{"id":"censorship-regulations-1996","name":"Censorship Regulations 1996","slug":"censorship-regulations-1996","collection":"regulation","jurisdiction":"wa","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":174241,"registerId":"wa-censorship-regulations-1996-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-05","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Censorship Regulations 1996","content":"![Crest]()Western Australia\n\nClassification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Enforcement Act 1996\n\nClassification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Enforcement Regulations 1996\n\nWestern Australia\n\nClassification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Enforcement Regulations 1996\n\nContents\n\n1. Citation 1\n\n2. Commencement 1\n\n3. Prescribed offences and modified penalties 1\n\n4. Form of an infringement notice 2\n\n5. Form of notice of withdrawal of an infringement notice 2\n\n9. Fee for registration, or renewal of registration, of premises 2\n\n10. Fee for inspecting or copying register 2\n\nSchedule 1 — Prescribed offences and modified penalties\n\nSchedule 2 — Forms\n\nNotes\n\nCompilation table 8\n\nOther notes 9\n\n  \n\nClassification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Enforcement Act 1996\n\nClassification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Enforcement Regulations 1996\n\n##### 1. Citation\n\nThese regulations may be cited as the *Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Enforcement Regulations 1996*.\n\n[Regulation 1 amended: Gazette 14 Dec 2012 p. 6202.]\n\n##### 2. Commencement\n\nThese regulations come into operation on the day on which the *Censorship Act 1996* 1 comes into operation.\n\n##### 3. Prescribed offences and modified penalties\n\n(1) The offences set out in Schedule 1 column 1 are prescribed for the purposes of section 117D of the Act.\n\n(2) For the purposes of section 117E(2) of the Act, the modified penalty set out in Schedule 1 column 2 opposite an offence referred to in Schedule 1 column 1 is the prescribed modified penalty for an individual for that offence.\n\n(3) For the purposes of section 117E(2) of the Act, the modified penalty set out in Schedule 1 column 3 opposite an offence referred to in Schedule 1 column 1 is the prescribed modified penalty for a body corporate for that offence.\n\n[Regulation 3 inserted: Gazette 4 Jun 2004 p. 1929‑30.]\n\n##### 4. Form of an infringement notice\n\nSchedule 2 Form 1 is prescribed for the purposes of section 117E(1) of the Act.\n\n[Regulation 4 inserted: Gazette 4 Jun 2004 p. 1930.]\n\n##### 5. Form of notice of withdrawal of an infringement notice\n\nSchedule 2 Form 2 is prescribed for the purposes of section 117G(1) of the Act.\n\n[Regulation 5 inserted: Gazette 4 Jun 2004 p. 1930.]\n\n[**6‑8.** Deleted: Gazette 27 Jun 2003 p. 2384-5.]\n\n##### 9. Fee for registration, or renewal of registration, of premises\n\nFor the purposes of section 131(1)(d) of the Act a fee of $89.50 in respect of each premises proposed to be registered, or registered, in the name of the applicant is prescribed.\n\n[Regulation 9 amended: SL 2022/111 r. 10; SL 2023/120 r. 10; SL 2024/113 r. 10; SL 2025/111 r. 10.]\n\n##### 10. Fee for inspecting or copying register\n\nFor the purposes of section 135(5) of the Act —\n\n(a) a fee of $5.65 is prescribed for inspecting the register; and\n\n(b) a fee of $1.15 per page is prescribed for copies of the register.\n\n[Regulation 10 amended: SL 2024/113 r. 11; SL 2025/111 r. 11.]\n\n[**11, 12.** Deleted: Gazette 27 Jun 2003 p. 2385.]\n\nSchedule 1 — Prescribed offences and modified penalties\n\n[r. 3]\n\n[Heading inserted: Gazette 4 Jun 2004 p. 1930.]\n\n| **Offence** | **Modified penalty (individual)** | **Modified penalty   (body corporate)** |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| s. 64(1) | $200 | $1 000 |\n| s. 64(4) | $200 | $1 000 |\n| s. 65(1) | $500 | $2 500 |\n| s. 65(5) | $500 | $2 500 |\n| s. 65(6) | $500 | $2 500 |\n| s. 65A | $500 | $2 500 |\n| s. 65B | $200 | $1 000 |\n| s. 65C(1) | $500 | $2 500 |\n| s. 65C(2) | $500 | $2 500 |\n| s. 65D(5) | $20 | N/A |\n| s. 67(1) | $100 | $500 |\n| s. 70(1)(b) | $200 | $1 000 |\n| s. 71(2) | $20 | N/A |\n| s. 72(1) | $200 | $1 000 |\n| s. 75(1) | $100 | $500 |\n| s. 76(1) | $500 | $2 500 |\n| s. 76(2) | $500 | $2 500 |\n| s. 76(3) | $500 | $2 500 |\n| s. 77(1) | $500 | $2 500 |\n| s. 79(1) | $500 | $2 500 |\n| s. 79(3) | $20 | N/A |\n| s. 79(4) | $200 | $1 000 |\n| s. 83(1) | $100 | $500 |\n| s. 84(2) | $20 | N/A |\n| s. 85(1) | $500 | $2 500 |\n| s. 85(2)(b) | $200 | $1 000 |\n| s. 85(3)(b) | $200 | $1 000 |\n| s. 86(1) | $500 | $2 500 |\n| s. 86(2) | $500 | $2 500 |\n| s. 86(3) | $500 | $2 500 |\n| s. 86(4) | $500 | $2 500 |\n| s. 87(1) | $500 | $2 500 |\n| s. 88(1A) | $500 | $2 500 |\n| s. 88(1) | $500 | $2 500 |\n| s. 90(1) | $500 | $2 500 |\n| s. 91(1) | $500 | $2 500 |\n| s. 92 | $200 | $1 000 |\n| s. 93(1) | $200 | $1 000 |\n| s. 94 | $200 | $1 000 |\n| s. 95 | $200 | $1 000 |\n| s. 96(1) | $200 | $1 000 |\n| s. 97(1) | $200 | $1 000 |\n| s. 97(2) | $200 | $1 000 |\n| s. 97A(2) | $500 | $2 500 |\n| s. 98 | $200 | $1 000 |\n| s. 113 | $100 | N/A |\n\n\n[Schedule 1 inserted: Gazette 4 Jun 2004 p. 1930‑1; amended: Gazette 14 Dec 2012 p. 6202.]\n\nSchedule 2 — Forms\n\n[r. 4 and 5]\n\n[Heading inserted: Gazette 4 Jun 2004 p. 1931.]\n\n**Form 1**\n\n- *Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Enforcement Act 1996 s. 117E(1)***Infringement Notice** Notice No:\n- **Alleged offender** Family name:\n- Other names:\n- Address: No.: Street name:\n- Suburb: Postcode:\n- **Alleged offence** Details of alleged offence:\n- Description of alleged offence:\n- Where and when:\n- **Amount of modified penalty** $\n- **Police officer who issued this notice** Name:\n- Signature:\n- Date:\n\n| **What you must do** | 1. You may elect to have this matter heard and determined by a court. To do this, complete the details in “**Electing action by a court**” on the reverse of this notice and return this notice to [details to be inserted here] within 28 days after the service of this notice.<br>2. If you do not wish to have this matter heard and determined by a court you may dispose of this matter within 28 days after the service of this notice by paying the modified penalty (see “**Paying the modified penalty**” on the reverse of this notice).<br>Should you not pursue either of the above options within 28 days, additional administrative charges may be incurred and enforcement action may be taken under the *Fines, Penalties and Infringement Notices Enforcement Act 1994*. Under that Act, some or all of the following action may be taken — your driver’s licence may be suspended, your vehicle licence may be suspended or cancelled, you may be disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence or vehicle licence, your vehicle may be immobilised or have its number plates removed, your details may be published on a website, your earnings or bank accounts may be garnished, and your property may be seized and sold. |\n| --- | --- |\n\n\n*Reverse of Form 1*\n\n- **Electing action by a court** I elect to have the offence alleged in this notice dealt with by a court. I understand that I may receive a summons for the alleged offence.\n- Signature:\n- Date:\n- Address for service:\n\n| **Paying the modified penalty** | You may pay the modified penalty —<br>1. BY POSTING a cheque or money order made payable to [details to be inserted here];<br>OR<br>2. IN PERSON to [details to be inserted here]. |\n| --- | --- |\n\n\n[Form 1 inserted: Gazette 4 Jun 2004 p. 1931-2; amended: Gazette 14 Dec 2012 p. 6203; 20 Aug 2013 p. 3860; SL 2020/162 r. 4.]\n\n**Form 2**\n\n- *Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Enforcement Act 1996 s. 117G(1)***Withdrawal of Infringement Notice** Notice No:\n- **To**[Details of alleged offender] Family name:\n- Other names:\n- Address: No.: Street name:\n- Suburb: Postcode:\n- **AN INFRINGEMENT NOTICE SERVED ON YOU HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN. ANY PAYMENT THAT HAS BEEN MADE WILL BE REFUNDED AND —** - **NO FURTHER ACTION WILL BE TAKEN***\n- **A SUMMONS WILL BE ISSUED***\n[* *delete whichever is not applicable*]\n- **Details of withdrawn notice** Date notice given:\n- Notice number:\n- Alleged offence:\n- **Authorised person who issued this notice** Name:\n- Signature:\n- Date:\n\n\n[Form 2 inserted: Gazette 4 Jun 2004 p. 1932; amended: Gazette 14 Dec 2012 p. 6203.]\n\n![dline]()\n\nNotes\n\nThis is a compilation of the *Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Enforcement Regulations 1996* and includes amendments made by other written laws. For provisions that have come into operation, and for information about any reprints, see the compilation table.\n\nCompilation table\n\n| **Citation** | **Published** | **Commencement** |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| *Censorship Regulations 1996* 2 | 1 Nov 1996 p. 5755‑62 | 5 Nov 1996 (see r. 2 and *Gazette* 5 Nov 1996 p. 5845) |\n| *Censorship Amendment Regulations 2003* | 27 Jun 2003 p. 2384‑5 | 1 Jul 2003 (see r. 2 and *Gazette* 27 Jun 2003 p. 2383) |\n| **Reprint 1: The *Censorship Regulations 1996* as at 5 Dec 2003** (includes amendment listed above) | | |\n| *Censorship Amendment Regulations 2004* | 4 Jun 2004 p. 1929‑32 | 4 Jun 2004 (see r. 2 and *Gazette* 4 Jun 2004 p. 1933) |\n| *Censorship Amendment Regulations 2012* | 14 Dec 2012 p. 6202‑3 | r. 1 and 2: 14 Dec 2012 (see r. 2(a));   Regulations other than r. 1 and 2: 1 Jan 2013 (see r. 2(b) and Act No. 53 of 2012 s. 2(b)(i)) |\n| **Reprint 2: The *Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Enforcement Regulations 1996* as at 19 Apr 2013** (includes amendment listed above) | | |\n| *Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Enforcement Amendment Regulations 2013* | 20 Aug 2013 p. 3859-60 | r. 1 and 2: 20 Aug 2013 (see r. 2(a));   Regulations other than r. 1 and 2: 21 Aug 2013 (see r. 2(b) and *Gazette* 20 Aug 2013 p. 3815) |\n| *Attorney General Regulations Amendment (Infringement Notices) Regulations 2020* Pt. 2 | SL 2020/162 25 Sep 2020 | 29 Sep 2020 (see r. 2(b) and SL 2020/159 cl. 2(a)) |\n| *Attorney General Regulations Amendment (Fees and Charges) Regulations 2022* Pt. 5 | SL 2022/111   30 Jun 2022 | 1 Jul 2022 (see r. 2(b)) |\n| *Attorney General Regulations Amendment (Fees and Charges) Regulations 2023* Pt. 5 | SL 2023/120 2 Aug 2023 | 3 Aug 2023 (see r. 2(b)) |\n| *Attorney General Regulations Amendment (Fees and Charges) Regulations 2024* Pt. 5 | SL 2024/113 26 Jun 2024 | 1 Jul 2024 (see. r 2(b)) |\n| *Attorney General Regulations Amendment (Fees and Charges) Regulations 2025* Pt. 5 | SL 2025/111 25 Jun 2025 | 1 Jul 2025 (see r. 2(b)) |\n\n\nOther notes\n\n1 Now known as the *Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Enforcement Act 1996*.\n\n2 Now known as the *Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Enforcement Regulations 1996*; citation changed (see note under r. 1).\n\n© State of Western Australia 2025.\n\nThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC BY 4.0). To view relevant information and for a link to a copy of the licence, visit www.legislation.wa.gov.au.\n\nAttribute work as: © State of Western Australia 2025.\n\nBy Authority: GEOFF O. LAWN, Government Printer\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument remains a focused enforcement regulation that implements the enforcement mechanics of the primary Act: it prescribes which offences are eligible for infringement notices, fixes the dollar amounts for modified penalties, prescribes the forms to be used, and sets modest fees for registration and register access (regs 3–5, 9–10, Schedules 1–2). Amendments over time have updated forms and fee levels and added the Schedule of prescribed offences and penalties (notably in 2004), but these are refinements to implementation rather than an expansion of the regulation’s original enforcement purpose."},"complexity_factors":["Short regulation: 10 operative regulations (many simple, some deleted)","Schedule 1 lists ~50 offence entries referencing many sections of the primary Act (e.g. s.64, s.65, s.76, s.86, etc.)","Two prescribed forms in Schedule 2 with procedural options (elect court, pay, refund/withdrawal)","Multiple cross‑references to the primary Act (sections 117D, 117E, 117G, 131, 135)","Fees that have been amended multiple times (updates recorded across several statutory instruments)","Some deleted provisions (regs 6–8, 11–12) and historical amendments appearing in the compilation table","Differing modified penalties for individuals and bodies corporate and several entries marked N/A for corporate penalties"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this regulation does, mechanically**\n\n- Prescribes which offences under the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Enforcement Act 1996 can be dealt with by an infringement notice (an on-the-spot or administratively‑issued fine) (reg 3 and Schedule 1).  \n- Specifies the exact modified penalty (the fixed fine) for each prescribed offence for individuals and for bodies corporate where a corporate amount is applicable (reg 3 and Schedule 1).  \n- Prescribes the form of the infringement notice (Form 1) and the form for withdrawal of an infringement notice (Form 2) to be used when exercising the Act’s infringement‑notice powers (regs 4–5 and Schedule 2).  \n- Sets fixed fees for: registration or renewal of registration of premises ($89.50 per premises) (reg 9); inspecting the register ($5.65); and copying the register ($1.15 per page) (reg 10).\n\n**Who this affects**\n\n- Individuals and companies that commit offences listed in Schedule 1 of these Regulations (they may be issued infringement notices and be required to pay the listed modified penalties).  \n- Police or other authorised officers who issue and withdraw infringement notices (they must use the prescribed forms — Schedule 2).  \n- Businesses that operate premises requiring registration under the primary Act (they pay the registration/renewal fee in reg 9).  \n- Any person who wants to inspect or obtain copies of the public register (they pay the fees in reg 10).\n\n**Why it matters (practical effect)**\n\n- It makes a set of fixed, administrative penalties available for specified classification offences so many matters can be resolved without going to court (see reg 3 and Schedule 1).  \n- It standardises how infringement notices and withdrawals are issued (Schedule 2), which affects procedural fairness, notice content, and the offender’s options (pay the fixed penalty or elect court).  \n- It creates small recurring costs for businesses that must be registered and for anyone using official register information (regs 9–10).\n\n**Official purpose claim and testing it against practical effects**\n\n- The regulations are framed to operationalise enforcement provisions of the primary Act (they implement sections 117D, 117E and 117G of the Act by naming the prescribed offences, penalties and forms — reg 3, regs 4–5).  \n- Who pays: the alleged offender pays the modified penalty (Schedule 1) or, failing that, enforcement action under the Fines, Penalties and Infringement Notices Enforcement Act can follow (Form 1 reverse). Registered‑premises applicants pay the $89.50 fee (reg 9); users of the register pay inspection/copy fees (reg 10).  \n- Who decides: authorised officers (typically police or delegated officers) decide whether to issue an infringement notice and must use the prescribed forms (regs 4–5, Schedule 2). The recipient can elect to have the matter decided in court instead of paying (Form 1 reverse).  \n- Behavioural effects and incentives: fixed penalties provide a low‑friction enforcement path that encourages quick resolution by payment rather than court contest; the higher corporate penalties (Schedule 1 column 3) create stronger monetary incentives for corporate compliance compared with individuals.  \n- Trade‑offs and costs: administrative enforcement reduces court load (an intended benefit) but gives authorised officers discretion about whether to issue an infringement notice; fixed penalties can create incentives to pay rather than litigate even where legal defences exist (practical cost of contesting vs paying).  \n- Compliance burden and opportunity cost: registration costs ($89.50 per premises) and small inspection/copy fees are direct costs for businesses and for third parties using register data (regs 9–10). Administration and record‑keeping of infringement notices and refunds (Form 2) impose agency resource costs.\n\n**Implementation risks and particular features to watch**\n\n- The schedules rely on cross‑references to many sections of the primary Act (Schedule 1 lists offences by Act section). Enforcement accuracy therefore depends on keeping the primary Act and these references aligned.  \n- Some offences show \"N/A\" for corporate modified penalties, meaning the infringement‑notice route is only set for individuals for those items (Schedule 1) — that can affect enforcement choices where a corporate actor is involved.  \n- Fees have been amended at different times; unless updated regularly the dollar amounts may become outdated relative to administrative costs or inflation (regs 9–10 and the compilation table show fee amendments).  \n\n**How this affects markets, private choice and speech**\n\n- These Regulations do not create new classification offences; they set the enforcement mechanism (administrative fines) and fees that affect the cost of non‑compliance and the cost of operating registered premises.  \n- By lowering the transactional cost of resolving infractions (fixed fines), they change firms’ and individuals’ cost‑benefit calculus about whether to contest or pay.  \n- Because the provisions operate in the content‑classification field, their enforcement mechanics alter the practical costs associated with publishing, distributing or exhibiting material that risks breaching classification rules (see Schedule 1 offence list).  \n\nSource references within the instrument: reg 3 and Schedule 1 (prescribed offences and penalties); regs 4–5 and Schedule 2 (forms); regs 9–10 (fees)."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"summary":{"complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Scope cannot be assessed as no legislative text was provided. The submitted content is a system error page from the Western Australian Parliamentary Counsel's Office website, not the text of the Censorship Regulations 1996 (WA)."},"complexity_factors":["No legislative content was provided — the submission is a website error/404 page","No provisions, definitions, schedules, or operative clauses exist to analyse","Complexity rating of 1 reflects the absence of any analysable legal material, not simplicity of the underlying legislation"],"plain_english_summary":"## ⚠️ Document Unavailable\n\nThe legislation you've submitted is **not the actual text of the Censorship Regulations 1996 (WA)**. Instead, this is an error page from the Western Australian legislation website, indicating that the page hosting those regulations is no longer available due to system upgrades.\n\n**What this means for you:**\n- No legislative content could be retrieved or analysed\n- The regulations may have moved to a new URL on the WA legislation website\n- To find the actual Censorship Regulations 1996 (WA), try visiting [www.legislation.wa.gov.au](https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au) and searching directly\n\n**No legal analysis can be provided** from this content."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The regulations remain tightly focused on their original purpose: prescribing infringement notice penalties, forms, and fees for the classification enforcement scheme. While fees have been updated annually via amendment regulations (2022-2025), this is routine maintenance rather than scope creep. The deletion of regulations 6-8 and 11-12 in 2003 actually reduced the scope slightly."},"complexity_factors":["Short length (10 regulations, 2 schedules)","Minimal cross-referencing (only references to specific sections of the parent Act)","Straightforward tabular structure for penalties in Schedule 1","Simple conditional logic (individual vs body corporate penalties)","No nested definitions or interpretation section","Forms are pro forma templates with blank fields rather than complex legal provisions","Deleted provisions (regs 6-8, 11-12) create minor structural untidiness but don't add complexity"],"plain_english_summary":"These are Western Australian regulations that support the state's film and video game censorship laws. They do three main things:\n\n**1. Set fines for minor offences**\nThe regulations list specific offences under the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Enforcement Act 1996 and set lower 'modified penalties' for them. These allow police to issue **infringement notices** (on-the-spot fines) instead of taking people to court. The fines range from $20 to $500 for individuals, and up to $2,500 for companies. Offences include things like selling restricted material to minors, failing to display classification markings, or operating unregistered premises.\n\n**2. Prescribe official forms**\nThe regulations include the exact format for:\n- **Infringement notices** (the actual ticket police give you)\n- **Withdrawal notices** (used if police decide to cancel the ticket)\n\nThese forms include details like where to pay, how to elect to go to court instead, and warnings about what happens if you ignore the fine (licence suspension, garnisheeing wages, etc.).\n\n**3. Set fees for registration and public access**\n- **$89.50** to register or renew registration of premises that sell or hire classified material\n- **$5.65** to inspect the public register of registered premises\n- **$1.15 per page** for copies of that register\n\n**Who it affects:** Video shops, game retailers, cinemas, and anyone selling DVDs, games, or publications in WA. Also affects police who enforce classification laws.\n\n**Why it matters:** These regulations make the enforcement system work day-to-day. They determine whether you get a $200 fine or a court summons for selling an R18+ game to a kid, and how much it costs to legally run a video rental business."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/censorship-regulations-1996","history":"/api/acts/censorship-regulations-1996/history","analysis":"/api/acts/censorship-regulations-1996/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/censorship-regulations-1996/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/censorship-regulations-1996/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/censorship-regulations-1996/documents"}}