What every state needs
Regardless of where you live, a car sale needs the same four things: proof you own it, a record of the transfer, notification to the road authority, and no undisclosed security interest against the vehicle.
- Registration papers in your name
- Photo identification matching those papers
- A transfer form, completed by both parties
- Notice of disposal, lodged by you as soon as the car changes hands
- A clear PPSR, or a finance payout arranged as part of settlement
Notice of disposal is the one people forget, and it is the one that costs them. Until it is lodged, infringements, tolls and registration liability stay attached to your name.
Roadworthy and safety certificates
This is the requirement that differs most between states. In broad terms:
| State | Private sale requirement |
|---|---|
| VIC | A roadworthy certificate is required to transfer a registered vehicle |
| QLD | A safety certificate is required before the vehicle is offered for sale |
| NSW | An inspection is generally needed only when registration renewal is due |
| SA | Generally not required for a private sale of a registered vehicle |
| WA | Generally not required unless the vehicle is unlicensed or specifically directed |
| TAS | Generally not required for a registered vehicle transfer |
| ACT | Conditions apply, particularly for older vehicles and re-registration |
| NT | An inspection is commonly required on transfer |
These rules are amended from time to time. Check your state road authority's current guidance rather than relying on what applied last time you sold a car.
What changes when you sell to a licensed dealer
A licensed motor dealer has its own compliance obligations before it can retail a vehicle, which means the certificate is generally handled on their side rather than yours. That removes a booking, a fee and a potential repair bill from your side of the transaction. It does not remove your notice of disposal obligation, which remains yours in every state.
PPSR: check it before someone else does
The Personal Property Securities Register shows whether money is owed against the vehicle, whether it has been written off, and whether it has been reported stolen. Any buyer will check it. Checking it yourself first costs a couple of dollars and prevents the two most common surprises: an old finance interest that was never discharged, and a write off record from before you owned it.
Number plates and personalised plates
If you have personalised or custom plates you want to keep, arrange to retain them before settlement, not after. Each state has its own retention process and it is far harder to unwind once the transfer is lodged. Standard plates normally stay with the vehicle.
Tolls, insurance and the loose ends
- Remove your toll tag and update the vehicle on your toll account, or you will keep paying for someone else's trips
- Cancel or transfer your comprehensive insurance once the sale settles, and ask about a pro rata refund
- Clear your data from the infotainment system: paired phones, saved addresses, garage door codes and any connected app account tied to the car
- Take a photo of the completed transfer form and the odometer on the day of sale, and keep it