Photo: Luke Stewart, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Buying your first car in Australia means three checks: the car is registered, it has CTP injury insurance, and it has whatever safety certificate your state requires. Victoria needs a roadworthy certificate (RWC) and Queensland a safety certificate when a registered car is sold. NSW instead checks most older cars each year with a pink slip. In most states you have 14 days to transfer the registration. This explainer compares the rules and gives a checklist for a private sale.
Key facts
- Every car driven on a road must be registered and carry CTP (compulsory third party) insurance. CTP covers injuries to people, not damage to cars or property.
- In NSW you buy CTP (the green slip) separately from your registration. In the other states and territories it is paid with your registration.
- Transfer deadline after buying: 14 days in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and SA.
- Before you pay, check the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR). It tells you whether money is owed on the car and whether it is recorded as stolen or written off.
Safety certificates by state
| State | Certificate needed when buying a used registered car? | Other inspections |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | No certificate needed to transfer current registration | Pink slip (yearly safety check) to renew registration for most light vehicles over 5 years old, valid 6 months. Blue slip (AUVIS) if registration expired more than 3 months ago or the car is from interstate or overseas |
| VIC | Yes. The seller needs a roadworthy certificate, and the buyer needs it to transfer, unless the vehicle is exempt. It is usable for 30 days from issue | An RWC is also needed to re-register a car and to clear some defect notices |
| QLD | Yes. The seller must give the buyer a current safety certificate for a light vehicle. Valid 2 months or 2,000 km from a private seller, or 3 months or 1,000 km from a licensed dealer. One use only | Check qld.gov.au for exemptions |
| SA | Not required by the handbook for a private sale | Phone 13 10 84 to check whether the car is registered, stolen, written off or defected |
| NT | Not stated in the handbook | If your renewal notice says an inspection is needed, an Authorised Inspector must pass the car before you can renew |
| WA, TAS, ACT | Check with the agency | Check with the Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure (WA), Transport Tasmania or Access Canberra before you buy |
Transferring registration after you buy
| State | Buyer | Seller |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | Transfer within 14 days to avoid a late surcharge. Online if the seller has lodged a Notice of Disposal, you hold a NSW licence and the car is NSW-registered. A transfer fee and stamp duty apply | Lodge a Notice of Disposal |
| VIC | Notify VicRoads within 14 days of buying | Report the sale within 14 days with a notice of disposal, easiest through myVicRoads |
| QLD | Transfer within 14 days | Transfer within 14 days. You stay liable for tolls and fines while the car is in your name |
| SA | Lodge the Application for Transfer of Registration within 14 days, or you may pay an extra fee. The previous owner must also sign | Lodge the Disposal Notice within 14 days |
| WA, TAS, ACT, NT | Check the deadline with your transport department. The NT handbook says you must tell MVR within 14 days when your licence or registration details change | |
Registered ownership does not prove legal ownership. Get a written receipt from the seller (SA handbook).
CTP: what it covers in each state
- NSW: buy a green slip from an insurer before each renewal. When you transfer the registration, the CTP transfers with it.
- NT: CTP is paid with registration and runs as a no-fault scheme. It compensates people injured in a crash in the NT wherever they live.
- Other states: CTP is included in, or bought with, your registration.
- Everywhere: CTP does not pay for damage to your car or anyone else’s. That needs private insurance. See car insurance for learners and P platers.
The PPSR check
The PPSR is an Australian Government register at ppsr.gov.au, where banks and finance companies record their financial interest in vehicles. A search uses the car’s VIN or chassis number and shows:
- whether a finance company has a security interest in the car
- whether the car is recorded as stolen or written off
- current registration details.
A search certificate costs a small fee.
Private sale checklist
- Run your state’s free rego check with the plate number (Service NSW, VicRoads, or Service SA on 13 10 84).
- Do a PPSR search with the VIN.
- Check the VIN and number plates match the registration papers.
- In Victoria and Queensland, ask to see the roadworthy or safety certificate and check its date.
- In NSW, check when the next pink slip is due.
- Check the car is legal for your licence. NSW P platers cannot drive high performance cars (see banned cars for NSW P platers), and Victoria has its own list (see which cars Victorian P platers can drive).
- Get a receipt, then complete the transfer forms with the seller.
- Lodge the transfer within the deadline and arrange insurance before you drive away.
Moving interstate with your car
- SA: re-register a car within 90 days of moving there.
- NSW: an interstate car needs a blue slip (AUVIS) inspection to be registered.
- Other states set their own deadlines. Check before you move. Licence transfers are covered in moving to NSW, moving to Victoria, moving to Queensland and moving to WA.
Common questions
What is a pink slip in NSW?
A yearly safety inspection report from an Authorised Inspection Scheme station. Most light vehicles over 5 years old need one before you can renew the registration. It is not needed for a transfer.
Who pays for the roadworthy certificate in Victoria?
The seller normally gets it, because they need it to sell. The buyer needs it to transfer the car, unless the vehicle is exempt.
How long is a Queensland safety certificate valid?
From a private seller, 2 months or 2,000 km, whichever comes first. From a licensed dealer, 3 months or 1,000 km. It can only be used for one transfer.
Can I drive a car home before the transfer?
If it is registered and has CTP, yes, but transfer it within the deadline and arrange your own insurance first. Never drive an unregistered car except as your state allows, for example to an inspection.
Do I need a licence to register a car?
Not in NSW. You must be at least 16 and have a Transport for NSW customer number. Check the rules in your state.
Is a PPSR check worth it?
Yes. For a small fee it shows whether a lender has a financial interest in the car and whether it is recorded as stolen or written off.
Related guides
- NSW car registration, pink slips and roadworthiness
- P plate rules in every Australian state compared
- Toll roads for new drivers in Australia
- High-powered vehicles
Sources
- Transport for NSW, “Road User Handbook” and registration pages (nsw.gov.au)
- VicRoads, “Selling a vehicle” and “Buy and transfer a vehicle” (vicroads.vic.gov.au)
- Department of Transport and Planning, “Roadworthy certificate” (transport.vic.gov.au)
- Department of Transport and Planning, “Road to Solo Driving” handbook, Personal Property Securities Register (transport.vic.gov.au)
- Queensland Government, “Safety certificates” and “How to transfer a Queensland registered vehicle online” (qld.gov.au)
- Government of South Australia, “The Driver’s Handbook (MR200, February 2026)”, Registration (mylicence.sa.gov.au)
- Northern Territory Government, “Road Users’ Handbook”, Vehicle registration and compulsory third party insurance, Vehicle inspections, Purchasing vehicles (nt.gov.au)
- Australian Government, “Personal Property Securities Register” (ppsr.gov.au)