The free check, in one minute
Enter any WA plate at the official DoT checker and you instantly see whether the licence is current, the expiry date and the vehicle description. That answers the question most people have — "is this car licensed, and until when?" — at zero cost.
Check rego free on the official DoT site
Free check vs paid vehicle report
| What you learn | Free DoT check | PPSR ($2 official) | Paid history report |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licence status & expiry | Yes | No | Yes |
| Finance owing | No | Yes | Yes |
| Written-off / stolen flags | No | Yes | Yes |
| Odometer & sale history | No | No | Some providers |
Buying privately? Free DoT check first, $2 PPSR certificate second — that combination covers the deal-breaking risks without a $30+ bundled report, unless you specifically want odometer history. Then follow the transfer steps to make it yours.
Frequently asked questions
Why do some sites charge for a WA rego check?
Paid services bundle the free licence check with national PPSR data (finance, write-offs, stolen status) and history into a vehicle report. The rego status itself is free from DoT, and an official PPSR-only certificate costs $2 at ppsr.gov.au.
Do I need the owner's permission to check a plate?
No. Licence status is checkable by anyone with the plate number, and the result reveals nothing personal about the owner.
Can I check interstate plates?
The DoT check covers WA-licensed vehicles; every other state runs its own free checker for plates registered there.
Is there a WA rego check app?
DoTDirect is the closest thing — your own vehicles with expiry dates in one login. For checking any plate, the free web check does the job from a phone browser.