What is a PPSR check?
A search of the Personal Property Securities Register for one car, by its VIN. It tells you whether a lender has a claim on the car, and whether the car is recorded as written off or stolen.
What the PPSR is
The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is a national register run by the Australian Financial Security Authority (AFSA), a government agency. Lenders and other businesses record their interest in personal property on it, including cars, boats, caravans and machinery. It replaced the state REVS and vehicle security registers in 2012. What happened to REVS
A search of a car on the PPSR also returns information from the national vehicle database that state road agencies feed: written-off and stolen records, and the car's registration details.
Does the car have finance owing?
When someone borrows money to buy a car, the lender usually registers a security interest against the car's VIN. That gives the lender the right to repossess the car if the loan isn't repaid, even if the car has since been sold to you.
If nothing is registered, no lender has a current registered claim on the car.
If a security interest is registered, don't pay yet. Ask the seller to have the loan paid out and the registration removed before you buy, ask for written proof, and check it with the lender named on the certificate.
Two things the result doesn't tell you: how much is owing, and whether the loan has been paid off but the registration not yet removed. The lender can tell the seller both.
Not every security interest is a car loan. A lease, or a business putting up its vehicles as security, also shows here. The question is the same: will it be removed before you pay?
Is the car recorded as written off?
When an insurer or a state agency writes a car off after serious damage (a crash, hail, flood or fire), it is recorded. A PPSR check shows these records.
- Not recorded as written off: no write-off record is held for this VIN.
- Repairable write-off: the car was badly damaged but may be repaired, re-registered and driven again if it passes the inspections its state requires. Ask for proof of the repairs and inspection, and think about whether the price reflects the history.
- Statutory write-off: the car can't be registered again. It can only be used for parts. Don't buy it to drive.
Is the car recorded as stolen?
The check shows whether the car, its engine or its number plates are recorded as stolen.
If anything is recorded as stolen, stop and contact the police in the state shown. Don't hand over money.
A result showing nothing recorded doesn't prove a car isn't stolen: a theft may not be reported yet. Check that the VIN on the car matches the VIN on the papers and on your report.
Recalls
Our report also shows whether the car has an open Takata airbag recall, and other safety recalls the manufacturer has issued for the model. A dealer for the make can confirm recall work for the exact VIN.
Vehicle details
The report shows the car's details as the register holds them: make, model, body, colour, engine number, year of manufacture, compliance date, number plate, state and rego expiry. Compare them with the car in front of you. If they don't match, ask why before going further.
A note on words: the register uses "registration" for two different things. A PPSR registration means a security interest (finance owing). Rego means the car is registered to drive. Our report labels them separately.
What a PPSR check won't tell you
- How much money is owing
- Who owns the car now, or who has owned it
- The odometer reading
- Unpaid fines or tolls
- Service history, or accident damage that didn't lead to a write-off
For those, get a pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic and look at the service book. We only sell the PPSR check.
The PPSR search certificate
Every search produces a search certificate issued by the register. It's the record of what the PPSR held at the moment of the search, with a certificate number, a search number and the time in Canberra time.
With a PPSR.org check you get the certificate as a PDF, exactly as the register issues it. Keep it safe: it's your evidence of the search if anyone later claims an interest in the car.
When should I do a PPSR check?
On the day you buy, or the day before. Finance can be registered at any time, so an older result can miss a new loan. If you checked a car a week ago and are now ready to buy, check it again.