PPSR Check
Finance owing, written off or stolen?
Search by rego or VIN. Every report includes the official PPSR certificate. MotorRegistry checks more data than any other Australian vehicle history report.
A PPSR check shows whether a car has finance owing, a written-off record or a stolen record, and every MotorRegistry report includes the official PPSR certificate, found from the rego and state or the VIN. The PPSR stops there. MotorRegistry checks more data than any other Australian vehicle history report, so a report can also show the car's service history, every odometer reading we hold, damage assessments including repaired damage that was never written off, past sales listings, and where it has been registered and kept, where records exist.
What a MotorRegistry report shows
- Official PPSR certificate Finance owing, written-off and stolen records, explained in plain English
- Service history Dated services and repairs from verified sources, with the odometer reading at each service
- Odometer history Every reading we hold, charted in date order, with possible rollbacks flagged
- Damage assessments Including damage that was repaired and never written off
- Registration and location history The plates, states and suburbs we hold for the vehicle
- Recall repair status Whether the recall work has been done, where records exist
- Past sales listings Sales and auction listings, often with photos
- Recalls and inspection guide Safety recalls, common problems and a custom pre-purchase inspection guide
- Market valuation An independent valuation to compare against the asking price
- 14-day finance re-check We check the PPSR again and email you if the finance status changes
A clear PPSR result isn't the whole story
The PPSR answers three questions: finance owing, written off and stolen. A car can come back clear on all three and still have been crashed and repaired, had its odometer wound back or missed its services. MotorRegistry checks more data than any other Australian vehicle history report, including more damage assessment data than any other report.
Service and repair records, registration and location history and the depth of odometer history in a MotorRegistry report aren't available from any other Australian report. See everything in a Comprehensive Plus report, or compare vehicle history checks side by side.
What the PPSR certificate shows
Finance owing
Whether a lender has registered a security interest against the car, and which lender. If a loan is still owing, the lender may be able to repossess the car from you.
Written off
Whether an insurer has declared the car a statutory or repairable write-off, from the national written-off vehicle register.
Stolen
Whether the vehicle has a stolen record reported by police.
Finance owing on its own turns up on about 1 in 10 vehicles. Our vehicle finance check page explains what to do if the car you're buying has money owing.
How to run a PPSR check
- Enter the car's rego and state, or its 17-character VIN, in the search box on this page. You don't need to find the VIN first.
- Choose your report. Every MotorRegistry report includes the official PPSR certificate, with its own search number.
- If the certificate shows finance owing, it names the lender. Ask the seller to pay out the loan before you hand over any money.
- Check again close to the day you pay. Comprehensive and Comprehensive Plus reports include a free 14-day finance re-check that emails you if the finance status changes.
PPSR checks and REVS checks
Before 2012, finance owing was recorded on state registers, most of them called REVS. Their records moved to the PPSR on 30 January 2012, so a REVS check today is a PPSR search. Our REVS check page covers that history, and there are guides for buyers in Queensland and New South Wales.
PPSR Check FAQ
What is a PPSR check?
A search of the Personal Property Securities Register, the Australian Government's national register of security interests. For a vehicle, the PPSR certificate shows whether finance is registered against it and whether it has a written-off or stolen record, along with the vehicle's identification details.
How much does a PPSR check cost?
The Australian Government's search at ppsr.gov.au costs $2 per vehicle. Every MotorRegistry report includes that same official certificate, explained in plain English, along with the history the register doesn't hold.
Can I do a PPSR check by rego?
Not on the government site. ppsr.gov.au searches by the 17-character VIN or the chassis number only, and still charges for the search if the VIN is mistyped. MotorRegistry finds the vehicle from its rego and state, or you can enter the VIN.
Is there a free PPSR check?
No. A PPSR search always carries the government search fee. Checking that a certificate you already have is genuine is free: enter its search number at ppsr.gov.au.
Is a PPSR check from MotorRegistry official?
Yes. MotorRegistry searches the Personal Property Securities Register live when you buy your report, and the certificate in your report is the official PPSR search certificate with its own search number. You can verify it free at ppsr.gov.au.
Does a PPSR check protect me if I buy a car privately?
Usually, yes. If you search the PPSR against the vehicle's correct VIN on the day of sale or the day before, and the search shows no security interest, you'll generally take the car free of any finance claimed against it. The protection doesn't apply if you knew about the finance, or if the seller is the one listed as the finance provider.
How long is a PPSR certificate valid?
It shows what the register held at the moment of the search. It doesn't expire, but it won't show finance registered after that time, so search again on the day you buy or the day before. Comprehensive and Comprehensive Plus reports include a free 14-day finance re-check that emails you if the finance status changes.
Can I do a PPSR check by engine number?
No. The PPSR searches by VIN or chassis number only. Search by the rego or VIN instead: every MotorRegistry report shows the engine number recorded for the vehicle, so you can check it matches the engine in the car, and its stolen check covers stolen engine records as well as the vehicle and its plates.
Is a PPSR check the same as a REVS check?
Yes. REVS was the name of the state registers of encumbered vehicles. They closed on 30 January 2012 and their records moved to the PPSR, so a REVS check today is a PPSR search.
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