Obtaining car history checks

Personal Property Security Register

PPSR records show details of any financial interest, money owing or leases on used cars, details of cars listed as stolen and details of cars that have been written off.

If you are buying a used car from a dealer, the dealer is required to guarantee clear title, which will offer you financial protection in the event of an ownership or financial interest dispute. 

If you are buying privately, we strongly recommend you obtain a PPSR certificate from  https://transact.ppsr.gov.au/ppsr/SearchLanding   or by phoning 1300 007 777.

You will need to provide:

• The vehicle’s Identity Number (VIN) or chassis number and,
• Pay a small fee (less than $5) for the search and certificate provided.  

If the PPSR search shows there is some encumbrance (i.e. there is money owing on it etc) do not proceed with the sale until you have taken legal advice. If the vehicle is leased or has money owing on it, the financial institution involved can take steps to have the vehicle reposessed from you. Clearly it would be risky to simply take the sellers word that the interest will be removed, and we strongly recommend that you seek legal advice about the best course of action to take to protect your purchase.

RACQ members can contact our Legal Advisory Service on 131905 for further advice.

It’s important that you provide PPSR with the correct vehicle details as any error in the numbers will make the search invalid and the certificate will then offer you no protection.

You should obtain the certificate on the day you purchase the vehicle but before the transaction is completed.

The search certificate will also provide information about the vehicle, such as paint colour, build date and engine and VIN numbers that that can be checked against the vehicle.  Be very cautious if the certificate details do not match the vehicle.

Keep your certificate in a safe place as it is your proof that the vehicle was free of encumbrances when you bought it.