Check a registration

If you're not sure if a vehicle or boat is registered, it's best to check.

Registration is valid until midnight of the expiry date, for example - if your registration is due to expire on 26 June, your vehicle can be driven up until midnight on 26 June.

What's included in the check

A free registration check includes:

• the registration expiry date
• the make
• body or hull type
• colour
• compulsory third party (CTP) insurer (vehicles only)
• heavy vehicle details (gross vehicle/combination/trailer mass)
• last 4 digits of the vehicle identification number (VIN).

If the vehicle is currently suspended, stolen, defected or written off, a generic message will display advising so. Specific details are not included.

Check a second hand vehicle before you buy it

If you plan to buy a vehicle from a private seller, there are additional checks you can do.

If it's stolen, written-off or defected

You can do an online car search through the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) website.

If you have information on a stolen vehicle, phone the crime stoppers anonymous hotline - 1800 333 000.

If finance is owing

Checking financial interest

If someone borrows money to buy a vehicle, they can't dispose of it without permission from the lender. If the vehicle is under finance and the finance is not paid out, the lender may want to repossess it.

You can check if there is any financial interest registered against a vehicle using the PPSR online car search.

Registering financial interest

Security interest holders will register their financial interests over vehicles directly with the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR).

Vehicle dealers or purchasers of second-hand vehicles can purchase a certificate of encumbrance status on the PPSR website.

If it's ultra high powered

Before buying a second hand vehicle you should check if it is an ultra high powered vehicle (UHPV), which requires an additional licence class from 1 December 2024.

Cooling off rights

The cooling-off provision applies to second-hand vehicles bought from a dealer and includes demonstration vehicles. to find out what the rights are, go to our cooling off rights when buying a second hand vehicle page.

Check your registrations

With a mySAGOV account, you can check on any vehicles registered in your name and view their details - eg VIN, engine number.

To do this:

1. Log in to your mySAGOV account using your web browser (not the mySAGOV app)
2. Select Vehicle list in the Vehicles section
3. Select Details alongside the relevant plate number.

There's a different process if you need a copy of your notice of disposal details for a car you've sold. To do this, you'll need to request information about the vehicle through Service SA.