WOVR Check: Has the Car Been Written Off?
Find out whether a car has been written off, whether as repairable or statutory, and what damage was recorded, before you pay for it.
What WOVR means
WOVR is the Written-Off Vehicle Register. When an insurer writes a car off, the write-off is recorded against the vehicle, and the record stays with it for the rest of its life.
The states keep these records, and a national search brings them together, so a write-off recorded in one state shows up for a buyer in another. That matters most for a car that has crossed a border since.
Repairable or statutory
The category is what decides whether the car can be on the road at all:
- A statutory write-off is damaged badly enough that it cannot be repaired for road use. In most states it can never be registered again.
- A repairable write-off may be repaired, inspected and, depending on the state, registered again. The rules differ, and several states have tightened them.
What this check shows, and what it cannot
Whether the car is recorded as written off and, in most cases, the category and the kind of damage, alongside money owing and stolen status, on one official certificate.
What it cannot tell you is how well the car was repaired. If a repairable write-off is otherwise the car you want, have a qualified inspector look at the repair. And damage that never led to a write-off does not appear on the register at all.
What you get for $5.95
- Vehicle identity
- Money owing check
- Written-off status, with the damage detail
- Stolen check
- Registration details
- Official PPSR certificate (PDF)
- Plain-English verdict
Common questions
- What is a WOVR check?
- A search of the written-off vehicle records for one car. It tells you whether the car has been written off, whether as repairable or statutory, and the damage recorded.
- Can I check if a car is written off by rego?
- Yes. Enter the registration and state, or the VIN. The search is national, so a write-off recorded in another state is found too.
- How much is a WOVR check?
- $5.95, with the official PPSR certificate. The same search also checks for money owing and whether the car is recorded as stolen.
- Can a repairable write-off be registered again?
- Depending on the state, it may be repaired, inspected and registered again. The rules differ between states, and several have tightened them.
- Can a statutory write-off be registered again?
- In most states, no. A statutory write-off is kept off the road for good, and is usually sold for parts or scrap.
- Is a written-off car always a bad buy?
- Not always. Written off is an insurer's sum: the repair cost more than the car was worth. But the record affects resale value and insurance for good, and it is one of the strongest reasons a car is priced below the market.
The longer story: Repairable or statutory: what a written-off car actually means