Buying a used car from another state: the checks that matter

Your state's free check cannot see it

Each state's free rego check covers cars registered in that state. For a car registered elsewhere, use the free check of the state on its plates, which tells you whether that registration is current.

One search that crosses every border

Finance is recorded on the national PPSR, so a loan taken out in any state shows up wherever you search. Written-off and stolen status recorded in other states comes back with the same search.

That matters most for a car that has moved. A write-off recorded in one state may not show on another state's registration, and a car that has crossed a border is exactly where it hides.

Registering it in your state

Once you buy it, you will usually need to register the car in your own state, and most states inspect a car from interstate before they register it. Check your road authority's rules before you agree a price: the inspection can turn up work the price did not allow for.

Buying from a distance

When you cannot see the car until you travel:

• Search before you book a flight or a transport. It is the cheapest point to find a problem.
• Ask for photos of the compliance plate and the VIN, and check them against your certificate. Check them again on the day.
• Never pay in full to a seller you have not met for a car you have not seen.