Welcome to Issue 42 of Crash Towing Industry News.

This week's newsletter includes important information on:

• Towing Business Authorisations are now mandatory in the South West region of Western Australia.
• Limited time remains to obtain authorisation in the remaining regions of Western Australia.
• The requirements of the Towing Services Act 2024 and Towing Services Regulations 2025 apply to all regulated crash towing activities.

Thank you

Firstly, thank you to all towing businesses that have submitted applications for authorisation. Your continued cooperation and support are greatly appreciated and have assisted in the timely assessment and approval of applications.

Applications that are currently under review will continue to be progressed and applicants will be advised of the outcome in due course.

Towing Business Authorisations mandatory in the South West Region

From 1 October 2026, all towing service providers operating in the Perth, Peel and South West regions who wish to undertake regulated (crash) towing activities must hold a valid Towing Business Authorisation.

Under section 13 of the Towing Services Act 2024, a person commits an offence if they conduct a regulated (crash) towing business without holding a Towing Business Authorisation.

Authorised towing businesses must also comply with any conditions imposed on their authorisation, as required under section 14 of the Towing Services Act 2024.

Penalties for these offences are:

• Individuals: Fine of up to $40,000.
• Bodies corporate: Fine of up to $200,000.

In addition, all towing workers operating in these regions must be approved under a Towing Business Authorisation before conducting regulated (crash) towing activities. It is an offence for an individual to undertake these activities without such an approval, including the use of an Authority to Tow (ATT) form that is not associated with an authorised towing business. Any such towing worker activities may result in further investigation and enforcement action.

Limited time remaining for approval to be authorisation in the remaining regions of WA

The requirement to hold a Towing Business Authorisation to conduct regulated (crash) towing in the remainder of Western Australia comes into effect on 1 November 2026.

From this date, all towing businesses conducting regulated (crash) towing anywhere in Western Australia must hold a valid Towing Business Authorisation. In addition, all towing workers undertaking such activities must be approved under an authorisation.

The assessment timeframe for applications remains up to six weeks from the date a complete application is received. Towing businesses in regions not yet subject to the mandatory authorisation requirement are strongly encouraged to:

• Contact the TG&R team on (08) 9320 4111 or towing@transport.wa.gov.au to discuss their application; and
• Submit their application as soon as possible to minimise the risk of delays.

Applications will continue to be assessed as quickly as possible. However, businesses should be aware that applications submitted close to the commencement date may not be finalised before 1 November 2026.

A towing business that does not hold an approved authorisation from 1 November 2026 cannot lawfully provide regulated (crash) towing services anywhere in WA until its authorisation has been granted.

Requirements of the Towing Services Act 2024 and the Towing Services Regulations 2025 apply to all regulated (crash) towing activities

DTMI remains committed to supporting towing businesses through the authorisation process, and the TG&R team is available to assist with application enquiries. However, it remains the responsibility of each towing business to lodge an application and obtain authorisation before continuing to operate.

Towing businesses and workers should note that the requirements of the Towing Services Act 2024 and Towing Services Regulations 2025 apply to all regulated (crash) towing activities. The fact that a business or worker is not authorised / approved does not prevent compliance investigations or enforcement action where appropriate.

Where a towing business holds an authorisation and a towing worker is approved under that authorisation, the TG&R team has a range of legislative mechanisms available to address compliance issues and support regulatory outcomes.

Operating outside the authorisation framework does not avoid regulatory action. Authorised officers may exercise their investigation and enforcement powers under the Towing Services Act 2024 and pursue prosecution where an offence is identified: such as conducting a regulated towing business without authorisation, engaging in regulated towing work without authorisation, or causing or permitting an unauthorised individual to undertake that work.

Contact us

If you are unable to locate the information you require on our website, please submit your enquiry below or contact us on (08) 9320 4111 between 8 am to 4.30 pm weekdays.