The Australian Office of Film and Literature Classification has given an RC rating to Fallout 3. RC typically means "refused classification" and means that the game is banned from sale unless a modified version is made.

Australia has no "adult" rating in its game classification system, even though the ratings were updated to match the film and television ratings in 2006.

If Zenimax, the distributors, and Bethesda, the developers, want to get the game in Australia; the game has to be edited to match a MA rating. MA rated games allow only a person of 15 years or older to buy the game. This also follows in the footsteps of Grand Theft Auto IV.

The game does contain a number of mature subjects; including drug abuse, slavery and extreme violence.