Vehicle licences cannot be issued to persons under 16 years of age

An individual applicant for the grant or transfer of a vehicle licence must provide proof of Identity and must have attained the prescribed age for the class of vehicle being licensed.

An individual must be:

• 16 years – Light vehicles up to 4500kg 
• 18 years – Heavy Vehicles
  

Proof of Identity for an individual can be;

• A WA Drivers licence number; or
• Evidence of date of birth – one form of primary documentation showing the date of birth of the applicant i.e. valid Australian or overseas passport; birth certificate, Immigration visa documents.

From 1 January 2006, the Department will not transfer or issue a vehicle licence to anyone who is less than 16 years old unless another person who is over the age of 16 (and therefore is eligible to be the nominated owner (licence holder) jointly owns the vehicle. Underage people will no longer be able to ‘nominate’ a responsible person who is not also joint owner of that vehicle.

Before the change, an ‘under age’ owner could nominate a responsible person to hold a vehicle licence on their behalf. Under the new rules, if you are under 16, you are only able to nominate someone over 16 (for example your mum, dad or another adult) if that person is a joint owner of the vehicle. The vehicle is then licensed in that nominated older person’s name.

This means, of course, that they become the licence holder and are considered to be the responsible person for that vehicle. They will be liable for demerit points and fines for offences committed by the driver of the vehicle, unless they can provide the identity of the driver at the time the offence was committed.

Once you turn 16, if you are listed as a joint owner, you may only have the vehicle licensed in your name by completing a Change in Nominated Owner/Licence Holder form. However, if the other joint owner is removed from the vehicle’s licence record you will have to pay a transfer fee and stamp duty (at current market value). This is because there has been a change in the beneficial ownership of the vehicle.

The same arrangements apply for drivers under 18 in relation to driving heavy vehicles.

 Contact us

You can contact us for further information.