unregistered caravan/trailer fine in W.A

they send you to Tasmania

Much more than the licence fee or the permit fee.

Neil

Jacent - The offence of using an unregistered/unlicenced ("licenced" is the W.A. terminology) vehicle on a road in W.A., is an offence for which a summons is issued, and the penalty is set by the beak on the day, taking into account the circumstances.

Section 15 of the W.A. Road Traffic Act 1974 (as amended) sets a $500 maximum fine (10 PU - PU being Penalty Unit = $50).
The beak will set the fine as he sees fit.
The fine will also include the cost of either 6 mths or 12mths rego/licencing fee that was avoided, plus court costs (there appears to be some leeway here, although the Act states 12 mths fee).

http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/wa/consol_act/rta1974111/s15.html

If the vehicle has been registered in W.A. previously, but the rego/licence has lapsed through failure to pay by oversight, you can argue this as an extenuating case.
However, if the vehicle has not been registered/licenced in W.A. ever (or in any State), or has not been registered/licenced for an extended period (years), then you will be looking at a higher level of fine.

The Police can demand that the unregistered/unlicenced vehicle be parked up on the spot, and not moved until a temporary movement permit is obtained, to move it to a place of repair, or an inspection station for licencing.

If the vehicle has false plates fitted to try and avoid registration/licencing, then the plates will be removed on the spot by the Police, and you will be charged with the additional offence of using false number plates.

However, be aware that you can also be charged under the Motor Vehicle (Third Party Act 1943), under Section 4 (sub-section 3A, 3C and subsection 4) for operating an uninsured vehicle on public roads.
The maximum penalty for this offence is $400. Note also, if you are charged and convicted under Section 4, sub-section 3A, that you are liable to an ADDITIONAL penalty under Section 4, sub-section 4, for a drivers licence suspension period of 12 mths.

http://austlii.edu.au/au/legis/wa/consol_act/mvp84ia1943359/s4.html

Note that you cannot be charged and convicted for an offence under Section 4 of the Third Party Act, if you have been charged and convicted of an offence under Section 15 of the Road Traffic Act (if the events were all part of the one offence).

It's rare for anyone to be charged with a Third Party Insurance offence for an unregistered/unlicenced vehicle - the usual charge is merely operating an unregistered/unlicenced vehicle, under Section 15 of the Road Traffic Act.

If the vehicle is carrying number plates from one of the Eastern States (and the driver has an Eastern States MDL) - and the rego has expired (Police can check on this instantly, via the now co-ordinated, Australia-wide rego database) - they cannot issue a charge for the offence of using an unregistered vehicle, because of jurisdictional conflicts.

However, they will almost certainly issue an unroadworthy order (after finding some minor issue), which entails a "yellow sticker" and a visit to an inspection station (you're given 10 days), for safety checking, and for checking on the bona fides of the vehicle operation.

It is illegal to operate a vehicle in another State for more than 30 days on another States registration, if the person has moved (to live) to the other State.
Accordingly, both MDL and rego have to be moved over to the State of residence of the driver.

You could possibly reduce the fine amount by some modest amount, if extenuating circumstances were offered as a defence.
If caught, it would almost certainly pay to front the beak (if possible). Personal appearance and good personal explanations, go further towards reducing the penalty, than written explanations, or an appearance by your lawyer.

The fine for an unregistered/unlicenced van would not be severe, if it was a memory lapse or other administration oversight.

Cheers - Ron.

Note that a lot of the Highway cars now have plate recognition technology fitted to the vehicles. A camera constantly scans for vehicle plates as they are driving along, checks it against an onboard downloaded traffic database and flags to the driver any potential unregistered vehicles that it passes (along with lots of other info!). So there is more chance of being picked up. Most NSW HWP vehicles have this system - i'd imagine WA have similar.

Pat

Gidday
If the caravan is registered in another state it should not be a problem. If not just get a permit and as hard as it might be abide by the rules. That's they way of the world, the people who won't obey the rules make life that much harder for the rest of us.

And be polite to government officials. If you want to rub somebody up the wrong way and make them get rule books out and find ways of making your life a misery they will do just that. My late brother spent 30 years as a traffic patrolman in WA and the first test people had to pass was the attitude test. If they failed that things could go downhill very quickly ...talking about indian dogs won't help.


Unregistered vehicle use is a major problem in WA and goes hand in hand with other illegal activity of various degrees. I found out today that somebody has stolen the number plate off my old box trailer! Both my sons have been victims of number plate theft a few times. With computer recognition equipment in cars police can tell almost instantly whether the car ahead is licenced or not so the trick seems to be to steal some plates off the same model car and use them for a while then steal another set ... that is why we have strict rules

Cheers

Rocco

Cheers

Rocco

A few years ago I got a temporary permit from Vic Roads for a trailer that I bought in Qld so I could get it home to register in my home state of Victoria.
I obviously could not register it in Qld as I had no place of abode in that state,

Trailer had no plates and I wasn't stopped so can't comment about what a copper may or may not do in that regard.
I think the permit was good for 30 days from memory and cost $20-

I would think you need to ask the WA roads people or have a look at their web site, I'm sure they will have a fix as you can't be the only person ever needing to do this.

State gubbinments...where stupidity meets arrogance and produces meglomaniacs.

Well, Jacent, there is your answer mate.

Register it in Vic which is cheaper than most states and drive it into WA quite legally. You can then tell the Gestapo to go burn their swaztikas.

Having said that I am a supporter of the police but a couple of them leave you wondering if they are on the same planet. Most are decent blokes trying to do a difficult job and deserve all the support they can get from the public.

Someone on these pages about 6 months ago or more said that all you need is a caravan park address to register a caravan in Vic.

Cheers, Bruce.

Do yourself a favour and buy a WA TMP. They are only 20 bucks for 48 hours and you can get them on-line 24/7 or over the phone 13 11 56 Mon-Fri 0800 -1700. The Vic TMP may cover you for third party insurance in WA but it is not recognised in WA because it is a 'permit' and not a 'license'. WA permits can be purchased in advance for a forward date and you can buy more than one per time if your journey will last longer than 48 hours. For your own piece of mind, 3rd party cover and to safeguard your comprehensive insurance should an accident occur 20 or 40 bucks is not a lot of money compared to the cost of the van, your car and the fuel cost to tow the van from Vic to WA or worse still if you have no cover and some drunk runs in to your van while it is parked at night and he gets awarded $9 million because the van was there and he now a paraplegic, the TMP cost sound pretty cheap to me

Hi,
Maybe you could just email the WA transport dept or police and ask them if it is ok to travel through WA on a VIC permit.
If the response is that you can, print that response and carry it with you.
If the response is no then just pay the $100 for the WA permit, it will be a lot cheaper than the fine and a lot less trouble.

Regards

havnt read the lot but arnt unregoed vehicles confiscated under hoon laws?

wouldn't it just be easier, and much wiser, just to register the van properly?

What is it with bloody tightarses these days?