PPSR check
The official search certificate for an Australian vehicle — finance owing, written off, stolen. A$9.00 per certificate.
What a PPSR certificate answers
A rego check tells you what a vehicle is. A PPSR check tells you what is owed on it. They are different registers and different questions, and only the second one carries legal weight.
If there is finance registered against a car and the debt is not paid out, the financier can repossess it after you have bought it. That risk does not show up in an inspection, a service history, or anything the seller is obliged to tell you.
Search by registration and state, or by VIN. You get the certificate itself as a PDF, with its certificate and search numbers, not a summary of one.
What you get
Four answers, plus the vehicle's own record
Every certificate reports the same four findings, alongside the NEVDIS details recorded against the vehicle.
Finance owing
Security interests registered against the vehicle, with the secured party and the dates the registration runs between.
Written off
Whether the vehicle is recorded on the written-off vehicle register, which affects what it is worth and whether it can be re-registered.
Stolen
Whether the vehicle is recorded as stolen by any state or territory police service.
Safety recalls
Open manufacturer recalls recorded against the vehicle that have not been actioned.
How it works
Three steps
- 1
Enter the rego and state, or the VIN
No need to find the VIN first — the plate is enough.
- 2
Pay A$9.00 for that certificate
Charged once, per certificate. There is no subscription and nothing to cancel.
- 3
Read the findings and download the PDF
The four findings are shown on screen in seconds. The certificate is yours to download again whenever you need it.
Pairs with a rego check
A rego-to-VIN lookup gives you the specifications — make, model, year, body, transmission and an indicative value. A PPSR check gives you the encumbrance record. Buyers generally want both: one confirms the car is what it is claimed to be, the other that it can actually be sold to you.
FAQ
PPSR questions
- What is a PPSR check?
- A PPSR check searches the Personal Property Securities Register, the national register of security interests in property. For a vehicle it shows whether money is owed against it, and returns an official search certificate issued under section 174 of the Personal Property Securities Act 2009.
- Why does it matter when buying a car?
- If a vehicle carries a security interest and the debt is not paid out, the financier can repossess it — even after you have bought it and paid in full. The seller may not mention it, and it is not visible on the car. The certificate is the only way to know.
- What does the certificate show?
- Any security interests registered against the vehicle, whether it is recorded as written off, whether it is recorded as stolen, and any open safety recalls. It also carries the NEVDIS vehicle details — make, model, body type, colour, engine number, registration expiry, year of manufacture and compliance.
- Do I need the VIN?
- No. You can search by registration number and state, or by VIN if you have it. Either way you get the same certificate.
- What does a PPSR check cost?
- A$9.00 per certificate, charged once, with no subscription. If the search returns no certificate you are refunded automatically.
- Is the certificate the same as a government one?
- Yes. It is the actual PPSR search certificate, issued from the register with its own certificate and search numbers — not a summary of one.
- How current is it?
- A certificate is a snapshot at the moment of the search, and a finance registration can be added or changed at any time. That is why each search is a fresh certificate rather than a saved copy of an earlier one.
Check before you buy
A$9.00 for the official certificate, by rego or VIN. Refunded if the search returns nothing.