kg limit applies to the trailer's unloaded weight, and every caravan on the market is comfortably over it before you pack a thing.
Towing mirrors: the rule is a clear view, not a product
Australian law doesn't name a mirror brand or model you must fit. The trigger is rule 297 of the Australian Road Rules, adopted in every state and territory except WA, where the Road Traffic Code imposes the same requirement: the driver must have a clear view of the road and traffic ahead, behind and to each side. A caravan is nearly always wider than its tow car, and once it blocks your standard mirrors, the only way to comply is extension towing mirrors. South Australia's Driver's Handbook says it plainly: at least one mirror on each side whenever the trailer is wider than the towing vehicle. WA's towing page says the same.
Victoria adds two practical points worth following everywhere, via Transport Victoria's caravan guidance: use mirrors no wider than you actually need, and take them off when the van isn't on the back. A reversing camera on the van is useful, but VicRoads is explicit: it supplements mirrors, it doesn't replace them.
Now the myth. Forums repeat a rule that towing mirrors may stick out 150 mm and no more. In the light vehicle standards, that figure (230 mm for mirrors that fold) applies to vehicles over 3.5 tonnes GVM. No such number is published for an ordinary 4WD or ute. What binds you is the clear-view rule. Pick mirrors that show you both sides of the van, keep them no wider than required, and don't lose sleep over a millimetre figure.
Passengers in the caravan: no, everywhere
Riding in a caravan while it's being towed is illegal in every Australian state and territory, under rule 298 of the Australian Road Rules and WA's equivalent. No exception for adults, kids or anyone keen on a nap. A van has no seatbelts and no crash protection.
Three more rules that catch towing drivers out
The 60-metre rule. Outside built-up areas, a "long vehicle" (any combination 7.5 metres or longer, which a 4WD plus a caravan easily is) must stay at least 60 metres behind another long vehicle, stretching to 200 metres in signed road train areas. It doesn't apply on multi-lane roads or while you're overtaking.
One trailer only. A light vehicle may tow exactly one trailer. Car, caravan and boat in a line is illegal in every state.
Keep left, and let the queue past. On multi-lane roads signed over 80 km/h, keep out of the right lane unless overtaking, and the road rules stop you unreasonably obstructing traffic, so use the next pull-over bay when a queue builds. Queensland's StreetSmarts program also recommends a five-second following gap when towing. Guidance rather than law, but good guidance.
Legal is the floor, not the ceiling
Every rule above is about what police and other drivers can see. What none of them can see is the state of your tyres at 100 km/h with the van loaded, and that's where the real risk hides on a long interstate run. Queensland's StreetSmarts program reports an average of 14 lives lost and 243 people hospitalised each year in crashes involving a light passenger vehicle towing a trailer.
No Australian Design Rule makes tyre pressure monitoring mandatory here, unlike the US, where it's been required on new cars since 2007. Voluntary means it's on you. A tyre pressure monitoring system watches the pressure and temperature of every tyre on the car and the van in real time, so a slow leak shows up as a number on your display instead of a lurch at highway speed. The iCheckTPMS IC008 kit covers a 4WD and single-axle van, the IC010 handles dual-axle rigs, and both pair with hub-mounted wheel bearing temperature sensors. Add it to the pre-trip checks in our caravan safety checklist and the border crossings become the only thing that changes on your trip.
Frequently asked questions
What is the towing speed limit in WA?
100 km/h. Western Australia caps every vehicle towing a caravan or trailer at 100 km/h, or the signed limit where that's lower. It's the only Australian jurisdiction with a blanket towing speed cap.
Can I tow a caravan at 110 km/h in NSW?
Only if your car and caravan together weigh 4.5 tonnes or less and your tow vehicle's GVM is under 4.5 tonnes. Most 4WD-and-caravan combinations weigh more, so in practice most vans in NSW are limited to 100 km/h even in 110 zones.
Can a P-plater tow a caravan?
It depends on the state. NSW P1 drivers can only tow trailers up to 250 kg unloaded, which rules out caravans. Victorian P1 drivers can't tow except for work or under instruction. ACT P1 drivers can't tow anything over 750 kg GVM in their first year. Queensland, WA, SA and Tasmania allow provisional drivers to tow.
Are towing mirrors compulsory in Australia?
Yes, whenever your caravan is wider than your tow vehicle, which is nearly always. Rule 297 of the Australian Road Rules requires a clear view of the road behind and beside you, and SA and WA state directly that a trailer wider than the towing vehicle needs a mirror on each side. Remove extension mirrors when you're not towing.
Can passengers ride in a caravan while it's being towed?
No. It's illegal in every Australian state and territory under rule 298 of the Australian Road Rules and WA's equivalent. Caravans have no seatbelts or crash protection, so everyone travels in the car.
Is TPMS mandatory in Australia?
No. No Australian Design Rule requires a tyre pressure monitoring system on any vehicle, unlike the US, where TPMS has been mandatory on new passenger vehicles since 2007. Fitting one to a towing rig is voluntary best practice, and it's the only way to watch the van's tyre pressures and temperatures while driving.
Before a big interstate lap, spend ten minutes on your state road authority's towing page. Sort the speed, licence and mirror side here, the weights side there, and let the monitoring watch everything the law can't. Travel with confidence.
The rules above were current at the time of writing (July 2026) and do change. Always confirm against your state road authority before you travel.
