Do You Need A Roadworthy Certificate To Sell A Car In Your State?
Published February 16th, 2018
Decided to sell your car? Perhaps you’d like a few extra dollars in your pocket; you don’t use it enough to justify its upkeep; you might be upgrading to a new vehicle; or need one that meets your family’s evolving needs. Whatever your reasons, we understand that you want the sale to go as smoothly and quickly as possible. However, it’s not as simple as just listing it for sale and waiting for the offers to come in. Depending on where you live in Australia, you’ll need to ensure your vehicle has a roadworthy certificate before it changes hands.
- If you live in Victoria or New South Wales:
If you’re selling a car in Victoria, a roadworthy certificate should be present at your point of sale, but it cannot be older than thirty days. The same applies when selling a car in New South Wales, only you have 42 days before it expires. We recommend shortlisting a serious buyer before applying for one to avoid extra delays.
- If you live in Queensland:
Selling your car in Queensland has the most stringent requirements around your car’s roadworthy certificate. You’ll need to ensure you have this BEFORE listing your car for sale, seeing as it must be displayed when anyone is viewing it – whether you’re placing an ad online or putting a ‘for sale’ sign on your back window. Also, keep in mind that if more than three months elapses you must to apply for another one.
- If you live in ACT or Northern Territory:
ACT residents only need to obtain a roadworthy certificate if the car being sold is older than six years. Again, you’ll have a month in which it’s valid. For Northern Territory sellers, you’ll only need one if your car is over five years of age and your buyer is from out of state.
For all the areas not mentioned, we’d recommend checking whether or not you need to get a roadworthy certificate, and if it’s legally required. Even if it isn’t, being able to demonstrate that your vehicle is safe to drive, and has no major defects will be a huge selling point for buyers looking for added reassurance.
If you’re looking for a roadworthy certificate, find your nearest ABS auto service centre or book a service online today.