Frequently Asked Questions

MotorRegistry is an Australian business which is authorised to obtain vehicle history data from government and other sources, and provides this to customers in a high-value, easy-to-read report. We are based in Melbourne, Australia but have a presence in multiple states.

To generate a vehicle history report, you'll need the vehicle's VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) or licence plate number. This report provides details about the car's history, including locations, registrations, damage history, and any outstanding debts.

The VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) is a unique 17-character code assigned to every vehicle since 1986. It can usually be found on the vehicle compliance plate, on the vehicle’s dashboard, near the windshield, or on the driver’s side door frame.

Yes! Just enter the chassis number in the same field where you would enter the VIN or rego number. We may not be able to source all information for older vehicles, but we will certainly provide the critical details you need.

You can check if there’s money owing on a vehicle by purchasing a report from us. We will access the PPSR (Personal Property Securities Register) to do this check. This service ensures the vehicle is free from any financial encumbrances.

A PPSR check is a search of the Personal Property Securities Register to see if there are any financial interests, such as loans or leases, linked to a vehicle. It’s important to conduct this check before purchasing a used car to ensure there are no financial liabilities. You could lose the vehicle and your purchase amount if the vehicle still has financial liabilities when you purchase it.

Not necessarily. A clean PPSR result means no finance is registered against the car and it has not been recorded as written off or stolen. It says nothing about odometer readings, repaired accident damage, service history or recalls, because the register doesn't hold that information. In August 2026, nearly 1 in 4 cars that came back clear on the PPSR still had a damage assessment, an odometer rollback or a repair record in their MotorRegistry Comprehensive Plus report. Every MotorRegistry report includes the official PPSR certificate and then adds the history the register doesn't cover. Read what the PPSR doesn't check.

Comprehensive and Comprehensive Plus reports include a free 14-day finance re-check. For 14 days after your original check, we automatically re-check the PPSR several times a day for changes to the vehicle's finance (security interest) status. If a change is detected, we email you straight away.

The PPSR only tells us that something has changed - not what changed - so your email includes a single-use discount voucher to purchase a new report at a reduced price and see the updated finance details. Your original report is not altered; it continues to show the results from your original check.

Yes, MotorRegistry takes your privacy and data security seriously. We use encryption and other security measures to protect your information when performing vehicle checks or requesting reports.

Yes, businesses can use MotorRegistry to streamline vehicle management tasks, such as checking registration status and obtaining vehicle history reports for their fleet. Dealers can produce branded vehicle history reports to add value for car buyers. Please visit our B2B websiteor contact us at [email protected] to explore our B2B options.

MotorRegistry supports vehicle registration checks across all Australian states and territories, including NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT, and ACT.

Occasionally government data agencies such as NEVDIS and PPSR have service outages. These are often unscheduled and sometimes run for extended periods. We send the interim report as a courtesy so that you will have the critical information we are able to obtain at that point in time. It may be enough to prevent a risky purchase. We always send the full report as soon as the government service is back online.

MotorRegistry retrieves official information from government and other sources. We are unable to alter information we get from NEVDIS or PPSR. To verify or correct finance information, the finance company listed against the security on the PPSR certificate must be contacted by the debtor. To alter vehicle registration information, please contact the state authority the vehicle is registered under.

Unfortunately, we do not have the authority or ability to change the 'NEVDIS Stolen Vehicle Notification'. This data is not stored or maintained by the PPSR. When available, it is transmitted to us at the time of a search. To change it, the police must liaise with the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC). ACIC will only deal with the police.

We recommend taking the following steps:

• Contact the relevant police jurisdiction about the issue
• If the vehicle is not recorded as stolen in their system, ask they contact ACIC
• If the police are not aware of ACIC, note that it was previously managed by 'CrimTrac'
• If they are still unsure, suggest they speak to their stolen vehicles unit.

MotorRegistry rely on multiple internal and external sources for vehicle data. In most cases this data is complete, however not all vehicles have all information available. This is especially the case for older vehicles, vehicles that have been unregistered for a period, or certain vehicle types. We provide an 'Odometer Assessment' regarding the odometer; however, this information is contingent on our third-party data partners, who occasionally don't have it on record. So, we explicitly note this in the disclaimer at the bottom of the purchase screen before purchasing to ensure we set expectations right. We are working with our partners and government agencies to improve this. It is provided as accurately as possible.

Our refund policy is detailed in our Terms & Conditions. Please review this document for information on eligibility for refunds.

If this page didn't answer your question, you can contact us here.