If you’ve got an old car, ute or trailer sitting on the verge outside your Perth home, you’ve probably wondered whether the council can do anything about it. The short answer is yes – and the rules are more specific than most people expect. We looked into the local laws for three Perth metro councils – Stirling, Joondalup and Cockburn – to see what actually gets a vehicle fined, towed or impounded.
Yes, Verges Are Regulated
A nature strip might look like an extension of your front yard, but in WA it’s still part of the road reserve and falls under council control, even though owners usually maintain it. Perth metro councils each have a Parking Local Law made under the Local Government Act 1995 setting out what can and can’t be parked there, and for how long. Rangers do issue infringements for breaches, and in some cases no “no parking” sign needs to be present for a fine to stick.
City of Stirling
Stirling’s rules are among the strictest in Perth. A vehicle parked on a verge without the consent of the adjoining property owner or occupier can be fined – even with no restriction signs in place. The City’s Thoroughfares and Public Places Local Law also prohibits obstructing verge areas generally. There’s also a clause that catches people trying to offload a car privately: a driver cannot park or leave a vehicle on a road or verge for the purpose of selling it. A ute with a “For Sale” sign parked on the verge for weeks is technically an offence here, whether or not it’s registered.
City of Joondalup
Joondalup’s Parking Local Law 2023 builds in an owner-occupier exemption: you, or someone you’ve authorised, can generally park on the verge directly in front of your own property, provided it doesn’t obstruct the footpath or carriageway. Park next to your neighbour’s place instead, and that exemption doesn’t apply. The law also restricts vehicles not licensed under the Road Traffic Act from stopping on the carriageway in a number of circumstances – which is where deregistered vehicles become a real liability, not just an eyesore.
City of Cockburn
Cockburn is the most explicit of the three on unregistered vehicles. Its parking guidelines state plainly that a person must not park a vehicle that isn’t licensed under the Road Traffic Act on any portion of a thoroughfare – specifically including the verge and public reserves, not just the road itself.
The Common Thread
Across all three councils, a pattern emerges. It’s rarely the act of parking a registered, roadworthy car outside your own house that causes problems. What attracts fines is:
- Parking on a verge that isn’t adjacent to your own property, without the occupier’s consent
- Leaving a vehicle there specifically to sell it
- An unregistered or deregistered vehicle on the verge, carriageway or a public reserve
- Anything obstructing a footpath, driveway or line of sight
An old car that’s stopped running, has a lapsed registration, or was written off after an accident ticks several of these boxes at once – exactly what rangers are most likely to act on.
What This Means If You’ve Got an Old Car Sitting There
If a vehicle on your verge is unregistered, damaged, or just taking up space, the practical options are usually to re-register it and get it roadworthy (often not worth it for an older or damaged car), move it fully onto your own property, or sell it and have it removed. A few things affect what a wrecker will offer:
- Make and model – some hold parts and scrap value better than others
- Whether it runs – non-runners are still bought, priced for the extra recovery work
- How complete it is – a missing engine or catalytic converter reduces value
- Extent of damage – accident, flood or fire damage is factored in, not a dealbreaker
- Registration status – deregistered and written-off vehicles can still be sold
Two WA-Specific Things to Get Right
Number plates stay with the seller, not the vehicle – remove them before pick-up. And once the sale is done, WA sellers must lodge a Notification of Disposal with the Department of Transport, which records that you’re no longer the registered owner.
Getting the Car Off the Verge for Good
Cash For Cars Perth buys cars, utes, trucks, vans and 4WDs across the entire Perth metro area in any condition – running, non-running, accident-damaged, flood or fire-damaged, deregistered or written off – and pays up to $9,999 cash, in cash or instant OSKO transfer, before the vehicle leaves your property. (We don’t cover Bunbury or areas further south, and can’t buy stolen vehicles, cars under finance, or bodies without a chassis.)
Towing is free and often same-day, within two to three hours if you call before midday. All we need is valid photo ID; you don’t have to be the registered owner to sell on someone’s behalf. It then goes to our licensed wrecking yard at 5 Hantke Place, Welshpool, to be dismantled and recycled properly.
Ready to Move It On?
If that unregistered car has been sitting on the verge longer than it should, it’s worth sorting out before a ranger does it for you. Call Cash For Cars Perth on 0420 262 651, open Monday to Saturday, 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM, or get a quote online – same-day removal is available across Perth metro.