When a car changes hands in Australia, the sale is not finished until the registration follows it. Both people have a job to do, the deadlines are counted in days, and every state and territory runs its own rules, fees and forms. This guide sets out who does what, by when, and what it costs in each of the eight jurisdictions, with the authority each row comes from so you can check the current figure before you act.
It covers the transfer itself. If you are still working through the sale, from pricing the car to taking payment safely, that process is in how to sell a car privately in Australia. If you have not yet checked the car you are buying, start with a rego check and a PPSR search before any money moves.
The short version
Across Australia the pattern is the same even though the details differ. The seller tells the registration authority the vehicle has been disposed of. The buyer applies to have the registration put into their name and pays what is owed. The buyer’s deadline is 14 days in every jurisdiction we checked. The seller’s deadline is not uniform: it is 7 days in Western Australia and Tasmania, 14 days in Queensland and the Northern Territory, and in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia the seller’s notice is what unlocks the buyer’s online transfer, so it is best done on the day of sale.
What the buyer pays is made up of separate things, and it helps to keep them separate in your head:
- A registration transfer fee — an administrative charge from the transport authority. Small, and fixed.
- Duty — a state tax on the vehicle’s value, called motor vehicle duty, stamp duty, vehicle registration duty or vehicle licence duty depending on where you are. Usually the largest amount, and calculated on the higher of the price paid or the market value.
- A late transfer fee or penalty — only if the deadline is missed.
- A roadworthy or safety certificate — in some jurisdictions the seller must supply one before the transfer can go through; in others it is not required for a transfer at all.
Definitions worth knowing
Notice of disposal. The seller’s notification to the authority that the vehicle has been sold. In some states it is a form; in others it is a step inside the seller’s online account. Until it is lodged, the seller usually remains the registered operator on record, which matters for tolls, fines and camera offences.
Transfer of registration. The buyer’s application to become the registered operator. This is the step that carries the fee and the duty.
Dutiable value. The figure duty is calculated on. Every authority we read uses the higher of the purchase price and the market value, and several warn that understating it attracts penalties.
Registered operator. The person responsible for the vehicle on the register. This is not the same as legal ownership, which is why an encumbrance check still matters even after a transfer goes through.
Transfer rules by state and territory
The table below was compiled from each jurisdiction’s transport and revenue authority pages on 21 September 2026. Fees change, usually on 1 July, and duty formulas are simplified here to the common passenger-vehicle case. Treat it as a map of what to expect, and confirm the current figure on the authority page before you pay.
| Jurisdiction | Seller must | Buyer must | Deadline | Transfer fee | Duty (separate from the fee) | Late fee / penalty | Roadworthy for transfer? | Online or in person | Authority and date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | Submit a Notice of Disposal | Transfer the registration into their name and pay duty | Buyer: within 14 days of acquiring the vehicle | $42 if lodged within 14 days | Motor vehicle duty: $3 per $100 up to $44,999; $1,350 plus $5 per $100 from $45,000 (passenger vehicles) | $193 transfer fee applies if lodged after 14 days | No safety check (pink slip) is needed to transfer a current NSW registration | Online via MyServiceNSW once the seller has lodged the Notice of Disposal; otherwise at a service centre | Service NSW (published 21 Aug 2026); NSW Government fees page (modified 3 Aug 2026); Revenue NSW (16 Oct 2025) |
| Victoria | Start the transfer in myVicRoads (or complete the paper transfer form with the buyer) and supply a roadworthy certificate | Complete the transfer and pay the transfer fee and duty | Buyer: notify within 14 days of purchase; penalties may apply for late lodgement | $47.50 motor vehicle; $7.60 motorcycle or trailer (private transfer) | Motor vehicle duty: $8.40 per $200 of market value for passenger vehicles up to $80,567, with higher rates above that; $8.40 per $200 for used non-passenger vehicles and motorcycles | Penalties apply for late lodgement or under-declared value (amount not stated on the pages read) | Yes — the seller provides a roadworthy certificate, valid 30 days, unless an exemption applies | Online through myVicRoads (seller initiates, buyer completes); companies must attend a customer service centre | VicRoads buying and transfer pages, transfer fees page and motor vehicle duty fees page (read 21 Sep 2026) |
| Queensland | Transfer the registration out of their name (online, or Part B of form F3520) and give the buyer a current safety certificate | Finalise the transfer and pay the transfer fee and duty | Both: within 14 days of the sale | $33.65 (as at 1 July 2026) | Vehicle registration duty by engine type: $2 per $100 hybrid or electric; $3 per $100 for 1–4 cylinders; $3.50 for 5–6; $4 for 7 or more (values up to $100,000; higher above). No duty on trailers or caravans | Not stated as a flat late fee on the pages read; the 14-day requirement is a legal obligation and the seller can remain liable for offences until the transfer is done | Yes — a current Queensland safety certificate (or certificate of inspection) is required for vehicles and for trailers 750 kg–4.5 t ATM; a new certificate is needed for each transfer | Online in two steps (seller then buyer) if eligible; otherwise at a transport and motoring service centre, QGAP office or participating police station | Queensland Government TMR: transfer in person (updated 4 Sep 2026), transfer online (20 May 2025), registration costs (1 Jul 2026), duty rates (reviewed 14 Aug 2026) |
| Western Australia | Notify the Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure of the change of ownership | Notify the department, then pay the transfer fee and vehicle licence duty when invoiced | Seller: within 7 days. Buyer: within 14 days. Payment: within 28 days of the invoice | A transfer fee applies and is invoiced after lodgement; the pages read do not publish a single fixed amount | Vehicle licence duty: 2.75% of dutiable value up to $25,000, rising on a sliding scale to 6.5% above $50,000 (light vehicles); heavy vehicles 3%, capped at $12,000. Certain caravans are exempt | Penalties apply to both seller and buyer for failing to notify in time; penalty tax may apply to a late-paid invoice | Not required for a standard transfer of a currently licensed vehicle | Online through DoTDirect or the Notification of Change of Ownership form (MR9) | Transport WA transfer page; WA Government transfer fees page; Department of Treasury and Finance vehicle licence duty (14 Aug 2026) |
| South Australia | Notify Service SA of the sale (disposal notice) | Transfer the registration and pay the transfer fee and stamp duty | Buyer: within 14 days of purchase | $33 | Stamp duty, non-commercial vehicles: $60 plus $4 per $100 above $3,000 (lower tiers below $3,000). Commercial vehicles: $30 plus $3 per $100 above $2,000 | Late transfer fee of $108 if not transferred within 14 days | No inspection for light vehicles; a change-of-ownership inspection applies to heavy vehicles and trailers three years or older | Online through a mySAGOV account (browser, not the app); paper form to Service SA where online is unavailable | SA.GOV.AU transfer page (23 Feb 2026); RevenueSA stamp duty on vehicles and rates pages |
| Tasmania | Lodge a notice of disposal | Transfer the registration and pay the transfer fee and duty | Seller: within 7 days. Buyer: within 14 days | $35.28 (motor vehicles, motorcycles, trailers and caravans) | Motor vehicle duty, passenger vehicles: $20 up to $600; $3 per $100 from $600 to $35,000; $1,050 plus $11 per $100 between $35,000 and $40,000; $4 per $100 above $40,000. Other vehicles under 4.5 t and motorcycles: $3 per $100 (minimum $20) | Penalties may apply if the 14-day requirement is missed (amount not stated on the pages read) | Not required for a general transfer on the pages read | Online transfer portal, or in person at Service Tasmania with form MR1 or MR116 | Transport Services Tasmania transfer page and fees page (20 Jul 2026); State Revenue Office Tasmania (28 May 2026) |
| ACT | Sign the transfer application (or notice of disposal / back of the certificate) with the buyer | Attend Access Canberra, transfer the registration and pay duty | Buyer: within 14 days of purchase or acquisition | $51.70 (as at 1 July 2026) | Motor vehicle duty on used passenger and light commercial vehicles: $2.50 per $100 for zero-emission vehicles; $3.17 per $100 for all others under $45,000, with higher rates above. New rates apply from 1 February 2027. Non-motorised caravans and camper trailers are exempt. Different treatment may apply to changes involving secondary registered operators; check Access Canberra for that transaction type | $139.50 late transfer fee if lodged after 14 days, in addition to the transfer fee; may be waived with evidence of extenuating circumstances | Depends on the vehicle — use Access Canberra’s registration and transfer guide for the type, age and status of the vehicle | In person at an Access Canberra Service Centre (licensed dealers can transact online) | Access Canberra transfer fees (1 Jul 2026) and registration and transfer page (4 May 2026); ACT Revenue Office motor vehicle duty (1 Jul 2026) |
| Northern Territory | Submit a notice of disposal to the Motor Vehicle Registry and give the buyer proof of ownership | Apply to transfer ownership (form R11) and pay the transfer fee and stamp duty | Seller: within 14 days of sale. Buyer: within 14 days of sale | $22 | Stamp duty: $3 per $100 (3%) of the purchase price, or market value where higher | Not stated as a flat late fee on the pages read | Yes, if the light vehicle is 7 years old or older — a roadworthy inspection is required on transfer | In person at an MVR office, or by email or mail with payment arranged by phone | NT.GOV.AU buying and selling a used vehicle, registration fees (1 Jul 2026) and stamp duty pages |
Two things stand out from putting the eight side by side. First, the buyer’s 14 days is the one constant, so a buyer anywhere in Australia should plan to have the transfer lodged within a fortnight of collecting the car. Second, the seller’s obligation is the part most often left undone, and it is the part that protects the seller: until the notice of disposal is lodged, fines and tolls incurred by the new driver can still arrive at the old address.
What the seller needs to do
The seller’s job is shorter than the buyer’s, but the timing matters more than people expect.
- Complete the paperwork on the day of sale. In most jurisdictions that means both parties signing the transfer form or the disposal section of the registration certificate. Queensland, for example, recommends the seller complete Part B of the F3520 and have the buyer sign it even if the transfer will later be done online.
- Record the price and the odometer. Several online transfer systems ask the seller to enter the sale date, the dutiable value and the odometer reading, and revenue offices check declared values. Write the real figure.
- Supply the certificate your state requires. Victoria requires a roadworthy certificate from the seller for a registered vehicle; Queensland requires a current safety certificate, and it can only be used once. In New South Wales no safety check is needed to transfer a current registration. Check your row above rather than assuming.
- Lodge the notice of disposal, and keep proof. Do this yourself rather than relying on the buyer to lodge everything. In Western Australia and Tasmania you have 7 days; in Queensland and the Northern Territory, 14. In New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia your notice is what lets the buyer finish online, so the sooner it is in, the sooner you are off the record.
- Tidy up the rest. Remove toll tags, cancel or transfer any direct-debit registration payments, and if the car was still under finance make sure the payout has cleared before the registration moves. What happens when a financed car is sold is covered in selling a car under finance.
What the buyer needs to do
- Before you pay, check the car. Run a rego check for the registration status and a PPSR search for money owing or a written-off history. A transfer does not clear a security interest.
- Get the seller’s part done in front of you. Signed transfer form or disposal section, the safety or roadworthy certificate where your state requires one, and the seller’s identification details the online system will ask for.
- Lodge the transfer within 14 days. Online where the jurisdiction offers it and you are eligible; in person where it does not (the ACT is in-person only for private buyers). Have your licence or proof of identity, proof of your address in that state if you are a new customer there, and a card to pay with.
- Pay the transfer fee and the duty as separate items. Duty is calculated on the higher of the price you paid and the market value, so a nominal price on the paperwork does not reduce it and can attract a penalty.
- Keep the confirmation. The registration certificate or confirmation email is your evidence that the transfer went through on time if a late fee is ever queried.
How duty and the transfer fee differ, and why it matters
A common misunderstanding is that there is one “transfer fee” and it is small. The administrative transfer fee is small: between $22 in the Northern Territory and $51.70 in the ACT on the pages we read. Duty is the larger amount and is a tax on the vehicle’s value. On a $30,000 passenger car, for example, New South Wales duty at $3 per $100 is $900, Queensland duty on a four-cylinder car at $3 per $100 is also $900, Victoria’s $8.40 per $200 works out to $1,260, and Western Australia’s 2.75% on the first $25,000 then a rising rate above that lands somewhere between the two. These are worked illustrations of the published formulas, not quotes; every authority has a calculator on its site, and exemptions exist for transfers between spouses, deceased estates and some other circumstances that are outside the scope of this guide.
Budgeting for the transfer therefore means budgeting for duty. If you are financing the purchase, it is worth knowing that duty is a cost payable at transfer rather than part of the price, and whether it can be included in the amount financed depends on the lender and the loan structure.
Common mistakes on both sides
- The seller assumes the buyer will lodge everything. If the buyer does not, the seller stays on the register and receives the buyer’s fines. Lodge your own notice of disposal.
- Understating the sale price. Revenue offices compare declared values against market data; New South Wales, for example, states penalty tax can be up to 90% of the shortfall in duty.
- Reusing a safety certificate. In Queensland a certificate can only be used once and a new one is needed for each transfer.
- Trying to transfer across state lines. A registration cannot be transferred from one state to another; the buyer registers the vehicle in their own state instead, which is a different process with its own inspection requirements.
- Missing the seller’s shorter deadline. Western Australia and Tasmania give the seller 7 days, not 14.
- Forgetting the trailer. Caravans and trailers are registered vehicles too and transfer on the same rules, though duty on them is exempt in several jurisdictions.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to transfer car registration after buying a car?
Fourteen days from the date of sale or acquisition in every state and territory we checked. Some jurisdictions charge a higher fee if you lodge after that, such as $193 instead of $42 in New South Wales, a $108 late transfer fee in South Australia and a $139.50 late fee in the ACT; others apply penalties without publishing a flat amount.
Who pays the transfer fee, the buyer or the seller?
The buyer, in every jurisdiction we checked. Queensland states it plainly: the seller pays no fees to transfer a registration out of their name, and the transfer fee and vehicle registration duty are paid by the buyer. The seller’s obligation is to lodge the notice of disposal and supply any required certificate.
Is stamp duty the same as the transfer fee?
No. The transfer fee is a fixed administrative charge, typically between about $22 and $52. Duty is a state tax calculated on the vehicle’s value, usually the higher of the price paid and the market value, and is normally the larger amount. They are charged together at transfer but are different things.
Do I need a roadworthy certificate to transfer registration?
It depends on the state. Victoria requires the seller to supply a roadworthy certificate for a registered vehicle, Queensland requires a current safety certificate, and the Northern Territory requires an inspection if a light vehicle is seven years old or older. New South Wales does not require a safety check to transfer a current registration, and South Australia does not inspect light vehicles at change of ownership.
Can I transfer car registration online?
In New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania, yes, for most private transfers, usually after the seller has lodged their part. Organisations and vehicles with personalised plates or special conditions often have to attend in person. In the ACT private buyers must attend an Access Canberra Service Centre, and in the Northern Territory the application goes to a Motor Vehicle Registry office in person, by email or by mail.
What happens if the seller does not lodge a notice of disposal?
The seller generally remains the registered operator on record until the transfer is processed, so fines, tolls and camera offences incurred by the new driver can still be issued to them. Several authorities say so directly. That is why the seller should lodge their own notice promptly rather than rely on the buyer.
Can I transfer a registration from one state to another?
No. A registration belongs to the state or territory that issued it. If you buy a car registered interstate, you register it in your own state, which is a new-registration process with its own identity, inspection and duty requirements rather than a transfer.
Buying or selling and want it handled properly?
Car Buyers Assist helps people on both sides of a private sale get the paperwork, the checks and the timing right. If you want a second pair of eyes before you hand over money or keys, get in touch.
Written and reviewed by the Finance Director at Car Buyers Assist.
This article is general information only, compiled from state and territory authority sources on 21 September 2026. Fees, duty rates, deadlines and forms change; confirm the current requirement with the relevant transport or revenue authority before you act. It does not take your circumstances into account and is not legal advice. Where a dispute exists over who owns a vehicle, seek independent legal advice.