Below is a breakdown of the laws for travelling with your pets in the car.
Victoria laws for driving with a dog in the car
It is illegal to:
🐾 Put dogs in the boot of a sedan car
🐾 Leave animals unattended inside a car for more than 10 minutes, especially when outside temperatures are at or above 28 degrees celsius
🐾 Have your dog not tethered or caged if in the back of a ute or trailer
🐾 Secure your dog on the metal tray of a ute or trailer when outside temperatures are at or above 28 degrees celsius, without access to an insulating material to prevent them from making contact with the metal surface
New South Wales laws for driving with a dog in the car
🐾 You can be fined and acquire demerit points if your dog is causing you to not be in complete control of the vehicle
🐾 You are not allowed to drive with a dog in your lap. Those caught carry a penalty of three demerit points and $338, rising to $422 in a school zone.
🐾 Drivers, motorcyclists, bike riders and passengers must not lead their dogs on a leash while they are in movement
🐾 Pets must be seated in an appropriate area of the vehicle
🐾 A jail sentence is possible if the dog is injured because it was unrestrained in the car. If an animal is injured as a result of being unrestrained, owners also face up to six months jail and fines of up to $5,500 under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act
🐾 Drivers caught with unrestrained dogs can acquire fines of more than $400
Queensland laws for driving with a dog in the car
You are legally required to ensure your dog is safe during travelling inside a vehicle or on the tray of a trailer car. Otherwise, a maximum penalty of $8,625 applies.
Transporting any dog or animal in an unsuitable container or vehicle is also cruel, especially harmful to its welfare. This may include:
🐾 transporting the animal with too few or too many other animals or with an incompatible species
🐾 not providing the animal with appropriate breaks - water breaks, food breaks, pee and toilet breaks
🐾 confining the animal in a way that causes heat stress or other pain
🐾 Significant penalties of up to $275,700 or 3 years in prison apply for animal cruelty.