Car history reports in Australia, compared
Every car history report in Australia is built on the same $2 government certificate. What changes is the price and the extras around it. This table compares the main options, including the free and $2 ones, from each provider's own website.
Updated
What every report has in common
Finance owing, stolen status and written-off status come from one place: the PPSR, which draws its stolen and write-off records from NEVDIS, the national vehicle database. Every report below that includes the certificate gives you the same answers on those three questions. You can get them yourself at ppsr.gov.au for $2 with the VIN.
What you pay extra for is the plate-to-VIN step, an explanation of the certificate, and data from outside government: odometer readings from insurers or past ads, previous listings, and valuations. That data is useful but partial. A clean result there does not prove the car was never crashed or clocked.
The comparison
| Provider | Price | PPSR certificate | Odometer | Listings and valuation | Refunds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ppsr.gov.au | $2.00 online, $7.00 by phone | It is the certificate | No | No | Fees are not refundable |
| Budget Direct free PPSR check | Free; name, email, mobile, SMS code and marketing consent required; two per mobile number | Yes, emailed | No | No | Not applicable |
| CarVerify | $12.95 certificate; $27.95 report | Yes, unaltered | Expected range for the car's age only (report); no recorded readings | No | Full refund if no certificate, or if the report is more than 15 minutes late; typos re-run free |
| MotorRegistry | Basic from $24.95; higher tiers priced after a search | Yes | Expected range (Comprehensive); full history where records exist (Comprehensive Plus) | Past sales and auctions where records exist (Comprehensive Plus); Yes, RedBook (Comprehensive) | Consumer-law wording only |
| carfacts | From $34; $27 for NRMA members | Yes | Discrepancy check from carsales data, where there is enough | Market comparison (not a valuation) | No refund policy published |
| carsales vehicle history report | $34; 3 for $49; 5 for $59 (credits last 180 days) | Not stated | Reported odometer history and discrepancies | Price changes on the ad; prices of similar cars; Estimated retail range | Not stated |
| CarHistory | $39.95 history report; $28.95 PPSR certificate | Yes | Odometer history and fraud check, where data is available | Previous sale listings; Yes (Glass's: trade-in, private and dealer) | Refund on request if the report is empty, incomplete or shown to be inaccurate; not for a wrong VIN |
| carVertical | $49.99; 2 for $59.18; 3 for $74.97 | Unclear ("including PPSR certificates") | Mileage records and rollback flags | Past photos and a timeline; Market price range | Credit back if no records are found; other requests within 30 days |
Sources: ppsr.gov.au car search, PPSR fees, budgetdirect.com.au, carverify.com.au/pricing, MotorRegistry FAQ, MotorRegistry PPSR, Comprehensive Plus, carfacts.com.au, carfacts: what we offer, carfacts FAQ, NRMA CarFacts, carsales.com.au/facts, CarHistory report, CarHistory PPSR certificate, CarHistory FAQs, ProductReview, carVertical pricing, carVertical features, carVertical refunds. Checked .
Which extras are worth paying for
- Recorded odometer readings are the most useful extra, because rollback is hard to spot. Coverage depends on the car having passed through insurers, auctions or ads. NSW and WA buyers get some readings free on the state rego check.
- Previous listings show the car's asking prices and photos from earlier sales, which can reveal damage or a different odometer reading.
- A valuation helps with negotiating, but free price guides and comparable ads get you most of the way.
- Decoded write-off codes and recalls turn the certificate into plain English. You can do this yourself with the PPSR's code tables and vehiclerecalls.gov.au.
Our pick by situation
- Have the VIN, tight budget: ppsr.gov.au for $2, or Budget Direct free if you accept its marketing.
- Plate only, want it explained: CarVerify, $12.95 certificate or $27.95 report.
- Want odometer history, past listings and a valuation: CarHistory at $39.95, carVertical at $49.99, or MotorRegistry's higher tiers. Compare what each found for your car, since coverage varies.
- NRMA member: carfacts at $27.
- Shortlisting several cars on carsales: the carsales 3 or 5 pack.
Where CarVerify sits
We are the plate-based certificate at a low price with the result explained. We do not sell recorded odometer readings, past listings or valuations yet, and we would rather tell you that here than have you find out after paying. See CarHistory alternative and carfacts alternative for the head-to-head comparisons.
Guides for buyers
- How to Check Car History in Australia: What ExistsAustralia has no single car history file.
- How to Read a PPSR Certificate, Section by SectionA PPSR certificate is written for lenders and lawyers, so the parts that matter to a car buyer need some translation.
- How to Check if a Car Has Been Written OffAustralia keeps a national Written-Off Vehicle Register, and the way a buyer reads it is through the PPSR certificate.
Choose what you need
Full pricingOne-off price, no subscription. Every report includes the official government certificate and arrives in about 2 minutes.
PPSR Certificate
The official certificate, by rego or VIN, in plain English.
- Official PPSR certificate PDF, unaltered, with its search number (AFSA)
- Finance owing and the secured party named (PPSR)
- Stolen status (NEVDIS; Tasmania not covered)
- Written-off status: statutory or repairable (NEVDIS)
- Rego number, expiry, make, model and colour (NEVDIS)
- Search by rego + state or by VIN; plate lookup included
- Plain-English verdict page, emailed in minutes
Car History Report
Everything in the certificate, decoded, plus recalls, build data and the checks most sellers never run.
- Everything in the certificate, plus:
- Identity cross-check: state rego record vs NEVDIS vs VIN decode, field by field, with any mismatch flagged
- Registration status, expiry and purpose of use, with ex-taxi, hire or fleet use flagged
- Write-off damage codes decoded: impact, fire, flood, hail, water
- Secured party contact details and the exact payout-letter steps when finance is found
- Open safety recalls for the make and model, searched on vehiclerecalls.gov.au
- Build date, approval and import pathway for 2021+ cars (Register of Approved Vehicles)
- Expected odometer range for the car's age, to test the reading on the dash
- A "what to ask the seller" checklist built from this car's results
- Free 14-day finance re-check before you hand over the money
What we promise
Free re-run on typos
Mistyped a plate or VIN, or the register returned no vehicle data? We run it again at no charge.
Most reports arrive within 2 minutes
If yours has not arrived within 15 minutes, we refund in full.
No certificate, full refund
If we cannot deliver the official PPSR certificate, you pay nothing.
One-off price, no subscription
Pay once. No trials, no renewals, nothing pre-ticked.
Have the VIN? You can search the PPSR yourself for $2 at ppsr.gov.au. We add the plate lookup, the decoded report and the guarantees. Go to the $2 search
Questions people ask
Which car history report is best in Australia?
It depends on what you need. For finance, stolen and write-off status, the $2 government search is as good as any, because every report includes the same certificate. For odometer history, past listings and a valuation, CarHistory, carVertical and MotorRegistry's higher tiers offer the most, with coverage that varies by car.
Is there a free car history report?
Budget Direct gives the official PPSR certificate free in exchange for your contact details and marketing consent, two per mobile number. Every state also offers a free rego check, and NSW and WA show odometer readings on theirs. A full history report with odometer and listing data is not available free.
Do all car history reports include the PPSR certificate?
Most do, and it is the core of the report. carVertical's site is unclear on whether the official certificate is attached, and the carsales history report does not say. Check before you buy if the certificate matters to you.
What is the difference between CarHistory and carfacts?
CarHistory is Equifax's report ($39.95) using insurer-fed data, Glass's valuations and previous listings. carfacts is carsales' report (from $34, $27 for NRMA members) using carsales listing data and RedBook. Both include the PPSR certificate.