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Featured Guide · 1 min read

How to Check the PPSR

The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) reveals if a car is stolen, written‑off or under finance. Here’s how to run one and actually understand it.

What is the PPSR?

The PPSR is Australia’s official record of whether personal property – including vehicles – is encumbered (has money owed), written off, or reported stolen. You can search by VIN to see if there are any security interests recorded against the car.

Steps to Check

  1. Get the full 17‑digit VIN from the seller. Double‑check it on the car’s compliance plate.
  2. Go to the official PPSR website (ppsr.gov.au). Avoid third‑party sites that overcharge.
  3. Enter the VIN, pay the small fee and download the certificate.
  4. Use our Confidence Pack to decode the jargon: look for encumbrance, WOVR (write‑off) entries and check the make/model matches.

Red Flags to Watch

  • Any encumbrance entry (means money is owed) – the seller must clear it before you pay.
  • WOVR category “statutory write‑off” or “repairable write‑off” – avoid.
  • Mismatched make/model/colour – could be a rebirthed or cloned VIN.

Once you’ve read your PPSR, use our negotiation scripts to ask the seller to prove the loan is cleared. If anything looks off, walk away – there are always more cars.

Ready to buy with confidence? Download the Free Checklist or upgrade to a paid pack for a plain‑English PPSR decode.