Western Australia is one of the easier states to sell a car in and one of the least forgiving about paperwork.
Easier, because there is no inspection requirement to sell a licensed vehicle privately. Less forgiving, because you get 7 days, not 14, to lodge the seller's portion of the transfer form — and WA states the consequence in dollars: a $100 infringement, per the Department of Transport's page on selling. It's the only jurisdiction where we could confirm a specific figure; others warn that penalties apply without publishing an amount, so don't read WA's clarity as leniency elsewhere.
Seven days, not fourteen. If you've sold cars in other states, this is the deadline that will catch you out.
No inspection needed
You don't need an inspection certificate to sell a licensed vehicle privately in WA. Inspections are required in specific circumstances — not as a routine part of a private sale.
If you've read that a roadworthy is required to sell a car "in Australia", that's wrong, and WA is one of the states it's wrong about.
Form MR9, and why it matters more here
The transfer runs on form MR9. You complete your section, the buyer completes theirs, and you lodge your copy within 7 days.
Two things about the MR9 are worth flagging, because they're specific to WA:
It asks you to declare the sale price, and understating it is an offence. Consumer Protection's guidance on privately selling a vehicle sets out what's expected of a seller, and the duty declaration on the form itself is the operative part. Write down what the car actually sold for — the temptation to understate it to reduce the buyer's duty is a false economy for both of you.
It asks you to declare written-off status. WA is the one jurisdiction where we could confirm that seller disclosure of a write-off sits on the statutory form itself, rather than being left to the buyer's own PPSR check. If the car has been written off and repaired, that goes on the form.
WA also expects a degree of candour beyond the form. Consumer Protection's guidance notes a seller may be held liable for being aware of a serious defect and not making it known — a higher bar than "don't lie if asked". Read that guidance before you write the ad, not after a buyer complains.
Before you advertise
- Gather the licence papers and service history.
- Note the odometer reading.
- Deal with any finance owing before you list.
- Download the MR9 and read your section before you're standing in a driveway with a buyer.
Selling the car
Write a receipt as well as the MR9: both names, the date, the sale price, the VIN, the odometer reading, both signatures. Keep a copy.
Take the buyer's details from their driver licence. You need their details for the form anyway, and a name that doesn't match is a reason to stop.
What the buyer does and pays
The buyer lodges their transfer, which they can do through DoTDirect, pays the transfer fee — currently $20.50, among the lowest in the country — and pays vehicle licence duty.
WA duty is a sliding scale from 2.75% to 6.5% of value. Note that WA's duty content now sits with the Department of Treasury and Finance rather than the transport department, and Consumer Protection has moved domains too — a lot of older guides link to pages that no longer exist. If a link you followed 404s, that's why.
Insurance
Cancel or transfer your comprehensive cover once the sale is complete and your MR9 copy is lodged. Ask your insurer specifically about test drives before you hand the keys to a stranger.
What this means if you're selling on MotorLoop
The MR9 and the 7-day deadline are between you and WA. What we can do is the listing side: listing a car on MotorLoop is free, and buyers message you in the app so your phone number stays private until you choose to share it.