The $2 PPSR check: how to get the certificate yourself

The $2 search needs the 17-character Vehicle Identification Number. It cannot be run on a number plate. On most cars the VIN is on the compliance plate in the engine bay or on the driver's door pillar. It is also at the base of the windscreen on the driver's side, and on the registration certificate. For vehicles built before 1989 you may have a chassis number instead; the PPSR accepts that too.

If you only have an online ad with a plate, ask the seller for a photo of the compliance plate. In Victoria, the Service Victoria free rego check prints the full VIN from the plate. Other states mask or omit it.

1. Find the VIN on the compliance plate, door pillar or registration papers. Check it is 17 characters; VINs never contain the letters I, O or Q.
2. Go to ppsr.gov.au and choose the motor vehicle search for used-car buyers. You do not need an account.
3. Enter the VIN and your email address. Type carefully: the PPSR states that if you enter the wrong number it will still run the search and charge you.
4. Pay the $2 fee by card.
5. Open the certificate from your email. Read the PPSR Registration Details section first, then the NEVDIS vehicle block, and keep the 16-digit search number to retrieve the certificate again free later.

The certificate has two parts. The PPSR section either says there is "no security interest or other registration kind registered on the PPSR against the serial number", or lists each registration. Each listing shows the secured party's name, the registration period and the collateral class. The NEVDIS section shows stolen status, written-off status with any damage codes, and the plate, expiry, make, model and colour held for the VIN.

Two lines to look for. The first, "Tasmanian stolen vehicle information is currently unavailable from this service", appears on every certificate. The second is any note that NEVDIS data was unavailable, which means the vehicle block is empty and you should search again.

• Whether a security interest is registered and who the secured party is.
• Stolen status for the vehicle, plates and engine, everywhere except Tasmania.
• Written-off status, statutory or repairable, with incident, location and severity codes.
• The registration plate, state and expiry, plus make, model and colour on record.
• A search number that retrieves the certificate free at any time.

• Any search by number plate. VIN, chassis number or manufacturer's number only.
• The amount owing. The register holds no balance; ask the seller for a payout letter.
• What the write-off codes mean. Letters such as "W" and "L" are printed without explanation; the tables are on a separate PPSR page.
• Recalls, build data, fuel use, odometer readings, owner counts or service history. None of that is on the register.
• A second chance. Mistype one character and the search runs on the wrong VIN, returns nothing useful, and you pay again.

Pay us when the VIN is the problem. If the ad shows a plate, we convert it, confirm the make, model and year with you, and run the search. The $2 fee is itemised inside our price, the certificate is attached unaltered, and a mistyped plate is re-run free.

Pay for the $27.95 report when you want the certificate explained. It adds decoded write-off codes, open recalls for the make and model, build data for 2021-plus cars, and a free 14-day finance re-check before handover. If you have the VIN and are comfortable reading the certificate yourself, spend the $2 and keep the change.