Dealer stock register in WA: the register of transactions (Form 1)
Western Australian motor vehicle dealers must keep a register of every vehicle they buy and sell, with a separate register at each authorised premises. It can be a bound paper book in the Form 1 layout or an electronic register backed up weekly to separate premises.
- Set by the Motor Vehicle Dealers (Sales) Regulations 1974 under the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act 1973.
- A separate register at each authorised premises.
- Paper registers are bound books with consecutively numbered records; electronic registers are allowed.
- Electronic registers must be backed up weekly to storage at separate premises.
- The register must be produced on demand to authorised officers, police and traffic inspectors.
Which law applies
Section 25 of the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act 1973 requires the register at each authorised premises, and the Motor Vehicle Dealers (Sales) Regulations 1974 set its form. The paper layout is Form 1, Dealers register of transactions (motor vehicles). Consumer Protection (part of the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety) administers it.
What to record
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Register number | Each vehicle’s record is consecutively numbered, with your register reference or stock number |
| Vehicle | Make, model, engine number, VIN or chassis number, plate number and registration expiry (or “Unlicensed”) |
| Seller | Name and address, and the person the vehicle is registered to |
| Purchase | Date of purchase |
| Buyer | Name and address |
| Sale | Date of sale and odometer reading at sale |
| Entry details | Who made the entry, the date and (since 2024) the time |
When entries must be made
We couldn’t confirm a set deadline for register entries from the official sources. Check with Consumer Protection WA. (The next-business-day rule in Consumer Protection’s consignment guidance applies to consignment trust account entries, not the Form 1 register.)
Paper and electronic registers
- Paper registers must be bound books with consecutively numbered records.
- The register must be clearly legible, and any amendment or deletion must leave the original readable. Don’t use whiteout or liquid paper.
- Electronic registers must hold the same information as Form 1, including who made each entry and when.
- The software must let the register be displayed and printed at any time at each place of business on your licence.
- Back it up weekly to storage at separate premises.
No separate approval is mentioned for electronic registers.
How long to keep it
Consumer Protection’s guidance says the register must be kept in its entirety for the duration of the dealer’s licence. For how long to keep it after a licence ends, check with Consumer Protection WA. Consignment trust account records are separate and must be kept in writing for 6 years.
Consignment, inspection and penalties
Consignment-specific register entries aren’t spelled out in what we could confirm, so record consigned cars like any other transaction and check with Consumer Protection WA. Under section 25 of the Act, the register must be produced on demand to an authorised officer, a police officer or a traffic inspector for the district. For the penalty amounts, check with Consumer Protection WA. Licensing is covered in our WA car dealer licence guide.