Ram‑raiding involves using a vehicle to smash into a building to steal, cause damage or commit an assault.
Under the changes, offenders can now be charged with aggravated burglary, rather than lesser offences such as theft or burglary.
The new charge will also fall under Adult Time for Violent Crime, which came into effect in February.
“This is about protecting businesses and communities – giving police the tools they need to stop violent offenders and keep Victorians safe,” Police Minister Anthony Carbines said.
Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny said violence towards local businesses and workers would not be tolerated.
“We will keep taking action to protect Victorian workers – because everyone deserves to come home safely from work,” Ms Kilkenny said.
The new charge follows additional laws introduced in December, under which individuals face up to five years in jail for assaulting or threatening customer‑facing workers.
Lower-level abuse can result in up to six months’ imprisonment.
The new protections cover all customer-facing workers, including retail, hospitality, security, cleaners, delivery riders, taxi and rideshare drivers, public transport operators and contractors working on site.
The government is also developing Workplace Protection Orders, which would allow businesses to ban people who behave violently towards workers from returning to the workplace.
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