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What a PPSR check tells you before you buy a used vehicle

A PPSR search costs $2 and shows whether a car or motorbike has money owing on it, and usually whether it has been written off or stolen. Here is how to run one and what it does not cover.

By Australia Motors Editorial Team Published 4 min read

Short answer

A PPSR search is an official government check, run on a vehicle's VIN, that shows whether a security interest (such as an unpaid car loan) is recorded against it. It usually also shows whether the vehicle has been recorded as written off or stolen. It costs $2 online.

The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is a national register run by the Australian Government. When someone borrows money against a vehicle, the lender can record that interest on the register. If you buy the vehicle and the loan is never repaid, the lender may be able to repossess it from you, even though you paid for it. A search before you buy is how you find out.

What the search shows

  • Whether a security interest is recorded against the vehicle. This is the main purpose of the search.
  • Usually, the make, model and colour recorded for that VIN, which lets you confirm you are looking at the right vehicle.
  • Usually, the written-off status.
  • Usually, the stolen status.

You also receive a search certificate, which is a legal record of the result at that moment.

What the search does not show

A clear PPSR result is not a full history. It does not tell you:

  • how much finance is owing
  • who owns the vehicle, or who has owned it
  • the odometer reading
  • outstanding fines

The written-off, stolen and vehicle description details come from state and territory road agencies and police through a separate national database, and they are not always available or up to date at the moment you search. Stolen status is not reported for Tasmania; for a vehicle registered in Tasmania, the PPSR directs buyers to search with Transport Tasmania as well.

  1. Ask the seller for the vehicle identification number (VIN) or chassis number. You cannot search by number plate or engine number.
  2. Check the number yourself against the vehicle, not only against the paperwork.
  3. Search on the official PPSR website, ppsr.gov.au, and pay the $2 fee by card. An assisted search by phone costs $7.
  4. Keep the certificate that is emailed to you.

Warning

Search on the official site. Other websites sell vehicle history reports for much more than $2. Some of those reports include extra information, but the $2 search is the government's own and is all you need to check for money owing.

The PPSR recommends searching on the day you buy, or the day before. The closer to the purchase, the more current the information, and the better your protection. If your certificate shows no security interest and you bought at that time, it can help protect you if someone later claims an interest in the vehicle.

A practical approach is to search twice: once when you first get serious about a vehicle, so you do not waste an inspection on one with a problem, and once more on the day you hand over the money.

If the search shows a security interest

It does not always mean you should walk away. Many sellers still have a loan on the vehicle they are selling. What matters is that the loan is paid out and the security interest is removed as part of the sale. Ask the seller for evidence that the loan has been cleared, and check that the PPSR record has been updated before you complete the purchase.

Buying from a dealer

If you buy from a licensed motor vehicle dealer you are generally protected from repossession even if a security interest was registered when you bought. You can still run a search, and for $2 it is a reasonable habit.

It works for motorbikes too

The same search covers motorbikes, caravans, camper trailers, trailers and several other kinds of vehicle.

The standard PPSR vehicle search uses a VIN or chassis number. Ordinary bicycles are not searched through that vehicle-check flow.

After the check, the next step is the vehicle itself: see the used car inspection checklist.

On Australia Motors

Sources

The facts in this guide were checked against these sources. Rules and processes differ between states and territories and change over time: always confirm with the authority for where you live. This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice.

  1. Personal Property Securities Register (Australian Financial Security Authority), Do a used car or vehicle search (checked )
  2. Moneysmart (ASIC), Buying and running a car (checked )
  3. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, New and second-hand cars (checked )