Motor industry breaches and penalties

Unlicensed work

Unlicensed motor dealing work is against the law.

Offence Maximum penalty

Working unlicensed

$61,920 or 2 years imprisonment

Employing an unlicensed person

$30,960 or 2 years imprisonment

Selling, hiring out or lending a licence

$30,960 or 2 years imprisonment

Buying, borrowing or hiring a licence

$30,960 or 2 years imprisonment

Dealing with licences

Serious offences

We will cancel your licence if you’re convicted of a serious offence. You will have 14 days to return your licence to us.

The maximum fine for failing to do so is $15,480.

Change of details

You must advise us in writing within 14 days about any changes to:

  • personal details
  • circumstances relating to your licence.

The maximum fine for failing to do so is $15,480.

You must also advise us within 14 days if you have:

  • changed principal place of business
  • opened or closed a place of business.

The maximum fine for failing to do so is $30,960.

Showing a licence on request

Offence Maximum penalty

Not showing an inspector your licence, or a copy of any staff member’s licence, on their request

$30,960

Not showing a client or other party (except an inspector) your licence, or a copy of any other staff member's licence, on their request

$15,480

Substitute licensee

You must follow the rules when appointing a substitute licensee. If you do not, you risk being fined.

OffenceMaximum penalty

Not having the consent and evidence of appointment at the office

$15,480

Not lodging extension of appointment substitute licence for more than 30 days

$30,960

Acting as licensee while a substitute is appointed

$30,960

Person in charge

Offence Maximum penalty

Not having a licensee in charge of place of business

$30,960 (individual)

$154,800 (corporation)

Being a person in charge at more than one place of business

$30,960

Transaction register

OffenceMaximum penalty

Failing to keep transaction register

$30,960 or 1 year imprisonment

Failing to enter transactions in register within 24 hours

$30,960 or 1 year imprisonment

Documentation

You must make sure that you:

  • complete all of your documents correctly
  • give copies to consumers when the law says you need to.

For example, you must:

  • complete a “cooling off period and statutory warranty” form
  • give a copy of the form to the client

If you do not, you risk a maximum fine of $30,960.

Cooling-off period and statutory warranty

OffenceMaximum penalty

Not identifying a consignment sale as not subject to a cooling-off period

$15,480

Failing to keep copy of statement

$15,480

Failing to give prospective buyer statement about cooling-off period and statutory warranty in approved form

$30,960

Failing to give original of statement to buyer before signing contract

$30,960

Harassing or coercing a buyer during cooling-off period

$30,960 or 2 years imprisonment

Failing to return trade-in or deposit when buyer cancels contract in cooling-off period

$30,960 or 1 year imprisonment

Not identifying particular vehicles as being offered for sale without statutory warranty

$15,480

Not recording particulars of extension of warranty period

$15,480

Failing to repair defects within 14 days

$30,960

Dealer and seller statements

OffenceMaximum penalty

Not giving statement to buyer of vehicle

$30,960

Not keeping a copy of seller statement

$30,960

Not making a copy of seller statement available to inspector on request

$30,960

Written-off vehicles

OffenceMaximum penalty

Not telling the buyer that a vehicle is a written-off vehicle

$30,960

Not asking the buyer to sign an acknowledgement, that identifies the used vehicle as a written-off vehicle or statutory write-off

$30,960

Not giving (after sale of a repairable/statutory write-off vehicle) written acknowledgement to the buyer (and making a copy available to an inspector)

$30,960

Clear title

OffenceMaximum penalty

Not guaranteeing clear title for a motor vehicle

$30,960

Receipt

OffenceMaximum penalty

Not promptly issuing a motor dealer receipt

$1,548

Not keeping duplicate copy of motor dealer receipt

$1,548

Disclosure

Beneficial interest

You must advise the seller of a vehicle if you have a beneficial interest in the sale.

OffenceMaximum penalty

Obtaining (from the owner of a used motor vehicle) an option to purchase the vehicle in which the dealer has a beneficial interest.

$30,960 or 3 years imprisonment

Being beneficially interested in a sale, other than an option to purchase, and not obtaining the client's written agreement in the approved form

$30,960 or 3 years imprisonment

Being beneficially interested in a sale, other than an option to purchase, and charging commission on that sale

$30,960 or 3 years imprisonment

Being beneficially interested in a sale, other than an option to purchase, and not acting fairly and honestly when completing the sale

$30,960 or 3 years imprisonment

Private sales

OffenceMaximum penalty

Not disclosing to a potential buyer or seller of a vehicle if you are a licensed motor dealer or registered salesperson (even if buying or selling privately)

$61,920

Odometer tampering

Odometer tampering is an offence. You must not wind back an odometer.

You must not tamper with an odometer with the intention to misrepresent the distance the vehicle has travelled. Misrepresentation includes a reading showing that the vehicle has travelled, either:

  • less than a specified distance
  • more than a specified distance.

The maximum fine for tampering with an odometer is $30,960 or 2 years imprisonment.

You can be charged with this offence even if you are not a motor dealer.

Trust account offences

It is in an offence to steal or misuse trust monies. You risk a fine and imprisonment if you break the law.

OffenceMaximum penalty

Wrongful conversion and false accounts

$154,800 or 5 years imprisonment

Unauthorised use of trust account

$30,960 or 2 years imprisonment

Trust monies are not banked immediately (to trust account)

$30,960 or 2 years imprisonment

Non-trust monies are banked to a trust account

$30,960 or 1 year imprisonment

Licensee does not account to client

$30,960 or 2 years imprisonment

Audit reports

OffenceMaximum penalty

Licensee doesn’t appoint an auditor

$30,960 or 1 year imprisonment

Licensee doesn’t lodge audit report within time limit

$30,960 or 2 years imprisonment

Licensee doesn’t lodge final audit on ceasing to be licensee or within 2 months of carrying on business

$30,960 or 2 years imprisonment

Auditors

OffenceMaximum penalty

Auditor does not file advice of irregularities to Chief Executive

$30,960 or 1 year imprisonment

Auditor fails to notify Chief Executive when denied access to other records

$30,960 or 1 year imprisonment

Auditor fails to supply report to licensee

$30,960 or 1 year imprisonment

Inspector's powers

Inspectors have the legal authority to make sure that you don’t break the law. You must follow their lawful directions, or you risk a fine.

OffenceMaximum penalty

Obstructing an inspector or failing to produce documents or provide information to an inspector

$30,960 or 1 year imprisonment

Failure to give name and address to an inspector

$7,740

Enforceable undertaking

An enforceable undertaking is:

  • a written promise by a business not to keep breaking the law
  • an alternative to court action.

Find out more about enforceable undertakings