Buying a used car from another state: costs, inspections and steps

You register the car in the state where you live, so you pay that state’s transfer fee and stamp duty, not the seller’s. For a $30,000 car the one-off cost ranges from $922 in Northern Territory to $1,307.50 in Victoria. On top of that, most states want an inspection of the car before they will register it.

Checked 9 October 2026. Rules and fees change, so confirm with your state agency before you hand over any money.

What it costs to register a $30,000 used car in your state

This is the transfer fee plus stamp duty for a typical 4-cylinder petrol car, worked out with the same fee tables as our compare every state calculator. The seller’s state does not change this. Where you live does.

NT$922

QLD$933.65

TAS$935.28

NSW$942

ACT$1,002.70

WA$1,070.50

SA$1,173

VIC$1,307.50

State	Transfer and stamp duty	Then rego per year
Northern Territory	$922	$849.25
Queensland	$933.65	$852.70
Tasmania	$935.28	$642.77
New South Wales	$942	$833
Australian Capital Territory	$1,002.70	$1,036.10
Western Australia	$1,070.50	$953.44
South Australia	$1,173	$705
Victoria	$1,307.50	$958.80

Yearly rego includes an example CTP amount in NSW, Queensland and the ACT, as explained in our cheapest state to register a car guide. Inspection costs and plates are extra. See the tables below. We could not confirm whether any state gives credit for stamp duty already paid in the seller’s state. Ask your state’s revenue office before you buy.

The order to do things in

Check the car before you pay. Search the car’s VIN on the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) to see whether money is owing on it, and whether it has been reported stolen or written off. VicRoads and Queensland both point buyers to this check.
Find out what your state wants. Most states want an inspection first, and some inspection reports expire within weeks (see the table below).
Sort out the CTP. In NSW you buy a green slip from an insurer before you register, and in Queensland and the ACT you choose an insurer as part of registering. In Victoria, SA and the NT it is built into the registration fee. WA and Tasmania work differently again, so check the table below.
Register in person. Take the inspection report, identity documents, proof of ownership and the old number plates.
Hand in the old plates and claim the old state’s refund. Registering in your state does not always cancel the old registration, so contact the old state and ask for any unused registration back.

Do not drive the car on the road in your state until it is registered there. NSW describes the penalties for that as severe. If you must drive it to an inspection, you may need a temporary permit. WA charges $32.40 for one.

Inspections by state

State	What is required	Fee	Notes
NSW	AUVIS identity and safety inspection by an accredited examiner	Not stated on the pages we read	Report valid 42 days. An interstate-issued report is accepted only for light vehicles and only when you are more than 50 km from the NSW border.
Victoria	Roadworthy certificate. It is waived only if the car’s registration is current (or expired under 3 months) and the registered name stays the same, which a purchase changes.	Not stated	Done by a licensed Victorian vehicle tester.
Queensland	Safety certificate from an Approved Inspection Station	$102.70 for a car up to 4,500 kg (from 1 July 2026)	Valid 2 months or 2,000 km (private seller) and covers one transfer only.
Western Australia	Certificate of Inspection from an Authorised Inspection Station	$225.40 initial, $153.85 re-inspection (Perth metro, light vehicle, 2026-27)	Valid 3 months. A 48-hour movement permit ($32.40) is needed to drive the car to the inspection.
South Australia	Identity inspection when ownership is changing (as it is on a purchase). No roadworthy certificate mentioned.	Not stated	Who can do it is not stated on the pages we read.
Tasmania	Inspection at an approved inspection station for any car not already registered in Tasmania	Each station sets its own fee	Valid 30 days.
ACT	Roadworthy inspection. A vehicle identity inspection is also needed for a privately bought used car aged 10 years or less that was last registered interstate and is going into a new name.	Not confirmed	Identity inspections are only done at the Access Canberra inspection station.
NT	Compliance inspection. A car aged 7 years or older also needs a roadworthy inspection first.	The compliance inspection has no fee. Roadworthy fee not confirmed.	Done by a Transport Inspector, a police officer or an authorised inspector.

Time limits, plates and CTP by state

Where we could not find an official statement, the cell says so.

State	Time limit	Old plates and registration	CTP
NSW	Not confirmed. The inspection report is valid 42 days.	You get new NSW plates. Bring the old plates.	Buy a 12-month green slip from a NSW insurer.
Victoria	Not confirmed for interstate cars. The 14 days on VicRoads’ page applies to transfers of Victorian-registered cars.	Hand in the interstate plates for a receipt. Registering may not cancel the old registration, so contact the old state.	TAC cover is included in the registration fee.
Queensland	14 days from buying or moving. You may be fined after that.	Surrender the interstate plates and get a receipt. Contact the old state to cancel and claim a refund.	Paid at first registration. Buy it before driving to the registration centre if the car is unregistered.
Western Australia	Not confirmed for interstate cars. The general rule is to notify within 14 days of buying.	You may need to hand in the interstate plates. WA plates are issued with the licence.	Motor Injury Insurance is paid by the owner. The Insurance Commission’s 2026-27 schedule shows $520.50 for 12 months for a private car, including GST and insurance duty.
South Australia	Within 3 months of moving to SA. After a purchase, apply as soon as practicable, because the seller can cancel the interstate registration at any time.	Surrender the interstate plates at a Service SA centre. Claim any refund from the old state.	Included in the SA registration application.
Tasmania	Within 3 months of arrival. A transfer application is due within 14 days of purchase.	Hand in the existing plates, then claim a refund from the previous state.	MAIB cover. Whether you must buy new cover on registering is not confirmed.
ACT	As soon as possible. A car garaged in the ACT for 3 months or less does not need ACT registration.	Surrender the interstate plates and give the receipt to the old state to claim any unused refund.	Bought with ACT registration from an insurer you choose.
NT	Within 3 months of living in the NT.	Not confirmed.	MAC cover is included in the NT registration fee.

Mistakes to avoid

Assuming you can just transfer it. VicRoads says a car bought interstate cannot be transferred. It must be registered.
Waiting too long. In Queensland you have 14 days. In SA, the seller can cancel the interstate registration at any time after the sale, which could leave the car unregistered.
Buying an inspection report in the wrong place. NSW only accepts an interstate-issued report for light vehicles when you are more than 50 km from the NSW border, and only if it is 42 days old or less.
Forgetting the refund. Unused registration from the old state is yours to claim, and the old state will not always send it automatically.
Skipping the PPSR check. A car with finance owing may be repossessed after you have bought it.

What we could not confirm

Some official pages were blocked or did not say. Open items: whether any state credits stamp duty paid elsewhere, the NSW, Victorian and WA deadlines for registering an interstate car, several inspection fees (NSW, Victoria, SA, ACT and the NT roadworthy), whether you must buy new MAIB cover in Tasmania, and what the NT does with old plates. We will fill these in as we confirm them.