Free rego checks

A rego check (short for 'registration check'), is one way you can find out about the history of a used vehicle. When you go to a dealer or an individual to buy a second-hand car, they may only give you a snippet of the information you really need to make a wise purchase - or even tell a few white lies to negotiate a higher price.

After getting a rego check done, you'll have some background knowledge about the vehicle's registration history to ensure you won't get ripped off by paying too much for the car you want - or getting one with expired rego.

Why should I get a free rego check?

Without adequate knowledge of your car's registration history, you could be putting yourself at risk legally and financially.

There are several reasons free rego checks are so important when buying a used car:

Your vehicle needs to be legally registered: All vehicles on Australian roads are required by law to have valid registration. The used car you're buying may not be registered, or the rego might be close to expiring, and knowing this will ensure you won't get in trouble with the law. Regardless of whether you own the vehicle, if you are caught driving a car that's unregistered, you could be liable to pay a hefty fine, have your driving record affected by demerit points, or have your licence taken off you.
You'll be covered in the case of an accident: If you don't know your car's registration history, you also won't know whether it's covered by Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance. If you get into an accident and cause injury or death, your legal liability won't be covered. Getting a free rego check will prevent this from happening.
You'll know what you're purchasing: A rego check is a way of finding out more about the car you're buying. It's hard to trust dealers and people you don't know, as they could be telling you anything to get a higher price from the sale. So getting a free rego check is doing you a favour by giving you the details you need to make sure you're not being sold a lemon.

What do free rego checks provide?

Free rego checks provide you with the following details about your vehicle:

Registration number;
Registration status;
Registration expiry date;
Make, model and body shape of the vehicle; and
Details of the CTP insurer and policy expiry date.

How do I get a free rego check?

The process of getting a free rego check is incredibly easy. All you'll need to do is visit the website of the transport authority in your state of residence. These websites enable you to enter your plat number or Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and instantly see your rego information. You can get a free rego check for your vehicle by visiting any of the following websites:

To check the rego of a vehicle registered in New South Wales, visit the Service NSW website, or click here to find out more about NSW rego checks.
To check the rego of a vehicle registered in Victoria, visit the VicRoads website, or click here to find out more about VIC rego checks.
To check the rego of a vehicle registered in Queensland, visit the Department of Transport and Main Roads website, or click here to find out more about QLD rego checks.
To check the rego of a vehicle registered in the Northern Territory, visit the Northern Territory government's website, or click here to find out more about NT rego checks.
To check the rego of a vehicle registered in Western Australia, visit the Department of Transport website, or click here to find out more about WA rego checks.
To check the rego of a vehicle registered in South Australia, visit the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure website, or click here to find out more about SA rego checks.
To check the rego of a vehicle registered in Tasmania, visit the Tasmanian Government website, or click here to find out more about TAS rego checks.
To check the rego of a vehicle registered in the Australian Capital Territory, visit the Access Canberra website, or click here to find out more about ACT rego checks.

What if I need more information than I can get from a free rego check?

A free rego check gives you the essential information about your car, but sometimes you need to know a bit more. If you're concerned that the car might be stolen, for example, or have debts owed on it, you should consider purchasing a more comprehensive PPSR report, which includes:

PPSR check;
Stolen check;
Written-off check;
Finance check;
Odometer check;
Price/odometer comparison;
Vehicle valuation;
VIN check; and
First sale information.

What is a PPSR check?

A PPSR check is included in every PPSR report. It's a way of finding out if the used car you want to buy has finance owing on it. We conduct a PPSR search by scanning the PPS register (short for Personal Property Securities Register) for any security interests that may be registered over the vehicle.

This enables us to find out if the previous owner of your vehicle has debts accrued that could transfer to you once you hand over your cash.

To access your PPSR report in seconds, you'll need some simple details handy. For cars made before 1989, you'll need the licence plate number. For cars made after 1989, you'll need the VIN. Simply enter whichever of these applies to your vehicle, along with your state, into our website's search box. We'll send you your PPSR report straight away!