In Western Australia, number plates stay with the seller rather than going with the car, so selling or scrapping a vehicle leaves the seller responsible for the plates and for telling the Department of Transport about the sale. Unused months of registration can often be refunded, which makes this worth knowing for anyone selling an old car in Perth. It also applies to people handling a sale for someone else, such as a family member clearing out a relative's vehicle.
Two separate tasks follow a sale. The first is lodging a Notification of Disposal with the Department of Transport as soon as the sale is done, which ends the seller's responsibility for the car whether or not a refund is claimed. The second is applying for a pro-rata refund of the unused licence fee and Motor Injury Insurance, either through a DoTDirect account or with an Application for Refund (Form C2). Lost, stolen or destroyed plates need a separate form (VL14) first, and the refund is calculated from the date the plates are returned, not the date of sale.
The most important point is that refunds are paid only to the registered owner or, in the case of a deceased estate, the estate. A buyer or removal company may accept a vehicle from anyone with valid photo ID, but that person cannot claim the refund unless they are the registered owner. Delays in returning the plates reduce the refund, and the amount also depends on the full months remaining and whether a concession rate applies. Handling the disposal notice and the refund application promptly avoids both lingering liability for the car and an unclaimed refund.
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