Guide · Buying a used car in Victoria
PPSR check in Victoria: how to do the $2 check on a used car
A PPSR check costs $2 at ppsr.gov.au, takes two minutes on your phone, and tells you whether a used car has money owing on it, is recorded as stolen or has been written off. You can do it from anywhere in Melbourne or Victoria: there is no office to visit. Here is exactly how to do it, and what to do with the answer.
Why this matters
In Australia, a car can carry a loan the seller hasn't paid off. If you buy it, the lender can still take it back, and your money goes with it. People who are new to Australia, international students especially, are often targeted because they're in a hurry and don't know this check exists. The PPSR (Personal Property Securities Register) is the national government register that records it.
The official search is on ppsr.gov.au and costs $2. You don't need to pay a third-party website $20 or more for the same information.
How to do a PPSR check, step by step
- 01
Get the VIN from the car itself
The VIN is a 17-character code. You will find it on the compliance or build plate, at the base of the windscreen and on the driver's door frame. Read it off the car, not from a photo or message the seller sends you, and check it matches the registration papers.
- 02
Search it on ppsr.gov.au
Go to the official site, ppsr.gov.au, choose a motor vehicle search and enter the VIN. It works on your phone and takes about two minutes.
- 03
Pay $2 and save the certificate
Pay by card and download the PDF certificate. Keep it with your purchase documents. It is your proof that you checked before you bought.
- 04
Read the result properly
You are looking for three things: whether there is a security interest (money owing), whether the car is recorded as stolen, and whether it is recorded as written off. Also check the make, model and colour on the certificate match the car in front of you.
- 05
Do the free VicRoads registration check
Use the free registration check from VicRoads or Service Victoria to confirm the registration status and details. For more detail, VicRoads sells a Vehicle Report that includes Victorian registration, transfer and electronic roadworthy data.
- 06
Ask for the roadworthy certificate
In Victoria the seller normally provides a roadworthy certificate (RWC) so the registration can be transferred to you. A roadworthy is current for 30 days, so check the date on it.
Where to get a PPSR check near you in Victoria
People search for a "PPSR check near me" expecting a shop or a VicRoads counter. There isn't one, and you don't need one. The PPSR is a national online register, so the check is done wherever you and the car are, in Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat or anywhere else in Victoria.
- Online, $2. Search the VIN at ppsr.gov.au with a debit or credit card. This is the one to use.
- By phone, $7. The PPSR's assisted phone service runs the same search if you can't do it online.
- Not at VicRoads. VicRoads and Service Victoria offer a free registration check and sell a Vehicle Report. Useful, but neither is a PPSR check and neither shows money owing.
- Other websites. Sites that sell "PPSR reports" or "REVS checks" for $20 to $50 are reselling the same government data. You don't need them.
You need the car's VIN or chassis number. You can't search by number plate.
What the result means
Clear
No security interest, not stolen, not written off, and the details match. Good sign. Now get the car inspected.
Money owing
There is a loan registered against the car. Don't pay until the lender confirms it is paid out, or you could lose the car.
Stolen
Walk away and don't hand over any money. You can report it to Victoria Police.
Written off
It may be cheaper for a reason, and it may need extra inspections before it can be registered. Check with VicRoads before you commit.
What a PPSR check does not tell you
The PPSR is clear about its limits. The certificate does not show:
- How much is owing. It shows that a security interest exists, not the amount. Only the lender can tell you the payout figure.
- Who owns the car, or how many owners it has had.
- The odometer reading, so it can't catch a wound-back odometer. Compare the service book instead.
- Outstanding fines.
- Mechanical condition. For that you need an inspection, and in Victoria a roadworthy certificate only covers safety items.
If the certificate shows money owing, read what to do when a used car has money owing before you pay anyone.
Red flags to watch for
- The seller won't give you the VIN, or the VIN on the car doesn't match the papers.
- You're asked to pay a deposit "to hold it" before you've seen the car or run a check.
- There's no roadworthy certificate, or an excuse about why it's coming later.
- The price is far below similar cars, and the seller is in a rush to close.
A clear PPSR check is not a mechanical inspection. It won't tell you about the engine, the gearbox or rust. Work through our used car inspection checklist, and for anything you can't judge yourself, book a pre-purchase inspection.
Want us to check it for you?
OneCall runs the PPSR and history checks on every car we help with, compares the price with real listings, and tells you honestly if it's worth buying. The first chat is free.
See also: where to buy a used car in Melbourne · the inspection checklist · car finance on a student visa · money owing on a used car · what a roadworthy covers · used-car buying help in Melbourne
Sources: PPSR fees (ppsr.gov.au) · Do a used car or vehicle search (ppsr.gov.au) · How the PPSR protects buyers (ppsr.gov.au) · Buying a used vehicle (VicRoads) · Registration check (VicRoads)