Chattel Mortgages in Perth: What Changes in Western Australia
How a chattel mortgage works in Perth and WA: duty on heavy vehicles, licence transfer deadlines, and what lenders check on mining and earthmoving kit.
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Chattel Mortgage Perth · Vehicle Licence Duty · WA Equipment
A chattel mortgage works the same in Perth as in Sydney. What changes is the duty on a heavy vehicle, the licence transfer, and the kit WA businesses actually finance, from mining services utes to excavators, headers and prime movers.
Quick Answer
A chattel mortgage works the same in Western Australia, but duty is charged when the vehicle is licensed or transferred, heavy vehicles have their own duty rate, and the licence transfer has short deadlines. At the time of writing, a vehicle over 4.5 tonnes attracts duty of 3 per cent of its dutiable value, capped at $12,000, and the seller and buyer have 7 and 14 days to notify Transport WA. Everything else, from how the loan works to how lenders assess equipment finance, is national.
Also called: chattel mortgage Western Australia, chattel finance Perth, chattel mortgage Fremantle. Same product; the WA differences are duty, licensing and the local industries that borrow.
Is a chattel mortgage different in Western Australia?
A chattel mortgage is not a different product in Western Australia: the same national lenders offer it, the same PPSR rules secure it, and the business owns the vehicle or equipment from the day it settles. What changes is the state layer around the loan: duty when the vehicle is licensed or transferred, the Transport WA licence transfer, and the kind of kit WA businesses tend to finance.
If you need the basics first, our chattel mortgage guide covers how the loan works, what lenders ask for and the downsides, and the chattel mortgage rates guide covers pricing, fees and the comparison rate. None of that changes when you cross the Nullarbor.
For cars and utes, the WA questions (duty on a car, PPSR checks on a used car, and whether a chattel mortgage or a novated lease suits) are answered in our Perth ABN car finance guide. This insight picks up what that post leaves out: trucks, heavy vehicles, plant, and the equipment behind mining services, earthmoving, farming and transport across the state.
WA rules: what changes
- Vehicle licence duty, set by the WA Government
- A separate duty rate for heavy vehicles
- Licence transfer deadlines and forms at Transport WA
- Local industries and local resale markets for plant
National rules: what does not change
- How a chattel mortgage is structured
- The lender's security interest, recorded on the national PPSR
- How lenders assess the business and the asset
- GST and income tax treatment, which are federal
How does WA vehicle licence duty apply to trucks and heavy vehicles?
WA vehicle licence duty applies to trucks and heavy vehicles the same way it applies to cars, as duty when the vehicle is licensed or transferred, but heavy vehicles have their own duty rate. According to the WA Department of Treasury and Finance, at the time of writing a heavy vehicle over 4.5 tonnes attracts duty of 3 per cent of its dutiable value, capped at $12,000. Lighter vehicles sit on a separate sliding scale, which the Perth ABN car post covers.
Dutiable value matters as much as the rate. For used, commercial and heavy vehicles, the department works from open-market value rather than simply the figure on the invoice, so a prime mover bought cheaply in a private sale can still be assessed on what the market says it is worth. Check the GVM on the rego papers before you budget, because the weight decides which rate applies; our heavy vehicle glossary entry explains how the classes work.
Whether duty can be added to the amount financed varies by lender. Some lenders will fund on-road costs such as duty and registration as part of the loan; others want them paid in cash, which changes how much deposit you need on the day. Run the repayments with and without duty in the chattel mortgage calculator to see the difference before you commit.
Duty can also come up when a vehicle moves between related entities rather than to an outside buyer. The department lists corporate reconstruction among its exemptions, but whether one applies to your situation is a question for RevenueWA or your accountant, not something to assume.
How do you transfer a financed vehicle licence in WA?
You transfer a financed vehicle licence in WA through Transport WA in the same way as an unfinanced one, because the finance is not recorded on the licence. Under the Transport WA transfer rules, at the time of writing the seller has 7 days and the buyer 14 days to notify the department, online or using form MR9, and the department lists situations where a transfer is restricted.
The lender's interest sits on the PPSR, not the licence. That is why a clean transfer at Transport WA tells a buyer nothing about whether money is still owed on a truck or a loader. If you are buying used, a PPSR search on the serial number or VIN comes before anything else; our guide to PPSR checks for asset and vehicle finance walks through it. If you are selling a vehicle that still has finance on it, expect your lender to need paying out before it releases its registration.
The deadlines catch people out most often on private sales between two businesses, where there is no dealer doing the paperwork. Duty is assessed when the buyer transfers the licence, so the buyer's lender may ask for evidence that the transfer and duty are sorted around settlement.
| Item | What applies in WA | Who handles it |
|---|---|---|
| Duty on a heavy vehicle | Vehicle licence duty of 3 per cent of dutiable value, capped at $12,000, for vehicles over 4.5 tonnes (at the time of writing) | Department of Treasury and Finance (RevenueWA), collected through licensing |
| Duty on a light commercial vehicle | Vehicle licence duty on a sliding scale; see our Perth ABN car finance guide | Department of Treasury and Finance (RevenueWA) |
| Licence transfer | Seller notifies within 7 days and buyer within 14 days, online or on form MR9 (at the time of writing) | Transport WA |
| Lender's security interest | Recorded nationally on the PPSR, not on the WA licence | The lender registers it; anyone can search it on the PPSR |
| Free business advice | Advisers by phone, live chat or appointment | Small Business Development Corporation |
Sources: WA Department of Treasury and Finance, Vehicle licence duty, last updated 14 August 2026. Transport WA, Transfer a vehicle licence, last updated 15 September 2026. Small Business Development Corporation, Business finance and loans. Read 16 October 2026.
Which equipment do WA businesses finance on a chattel mortgage?
WA businesses finance much the same range of goods as the rest of the country on a chattel mortgage, but the mix leans toward mining services and earthmoving kit, agricultural machinery, and prime movers and trailers that cover long distances. The common categories look like this:
- Mining services vehicles and light plant. Fitted-out utes, service trucks, lighting towers, generators and compressors used by contractors on and around mine sites.
- Earthmoving equipment. Excavators, loaders, graders, skid steers and tippers for civil, construction and site preparation work.
- Agricultural machinery. Tractors, headers, seeders and sprayers for broadacre farms; our farm equipment finance guide covers seasonal repayment structures.
- Transport. Prime movers, rigid trucks and trailers, assessed on weight class, age and the work they do. If you are deciding between the two truck types, our rigid truck vs prime mover comparison works through it for owner-drivers.
Each of these sits under asset finance and, more narrowly, equipment finance. A chattel mortgage is usually the fit when the business wants to own the asset from the start; if you are weighing it against leasing or hire purchase, see chattel mortgage vs lease vs hire purchase. Where a vehicle is also used privately, your business use percentage shapes what you can claim, which is a conversation for your accountant.
What do lenders look at for mining and earthmoving equipment?
For mining and earthmoving equipment, lenders look at the work the equipment will do, then the asset itself, then how easily they could sell it. What lenders actually look at first is the contract: how long the business has been engaged, whether it works for a principal contractor or as a subcontractor, and how much of its income depends on one site.
- Contract tenure. A long or renewed contract supports the loan term you want; a short one can pull the term in or lift the deposit a lender asks for.
- Site access and asset age. Lenders want the asset inside their age limit at the end of the term, and some sites set their own age and compliance rules for plant, which affects whether the machine can keep earning.
- Usage hours. High hours on a used excavator or loader affect both its value and the term a lender will offer.
- Resale. How lenders weigh the resale market for used plant varies, so one funder may pass on an older loader that another is comfortable with.
- FIFO and contractor income. For FIFO contractors working through their own ABN, lenders look at the continuity of engagements and time trading, not just the latest invoice.
In practice, a mining services contractor with a solid contract and modest financials often has more options than the numbers alone suggest, because specialist funders lend against the contract and the asset as well as the tax returns. If returns are behind, low doc asset finance may suit, and our Perth low doc approval checklist sets out what that file usually needs. A balloon can bring repayments down on expensive plant, but it leaves a lump sum at the end; our guide to balloon payments and residual values explains the trade-off.
How do Perth and regional conditions change what lenders accept?
Perth and regional conditions change what lenders accept mainly through demand for used plant and where the asset will work. Where mining and construction keep steady demand for a type of machine, it tends to hold its value, and funders are more comfortable lending against it. Equipment based in remote regions can be harder for a lender to inspect or recover, so some funders ask more questions about where it will sit and who maintains it.
Perth owner-drivers face the same checks with a transport lens; our Perth truck finance checklist sets out the proof pack lenders ask for. More for transport operators sits in the Truckie Hub and the Truckie Loan Pack.
Where can WA business owners get free help?
WA business owners can get free help from the Small Business Development Corporation, a state government agency whose advisers talk through finance, cash flow and planning by phone, live chat or appointment. The SBDC business finance and loans page lists the options, and at the time of writing its advisers can be reached on 133 140. The SBDC does not lend or recommend a lender, but it is a useful sounding board before you commit to a large purchase.
For the duty on a specific purchase, or whether an exemption applies, RevenueWA within the Department of Treasury and Finance is the source; licence transfer questions go to Transport WA. When you are ready to compare finance, a broker can put the purchase, the duty and your business's position in front of lenders that fit. Start with our chattel mortgage page, or browse the Business Owners Hub for related guides.
A chattel mortgage in Perth, Fremantle or the regions is the same loan as anywhere else in Australia. What changes is the state layer: duty when the vehicle is licensed or transferred, a separate rate for heavy vehicles assessed on dutiable value, short licence transfer deadlines at Transport WA, and lenders who look closely at contracts, usage hours and resale for the mining services, earthmoving, farm and transport equipment WA businesses finance.
Key takeaway: budget the duty on dutiable value, diarise the transfer deadlines, and bring the contract the equipment will work on when you speak to a broker.Frequently Asked Questions
The Small Business Development Corporation can help with equipment finance in the sense of free, independent guidance, but it does not lend money or arrange a chattel mortgage. Its advisers can talk through cash flow, budgeting and whether a purchase stacks up before you apply. When you are ready to compare lenders, a broker who works with equipment finance can take it from there.
Stamp duty on a truck in WA is charged as vehicle licence duty when the truck is licensed or the licence is transferred, and heavy vehicles have their own duty rate. For a truck over 4.5 tonnes, the WA Government publishes the rate at 3 per cent of dutiable value, capped at $12,000, at the time of writing. Check the GVM on the rego papers first, because the weight decides which rate applies.
Transferring a financed truck licence in WA follows the same Transport WA process as any other vehicle: the seller notifies within 7 days and the buyer within 14 days, at the time of writing, online or on form MR9. The finance does not appear on the licence, because the lender's interest is recorded on the PPSR, so the seller's lender usually needs to be paid out before the sale completes. Our Perth truck finance checklist covers the paperwork lenders ask for.
You can get a chattel mortgage in Fremantle on the same basis as anywhere else in Perth, because lenders assess the business and the asset, not the suburb. The WA duty and licence transfer rules apply in Fremantle exactly as they do across the rest of the state. Our chattel mortgage guide covers how the loan works and what lenders ask for.
Lenders do finance used mining equipment on a chattel mortgage, but appetite varies by lender and depends on the age of the asset, its usage hours and the resale market for that type of plant. Specialist funders tend to be more flexible than major banks on older or heavily used kit, and usually want to see the contract the equipment will work on. If your financials are thin, asset finance on a low doc basis is one route to discuss with a broker.
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