Vehicle acquisitions (Dealers)

If a vehicle licence has expired more than 14 days but less than 3 months, the dealer can choose to renew the vehicle licence under the seller’s name and be issued with a receipt in the seller’s name.

If the dealer chooses not to renew the vehicle licence under the seller’s name, the vehicle cannot be transferred, and the plates must be handed in.

The vehicle is deemed to have been purchased unlicensed and an inspection is required to licence the vehicle.

The process to licence a vehicle in WA  is the same for a dealer as it is for an individual.

If you acquire a vehicle with a concession, the concession will be removed and a licence fee adjustment will be applied when the licence transfer is processed by DVS.

The licence fee adjustment is calculated from the day the dealership acquired the vehicle to the vehicle licence expiry date.

This outstanding adjustment amount must be paid immediately to ensure the validity of the vehicle licence.

If the vehicle to be acquired is fitted with optional or special plates and the customer wants to retain the plates, they will need to:

• ensure the vehicle is licensed
• remove the plates from the vehicle
• exchange the plates at a Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS)centre, regional DoT office or agent.

The change of plates must be completed before lodging the acquisition.

If a vehicle is acquired with state /district plates or personalised blue plates, they will be automatically acquired with the vehicle.

If the customer wants to retain these plates a change of plate must be done prior to lodging the acquisition.

When you acquire a vehicle, pay attention to the insurance class details on the Vehicle Licence and Motor Injury Insurance Policy (licence papers).

Normally the fee type and insurance class on standard vehicles is:

• fee type 01, insurance class 1A (cars), or
• fee type 02, insurance class 02 (utes.)

The most common scenario where you may need to change the insurance class is when the:

• vehicle was licenced and used for Hire and Drive (Insurance class 3G), or
• vehicle was licenced and used as a Passenger Transport Vehicle (Insurance class 3F).

Vehicles with a specified use insurance class such as 3F, 3G and 5C can only be acquired if the insurance class is changed to the standard insurance class for the vehicle. 

If additional fees are payable due to a change of insurance class these fees must be paid at the time the insurance class is changed before the vehicle can be acquired.

To change an insurance class, you must submit completed Declaration of Motor Injury Insurance Class (E67) form.

You can submit the form by:

• post
• fax
• email to contact.centre@transport.wa.gov.au
• in person at a Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS)centre, regional DoT office or agent.

The application must be completed by the record holder or an authorised representative for an organisation.