A PPSR check is a search of the Personal Property Securities Register at ppsr.gov.au, using the vehicle’s VIN. For $2, it shows whether money may be owing on the vehicle and, where the data’s there, whether it’s been reported stolen or written off.
Who runs the register
The Personal Property Securities Register, or PPSR, is a national online register. It’s run by the Registrar of Personal Property Securities, whose office is part of the Australian Financial Security Authority (AFSA). Service NSW and Transport for NSW don’t run it.
It records security interests, such as a loan secured against a car. It isn’t a record of who owns a vehicle.
What a vehicle search shows
- Money owing. Whether a security interest is recorded against the vehicle. If one is, the vehicle may have money owing on it and could be repossessed, even after you’ve paid for it.
- Written off. Whether it’s recorded as a statutory or repairable write-off.
- Stolen. Whether it’s been reported stolen.
The written-off and stolen details come from the national vehicle database, NEVDIS, which isn’t always available or up to date. A vehicle that isn’t recorded as stolen may still be stolen.
What it doesn’t show
A search won’t tell you how much is owing, who owns the vehicle or has owned it, its odometer reading, or any fines on it.
How to do one
Search at ppsr.gov.au (opens in a new tab) with the vehicle’s VIN, or its chassis number if it’s older and has no VIN. You can’t search by number plate or engine number. A search costs $2, and you get a certificate to keep as your record.
If you’re buying, the register suggests searching twice: once when you’ve found the vehicle, and again on the day you pay.
When it’s worth doing
Before you buy a used car, ute or motorbike. And before you pay to register a vehicle you’ve bought that’s been off the road, so you know it’s clear before you spend more on it.
A PPSR check with your blue slip
When you book a blue slip with us, you can bring your own PPSR certificate for the vehicle, or add our PPSR check for $10 and we’ll do the search for you. It’s paid at the workshop, with the inspection.
A blue slip itself is $82 for a car, SUV, ute or van. See our prices or book a blue slip.
Quick answers
How much is a PPSR check?
$2 for a search at ppsr.gov.au. With a blue slip at our workshop, you can bring your own certificate, or we’ll do the search for $10.
Is a PPSR check the same as a blue slip?
No. A blue slip is an inspection of the vehicle at an authorised station. A PPSR check is an online search of a national register. They tell you different things.
Can I search by number plate?
No. The register searches by the VIN, or by the chassis number for an older vehicle without one.
Where these facts come from
- Personal Property Securities Register, Do a used car or vehicle search (opens in a new tab). Checked 5 November 2026.
- Personal Property Securities Register, Understand your car search result (opens in a new tab). Checked 5 November 2026.
- Personal Property Securities Register, Buying your first used car? Don’t get caught out (opens in a new tab). Checked 5 November 2026.
- Australian Financial Security Authority, About the PPSR (opens in a new tab). Checked 5 November 2026.
