NSW REVS Check
What has this NSW car been through?
Buying in Sydney or regional NSW? Every report includes the official PPSR certificate. MotorRegistry checks more data than any other Australian vehicle history report.
A REVS check in NSW is now a PPSR search, and every MotorRegistry report includes the official PPSR certificate for finance owing, written-off and stolen records. The PPSR stops there. MotorRegistry checks more data than any other Australian vehicle history report, so a report on a NSW car can also show its 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 NSW car can come back clear on all three and still have been crashed and repaired, had its odometer wound back or have a safety recall against it. MotorRegistry checks more data than any other Australian vehicle history report, including more damage assessment data than any other report.
None of these appear on a PPSR certificate. Recall notices are those recorded against the vehicle or its model, and a Comprehensive Plus report shows whether the recall work has been done where records exist. 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.
What the PPSR finds on NSW cars
Over the past year, about 1 in 10 NSW vehicles we checked had finance owing, the same as the national rate. 3.9% had a written-off record, the lowest rate of any state, against 7.7% across all states and territories.
Written-off cars in NSW
When a light vehicle up to 15 years old, or a light truck of any age, is written off in NSW, it's recorded on the NSW Written-Off Light Vehicles Register and its registration is cancelled. From then on it can still be bought and sold, but only for parts or scrap.
Written off in NSW
Can't be registered again in NSW except in limited circumstances, such as a car written off only for hail damage and kept by the same owner. Where a re-registration is approved, the Certificate of Registration notes that the vehicle was written off.
Written off interstate
Must be repaired, inspected and registered in that state first. Transport for NSW's Vehicle Inspectorate then inspects it before it can be registered in NSW, so a repaired interstate write-off can end up on NSW plates.
Because write-offs are recorded on the national written-off vehicle register, a PPSR search shows a write-off from any state. Every MotorRegistry report includes that check, and a Comprehensive Plus report can also show damage assessments for damage that was repaired without the car being written off. Our written-off vehicle check page explains what to look for.
What the free Service NSW rego check shows
The free Service NSW registration check shows a vehicle's registration expiry, whether the registration is suspended or cancelled, any restrictions or concessions, the CTP insurer and its expiry date, and the three most recent yearly odometer readings, if available. It only works for vehicles registered in NSW now or in the past.
It doesn't show finance owing, and it doesn't show written-off or stolen records. Service NSW directs buyers to the PPSR for finance owing. Three odometer readings are a start; a Comprehensive Plus report charts every odometer reading we hold for the vehicle and flags any that go backwards.
Pink slips and blue slips
Pink slip
The yearly safety inspection most light vehicles over 5 years old need to renew their registration, done at an authorised inspection station and valid for 6 months. It isn't needed to transfer a current NSW registration.
Blue slip (AUVIS)
Needed to register a vehicle whose registration expired more than 3 months ago, one brought in from another state or overseas, one with no number plates, or a write-off approved for re-registration. It's valid for 42 days.
REVS in NSW is now the PPSR
NSW Fair Trading ran the state's Register of Encumbered Vehicles, REVS, which recorded finance owing against vehicles registered in NSW. Its records were transferred to the national Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) on 30 January 2012, and the state registers closed.
A REVS check in NSW today is a PPSR search. Because the PPSR is national, it covers a car brought in from interstate as well as one registered in NSW. Our REVS check and PPSR check pages cover the register in more detail.
Buying a car privately in NSW
Before you pay:
- Check the car as close to payment as you can. If there's money owing, the car could be repossessed, even though the debt isn't yours. Comprehensive and Comprehensive Plus reports include a free 14-day finance re-check that emails you if the finance status changes.
- Have the car inspected independently before you buy. A pink slip isn't required for the sale.
- Record the sale. Our free Bill of Sale gives the buyer and the seller the same record of the vehicle, price and date, to print and sign.
- Transfer the registration into your name within 14 days. You pay motor vehicle duty on the market value or the price you paid, whichever is higher. The seller lodges a notice of disposal within 14 days of the sale.
NSW Government supplier registration
MotorRegistry is registered as a supplier with the NSW Government.
NSW REVS Check FAQ
Can I still do a REVS check in NSW?
Yes, as a PPSR search. NSW's Register of Encumbered Vehicles (REVS), run by NSW Fair Trading, closed when its records were transferred to the national Personal Property Securities Register on 30 January 2012. A REVS check and a PPSR check are now the same search. Every MotorRegistry report includes the official PPSR certificate.
What does a MotorRegistry report show that a REVS check doesn't?
MotorRegistry checks more data than any other Australian vehicle history report. A REVS or PPSR check answers three questions: finance owing, written off and stolen. A MotorRegistry report includes that official certificate and, depending on the report, adds the vehicle's service and repair records, every odometer reading we hold with possible rollbacks flagged, damage assessments including repaired damage that was never written off, past sales listings, recall repair status, and where the vehicle has been registered and kept, where records exist.
How much does a REVS check cost in NSW?
The government PPSR search costs $2 at ppsr.gov.au and gives you the certificate on its own. A MotorRegistry report includes that same official certificate, explained in plain English, along with the history the PPSR doesn't hold.
Does the free Service NSW rego check show finance owing or write-offs?
No. The free check shows the registration expiry, whether the registration is suspended or cancelled, any restrictions or concessions, the CTP insurer and the three most recent yearly odometer readings if available. Service NSW points buyers to the PPSR for finance owing, and to a paid vehicle history report for written-off and stolen records.
Do I need a pink slip to buy or sell a car in NSW?
Not to transfer a current NSW registration. A pink slip is the yearly safety inspection most light vehicles over 5 years old need to renew their registration, and it's valid for 6 months. Because one isn't needed for the sale, arrange your own independent inspection before you buy.
Can a written-off car be registered in NSW?
Usually not. Written-off light vehicles can't be re-registered in NSW except in limited circumstances, such as hail damage on a car kept by the same owner, and can otherwise only be sold for parts or scrap. A car written off in another state must be repaired, inspected and registered there first, then inspected by Transport for NSW before it can be registered in NSW.
What is a blue slip?
A blue slip, now called an AUVIS inspection, is needed to register a vehicle whose registration expired more than 3 months ago, a vehicle brought into NSW from another state or overseas, a vehicle with no number plates, or a write-off approved for re-registration. It's valid for 42 days.
How long do I have to transfer the registration in NSW?
The buyer must transfer the registration into their name within 14 days and pays motor vehicle duty on the market value or the price paid, whichever is higher. The seller must lodge a notice of disposal within 14 days of the sale.
Is MotorRegistry registered as a NSW Government supplier?
Yes. MotorRegistry is registered as a supplier with the NSW Government.
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