Vehicle licence penalties

Penalties are applied when:

• A transfer of a vehicle licence is not completed within the required time.
• A Defect Notice (yellow sticker) is not complied with in the required time; or
• Vehicle number plates are not returned either on request or within the required time.

All DoT penalties must be paid in full by the due date; part payments are not accepted. For information regarding any other types of fines (e.g. parking fines, speeding fines, etc.), you will need to contact the issuing body directly.

Removal of penalties

If you have received an infringement from DoT and believe an error has been made, or you have special circumstances that may be considered for removing the penalty, you will need to:

• attend a Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) centre, regional DoT office or agent; or
• call the DVS Customer Contact Centre on 13 11 56.

If you do not pay a fine or infringement notice by the due date, the matter will be referred to the Fines Enforcement Registry (FER) for follow up action. FER will issue an order to pay the fine or elect to have the matter dealt with by a court. If you do not make an election or pay the fine, a Notice of Intention to Suspend Licence will be issued.

If you don’t comply within the prescribed time, your driver's licence or vehicle licence(s) will be suspended. The suspension will not be lifted until the fine, including any additional fee, is paid.

A fine suspension order is enforced by the FER and will have no effect on the term of an existing court imposed disqualification.

If you are subject to a fine suspension order from the FER and subsequently have a disqualification imposed by a court:

• If the court orders the disqualification to run concurrently, the term of the disqualification will commence immediately.
• If the court orders the disqualification to run cumulative to existing disqualifications, the term of the disqualification will not commence until all existing disqualifications have ended, including any fine suspension orders enforced by the FER.

Where a driver's or vehicle licence is suspended due to a fine default, the fine suspension will be lifted upon payment of the fine.

Outstanding fines may prevent the renewal of a driver’s or vehicle licence.

If you have unpaid fines that are now being managed by the FER you may be able to enter into a time to pay arrangement with FER. Contact them directly for further information on 1300 650 235, or (08) 9235 0235 for international and mobile callers.

More information about the FER can be found on the Department of Justice's website.

If you are the owner of a WA licensed vehicle, you must renew the vehicle licence or return the number plates within three months of the licence expiry date. If you do not renew the vehicle licence or return the plates within the prescribed period, you will be issued with a 'Notice of Expired Vehicle Licence'.

If you fail to comply with the 'Notice of Expired Vehicle Licence', an infringement notice will be issued. If you fail to comply with the infringement notice within 28 days, a final demand for payment will be issued. The final demand for payment includes an additional fee for non-payment of the original infringement notice. You can:

• Pay the total fees by the due date shown on the final demand; or
• Elect to have the matter determined by a court; or
• Advise us that you did not purchase the vehicle by completing the statement on the reverse of the final demand for payment.

If no action is taken, the matter will be referred to the Fines Enforcement Registry for action. More information about the Fines Enforcement Registry can be found on the Department of the Attorney General's website.

If you are the new owner of a vehicle and you fail to make an application to transfer the vehicle licence within 28 days of the issue of the 'Transfer of Vehicle Licence' invoice, you will commit an offence and will be issued with an infringement notice. You can:

• Pay the total fees by the due date shown on the notice
• Elect to have the matter determined by a court; or
• Advise us that you did not purchase the vehicle by completing the statement on the reverse of the infringement notice

If you take no action by the due date of the infringement notice, a final demand for payment will be issued, together with an additional fee for non-payment of the original infringement notice. You can:

• Pay the total fees by the due date shown on the final demand for payment
• Elect to have the matter determined by a court; or
• Advise us that you did not purchase the vehicle by completing the statement on the reverse of the final demand for payment

If no action is taken by the due date of the final demand for payment, the matter will be referred to the Fines Enforcement Registry for action.

If you own a vehicle that has been issued with a work order, you must have the vehicle inspected or alternatively, return the number plates and de-license the vehicle.

If the vehicle is not presented for inspection or the number plates returned within 15 days of the expiry date of the work order, you will receive a notice cancelling the vehicle licence and demanding the return of the number plates.

Should you fail to comply with the notice, you will be issued with an infringement notice. If you fail to pay the infringement, the matter will be referred to the Fines Enforcement Registry for action.