Buying a used car in Queensland: the rules and the checks

Queensland puts a safety certificate on the seller, and its own guidance says plainly that a private seller does not guarantee clear title. That last part is the one to remember: on a private sale, checking for money owing and a write-off is your job.

Buying privately in Queensland

• The seller must give you a current safety certificate. From a private seller it is valid for 2 months or 2,000 km. A car that runs on gas also needs a gas certificate less than 3 months old.
• You have 14 days to transfer the registration into your name, and penalties apply after that.
• Stamp duty is yours to pay, on the higher of the sale price and the market value. The rate depends on the type of engine.
• The plate, VIN and engine number on the car must match the registration papers.
• A private seller does not guarantee clear title, so money owing on the car is your risk.

Buying from a dealer in Queensland

• A dealer's safety certificate is valid for 3 months or 1,000 km.
• Class A warranty: under 160,000 km and no more than 10 years old, 3 months or 5,000 km.
• Class B warranty: 160,000 km or more, or over 10 years old, 1 month or 1,000 km.
• Cooling-off: one business day, and taking the car home ends it.
• Dealers guarantee clear title, so you are generally protected from repossession over finance.

Written-off cars in Queensland

A statutory write-off cannot be re-registered anywhere in Australia. A repairable write-off can be re-registered in Queensland after it passes a safety certificate inspection and a written-off vehicle inspection (WOVI). Floods and hail storms write off cars in Queensland, and repaired ones come back up for sale, so check the record on every car and look for water damage under the carpets and in the spare wheel well.

Worth knowing in Queensland

• Gas-converted cars and utes need the gas certificate as well as the safety certificate.
• Ask the seller to show you the safety certificate before you agree a price. The seller can be fined on the spot for selling without one.
• Taking the car home ends dealer cooling-off, so inspect before you drive away.

The checks that are the same in every state

1. 1.Before you travel, check money owing (with the lender named), written-off history, stolen status and registration status. Money owing matters most on a private sale.
2. 2.On arrival, check the VIN on the car matches the rego papers, and the seller's licence matches the name and address on them.
3. 3.Inspect it cold, in daylight, and drive it for at least 15 minutes. Check the faults that model is known for: the used car inspection guide goes through it.
4. 4.Pay by bank transfer to the account in the name on the papers, and get a signed receipt with the VIN, plate, price and date.

The whole process, start to finish, is in how to buy a used car in Australia.

A KickTyres Vehicle Check reads the official records for one Australian plate: money owing (with the lender named), written-off history, stolen status and registration status, alongside the documented faults for that model and engine. A$17.90, or A$28.90 with the guided inspection.