To lodge a notification of disposal in WA, notify the Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure (DTMI) within seven days of selling a WA licensed vehicle. Use DoTDirect if the transfer is eligible, or submit the seller’s copy of Form MR9. If the vehicle’s licence is being cancelled for wrecking, check the cancellation and plate-return process instead of assuming an ordinary transfer applies.
The distinction matters whether you are selling a second-hand car to another driver or handing a vehicle over for dismantling. Start with its current licence status, then follow the appropriate steps below.
Why This Step Matters
The seller’s notification records that a licensed vehicle has changed hands. DTMI requires the new owner’s name and address, and failure to notify within the required period can attract a penalty. Keep your sale receipt and lodgement evidence together so you can explain the transaction if correspondence arrives later.
A Quick Note on Terminology
“Notification of disposal” is the phrase many sellers search for. WA’s paper form is called Notification of Change of Ownership – Vehicle Licence Transfer (MR9). A licence transfer, voluntary licence cancellation and written-off vehicle notification have different purposes; completing one should not be treated as proof that all three have been handled.
What You’ll Need Before You Start
Have the current vehicle licence paper and the agreed sale details beside you. Read identifiers from the documents rather than relying on a description in an advertisement: a Hyundai hatchback, for example, still needs its precise model and vehicle identifiers recorded.
- Your seller details and the buyer’s full name and address.
- The plate number, make, model, VIN or chassis number and engine number.
- The date of disposal, purchase price and dutiable value.
- The licence expiry date, odometer reading and other details requested on MR9.
MR9 contains separate seller and purchaser declarations. Both parties must sign the paper form, and incomplete information can cause the transfer to be rejected. Read its instructions if the transaction is a gift or involves related parties; the sale price is not automatically the appropriate dutiable value in every case.
Step-by-Step: Lodging Your Notification
Step 1: Choose Your Method
For an eligible transfer, sign in to DoTDirect through the official WA vehicle-selling page. Have the plate number, buyer details and sale information ready. Follow the prompts and review the information before submitting; screen labels can change.
DoTDirect cannot handle every transfer. DTMI lists exclusions including transfers to or from a company or organisation, heavy vehicles, optional plates, joint ownership and certain court-order or deceased-estate transactions. If selling to a business, check this before choosing the online route.
For a vehicle being permanently taken off the road, owners can voluntarily cancel the licence by surrendering the plates. DTMI also provides a lost or stolen plate notification process. Our guide to rego after a car accident discusses the related cancellation and refund questions.
Step 2: Complete the Details
If online transfer is unavailable, download the current MR9 vehicle licence transfer form. Complete it with the buyer, checking the names, addresses, vehicle details and disposal date against your records.
Ask for the purchasing business’s correct name and address before the vehicle leaves. If collection is from your home in Alkimos, distinguish the pickup address from the buyer’s business address when recording the transaction.
For a paper transfer, give the purchaser their red copy and the current licence paper. Keep the blue seller’s copy for submission. The buyer has a separate obligation to notify DTMI within 14 days; their paperwork does not replace your seven-day deadline.
Step 3: Submit Within Seven Days
Submit the blue seller’s copy at a DTMI service centre or regional agent, or post it to Driver and Vehicle Services, GPO Box R1290, Perth WA 6844. Plan the lodgement when arranging the sale, rather than leaving it until the deadline.
Step 4: Keep Your Confirmation
Save any online confirmation, a copy of the completed form and any lodgement receipt. Record the handover date and keep the buyer’s details with the sale receipt. If details are wrong or you are unsure whether the transaction was processed, contact DTMI on 13 11 56.
What Happens to Your Number Plates
Do not assume WA plates always stay with the seller. An ordinary licensed sale differs from cancelling a licence, and optional plates have their own transfer or exchange requirements.
If you want to keep optional plates, arrange their exchange at a DTMI service centre or regional agent before selling the vehicle. If they are sold with it, complete the relevant plate-entitlement details and follow DTMI’s transfer requirements.
If the Vehicle Is Already a Written-Off Vehicle
DTMI cancels the licence when a vehicle is recorded on the Written-Off Vehicle Register as a statutory or repairable write-off. Its written-off vehicle guidance says plates must be returned within 28 days and the registered owner receives a cancellation letter.
If an insurer or wrecker has the plates, confirm whether they will return them for you. Check the cancellation letter and current licence status before attempting a transfer. Ask DTMI which notification applies if the licence has already been cancelled; do not assume MR9 can transfer an unlicensed vehicle.
Before the Vehicle Leaves
Ask the buyer for a receipt identifying the business, vehicle and handover date. Check that it matches the sale information you have recorded, and photograph the vehicle identifiers if the licence papers are difficult to read.
Confirm who will lodge any applicable seller paperwork and who will return the plates. Keep evidence of those arrangements. A pickup receipt is useful evidence of the handover, but it should not be treated as a government lodgement confirmation.
Get It Done Properly, Then Get It Sorted
Check the licence status, record the buyer accurately, meet the applicable deadline and keep confirmation. For a licensed sale, choose DoTDirect or MR9 according to eligibility; for cancellation or an existing write-off, confirm the plate and notification requirements with DTMI.
If you need help arranging collection of a vehicle destined for recycling, our scrap car removal service can talk through the handover details on 0420 262 651.