Apply for a vehicle licence refund

Refunds you can apply for include:

• Plate application fee.
• Temporary movement permit fee.
• Vehicle examination (inspection) fee.
• Vehicle licence (registration) fee, surrendered plates, concession, payment error.
• Motor Injury Insurance (MII) refunds to vehicle owners on behalf of the Insurance Commission of Western Australia on a pro-rata basis if the vehicle is de-licensed or the insurance class has changed, and a lower premium applies.

Reasons you may want to request a refund:

Accident: The refund will be effective from the date the number plates are returned unless there is a copy of the accident report or a letter from the insurer confirming the accident date submitted with the application. Where the plates are lost, stolen or destroyed the vehicle owner will need to complete a 'Lost/stolen number plates (Form VL14)' before a refund can be considered.

Cancelled deal: Only applies when a vehicle is not delivered to a client by a vehicle dealer.

Concession: A refund may be payable where the vehicle owner is entitled to a concession on their vehicle licence (such as a seniors, veteran, and pensioner concession), where they have paid the renewal at full rates; provided the concession was not already applied to another vehicle licensed in the applicant's name at the time of payment. Proof of eligibility must be produced at the time of application.

Payment error: Proof of payment or a statutory declaration is required. *

Stolen vehicle: The refund will be effective from the date the vehicle was reported stolen to the Police.

Surrender of plates: The refund of the vehicle licence fee will be effective from the date the number plates are returned. Where the plates are lost, stolen or destroyed the vehicle owner will need to complete a 'Lost/stolen number plates (Form VL14)' before a refund can be considered. **

Optional plate order cancellation: You can only cancel your optional plate order whilst the plate is ordered, or if your plate combination has been refused. Once the plate order has been sent to the manufacturer it cannot be cancelled. 

Sale of a vehicle to an interstate purchaser: If you are the WA vehicle licence holder you will need to de-license the vehicle by returning the plates to the department to claim a refund of any remaining portion of the WA licence. This must be done prior to sale to an interstate purchaser.

Note:
*The period for which a vehicle licence is granted is the period elected by you for the grant or renewal up to one year at the time of renewal. A lesser period cannot be selected once the period has begun and therefore a refund cannot be granted in this circumstance.

**You are not entitled to a refund of the unused portion of vehicle licence fees where the plates are returned after a vehicle licence has been cancelled due to non - compliance with a Defect Notice (yellow sticker). You are only entitled to a pro-rata refund of the Motor Injury Insurance (MII).

• If you have a WA licensed vehicle and you no longer reside in WA, you must return the number plates to the WA Department of Transport within three months of the current expiry date. Number plates must be returned within the prescribed period to avoid penalty.
• If you have transferred the WA licensed vehicle to another State/Territory and subsequently surrendered the number plates, you will be issued with a plate receipt. You are required to send a copy of this plate receipt to the WA Department of Transport by fax or post.
• An interstate purchaser of a WA licensed vehicle cannot claim a refund of the remaining portion of a WA vehicle licence. Once a vehicle is re-licensed in another state or territory the WA licence is cancelled and no refund is payable to either the WA owner/seller or the interstate purchaser.