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Written-off vehicles
What is a written-off vehicle?
Written-off vehicles may be classified either as a ‘statutory’ or a ‘repairable’ write-off.
A vehicle may be considered a statutory write-off if it has severe structural or other damage or deterioration that prevents it from being driven safely on a road
A vehicle declared a ‘statutory’ write-off on or after 20 September
2004 in any State or Territory of the Commonwealth of Australia will not be eligible for re-registration in South Australia.
*the effective date for a write-off recorded in New South Wales is 9 July 2001.
This includes all such vehicles acquired by a person whose business is to sell wrecked vehicles or parts of wrecked vehicles.
A vehicle may be a ‘repairable’ write-off
if it is written-off and is determined not to be a statutory write-off.
A vehicle may be declared a write-off by an insurer following accidental damage or if determined to be a write-off by an owner.
It is an offence to drive a written-off vehicle on a road other than for the purpose of being driven to or from a place of repair or inspection, prior to re-registration.
Who must notify when
a vehicle is written-off?
All vehicle owners are required to
notify the Registrar for Motor Vehicles via a Customer
Services Centre when a vehicle is written-off in
defined circumstances. Circumstances for private owners are different from those that
apply to insurers and those in the motor trade. The motor trade
includes;
Motor vehicle dealers
Vehicle wreckers/dismantlers
Auctioneers
Vehicle repairers.
Notifiable Vehicle
A Notifiable Vehicle is a Written-off vehicle that is less than 15 years of age and is
- a motor vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) not greater
than 4.5 tonnes
- a motor bike
- a caravan
- a trailer with a GVM greater than 4.5 tonnes
- a vehicle wrecked or wholly or partly disassembled or a part
of a vehicle bearing a vehicle identification plate or vehicle
identification number
- an interstate written-off vehicle not recorded on a written-off
vehicle register administered by an interstate vehicle registration
authority.
Private owners
Private owners (including businesses not associated with motor vehicles in the course of trade) must notify the Registrar of Motor Vehicles of a notifiable vehicle before selling or otherwise disposing or dismantling a registered or unregistered vehicle. This can be done at a Customer Services Centre or by post.
Insurers
A Written-Off Vehicle Notice must be affixed to a written-off notifiable vehicle as soon as practicable and before the vehicle is sold or otherwise disposed of.
Insurers must notify the Registrar of Motor Vehicles within 7 days
of determining a registered or unregistered vehicle as written-off.
Dismantlers/wreckers/repairers must notify the Registrar of Motor Vehicles within 7 days of acquiring a registered or unregistered notifiable vehicle that has been written-off or when a notifiable vehicle in their possession is written-off or before dismantling. This includes vehicles or parts of a vehicle bearing a vehicle identification plate or vehicle identification number.
Auctioneers/motor vehicle dealers must notify the Registrar of Motor Vehicles within 7 days of acquiring,
but before auctioning, or disposing of a written-off notifiable vehicle. This applies to registered and unregistered vehicles.
Written-Off Vehicle Notices (where issued) must be affixed to notifiable written-off vehicles as soon as practicable and before the vehicle is sold or otherwise disposed of.
If it is intended to cancel the registration of a notifiable written-off vehicle, a Notification of a Written-Off Vehicle form must also be completed and accompany the application for registration cancellation.
A copy of the ‘Guidelines for the Assessment of Statutory Write-Offs’ can be downloaded. This document provides an overview of how to assess a statutory write off.
A copy of the ‘Guidelines for the South Australian Written-Off Vehicle Register’ can be downloaded. This document provides an overview of the roles and responsibilities of organisations that are required to notify.
How to notify
Forms for the notification of a wrecked
or written-off vehicle are available from any
Customer Service Centre.
Notification of a wrecked or written-off vehicle can be made
- at any Customer
Service Centre
- by sending a facsimile
- phoning 13 10 84 (if authorised as an Agent to issue Written-Off
Vehicle Notices)
- via email to enquiries@transport.sa.gov.au
(you must first contact the manager of the Transport SA Call Centre
on 13 10 84 to make the necessary arrangements)
- download Notification of a Written-off Vehicle - MR23 form
Penalties are prescribed for failure
to advise the Registrar of Motor Vehicles.
Information you must
supply
Regardless of whether you are a private owner, an insurer or a
business associated with the motor trade, you must supply
- VIN (Vehicle Identification Number - if the vehicle was
manufactured after 1 January 1989) or the chassis number (if the
vehicle was manufactured before 1 January 1989)
- the registration number of the vehicle (if available)
- the engine number, vehicle make and body type of the vehicle
- the date the vehicle was written-off.
- whether the vehicle is a statutory or repairable write-off
- the name and address of the person notifying the written-off
vehicle
- the area and severity of damage caused to the vehicle.
Written-off
vehicles imported into South Australia
You must also notify the Registrar of Motor Vehicles within 7 days of acquiring the vehicle if you bring a notifiable written-off vehicle (including a part of a vehicle bearing a vehicle identification plate or vehicle identification number) into South Australia from another State or Territory of the Commonwealth
Written-Off Vehicle Notice/s must be affixed to the vehicle as soon as practicable and before the vehicle is sold or otherwise disposed of.
Where a notification has been recorded on an Interstate Written-off Vehicle Register in the prescribed manner for the current status of the vehicle, further notification to the South Australian Registrar of Motor Vehicles is not required.
Vehicle inspections
When a repaired or rebuilt written-off vehicle is presented for inspection, you must present the original receipts for the purchase of the vehicle and major vehicle components used to repair/rebuild the vehicle to the Inspector or Police Officer.
See vehicle inspections for
more information.
Before you buy a
vehicle
It is recommended that you obtain a mechanical
report from a recognised motoring organisation before purchasing
a second hand motor vehicle.
You should also check to establish
Or contact any Customer
Service Centre for more information.
Copies of the legislation may be obtained
from
State Information Centre
77 Grenfell Street
Adelaide
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Mon 8th Sep 08
