Car registration is one of those non-negotiables of car ownership in Australia. It keeps you legal on the road,1 so if you drive without it, the penalties can hit hard – fines,1 removal of licence plates,2 or even having your car impounded.3 It may also have implications for your general car insurance cover.4 And, without a rego, you’re not covered by Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance either.5
So, whether you have finally found a second hand car you love and want to run a car or vehicle insurance check before committing, or you’ve lost track of your car’s rego renewal deadline, knowing how to check vehicle registration and insurance status is key.
But what exactly can a rego and car insurance check tell you? Why and when should you consider running one? What information will you need to get started? And where can you head online to get one? This guide has the answers you may be looking for.
Why do a registration and car or vehicle insurance check?
Running a free rego and motor insurance check will tell you whether the vehicle is currently registered, and if it is, when that registration is due to expire.5 This can be important in a couple of different scenarios.
To check your car’s registration is up to date
Based on state and territory laws, it’s illegal to drive an unregistered vehicle on a public road anywhere in Australia.1
Plus, if your car’s registration has expired, so has your CTP insurance.5 That means if you cause a car accident and someone’s injured, you may be liable for their compensation costs.2 The average cost of a CTP claim is around $100,000 – but some can run into the millions.6
Driving an unregistered car may also void any general insurance you’ve taken out, such as Comprehensive, Third Party Fire & Theft or Third Party Property Only car insurance.4
If you’re buying a used car
If you’re thinking about buying a used car from a private seller, legal experts say it’s important to check that the car is registered before you purchase it.7
They also add that the laws and potential penalties associated with driving an unregistered car apply even if the car doesn’t belong to you – you must ensure that any vehicle you drive, or test drive, is registered even if you don’t own it.8
When you’re buying a second hand car, a vehicle insurance check is also an opportunity to ensure the make, model and year of manufacture matches the car you’re looking at.7
In some states, a rego check may even provide the car’s most recent odometer reading. This feature was added to Service NSW’s “check a registration” service in 2023 to help buyers avoid purchasing used cars with tampered odometers. That’s where sellers illegally wind back the odometer reading to display fewer kilometres to attract a higher sale price.9
How can you check if a car is insured and registered?
To check the vehicle’s insurance and registration status, you can access a free online report from your state or territory transport authority website.5
The information you’ll need to provide may vary from site to site but, generally, you’ll just need to plug in the vehicle’s licence plate number.5
And remember that since CTP insurance is bundled with a car’s registration, both expire on the same date – even if the check in your state or territory only shows when the rego expires.5
Here’s how to get a rego check – and the information it’ll provide you with – in your state or territory.
NSW car rego check
You can run a car registration and vehicle insurance check through Service NSW. All you need to carry out a free car rego check in NSW is the vehicle’s NSW licence plate number, and you’ll receive details of the car’s:10
- Make, model, colour, body shape and year of manufacture
- Registration status – and whether any restrictions apply, or if additional charges would apply if the rego was transferred to a new owner
- Registration expiry date
- CTP insurer and policy expiry date
- Past three odometer readings, if applicable.10
Qld car rego check
The Queensland Government’s Department of Transport and Main Roads provides an online rego check service. You can search using the car’s licence plate number or, for cars manufactured since January 1989, its Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). You can use the car rego check in Qld service to check a car’s:11
- Make, model and body shape
- Registration status and expiry date
- Purpose of use, for example private or commercial
- Inspection due date, for cars that require a certificate of inspection.11
WA car rego check
To complete a registration and motor insurance check for a car in Western Australia, head to the Department of Transport website and type in the car’s plate number. The check will provide details about the car’s:
- Make, model and year of manufacture
- Registration expiry date
- Last recorded odometer reading.12
Vic car rego check
To run a car rego check in Victoria, head to Service Victoria. You can search using the car’s licence plate number, its VIN or the chassis number to find out the car’s:13
- Make, colour, body type and year of manufacture
- VIN, chassis number and engine number, if you don’t already have these details
- Registration status and expiry date.13
ACT car rego check
You can visit the Access Canberra website to run a free check on ACT-registered cars, based on the vehicle’s licence plate number. As part of the check, you’ll be able to find out the following details about the car:
- Make, model, colour and year of manufacture
- VIN, chassis number and engine number
- Whether the VIN and plates have ever been stolen
- Registration status and expiry date
- CTP insurer.
Tas car rego check
In Tasmania, Transport Services provides free registration checks for Tasmanian vehicles, based on a car’s licence plate number. The check provides information about the car’s:
- Make, model, colour and year of manufacture
- VIN number
- Registration status and expiry date14
- Write-off status, including whether it has been classified as a repairable write-off.
SA car rego check
You can run a check on a South Australian vehicle using the car’s licence plate number. The check will show you the car’s:15
- Make, colour and body type
- Registration expiry date
- CTP insurer
- VIN details.15
NT car rego check
The NT Government provides free registration checks for vehicles registered in the Northern Territory. Just enter the car’s licence plate number to find out about its:
- Make, model, colour and year of manufacture
- Registration status and expiry date
- Upcoming inspection requirements.
Other second hand car checks
Rego and motor insurance checks can provide important information, but depending where you live, it may be limited.
If you’re buying a used car from a private seller, you’re not covered by the same customer protections that you get when buying from a dealer.16 For example, you’re unlikely to receive a warranty for the car or have a cooling off period.16
For this reason, consider searching the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) to confirm:16
- There are no debts owing on the car
- The car hasn’t been reported stolen or written off.16
You’ll need the car’s VIN or chassis number to run the check and for a $2 fee, the PPSR will email you a report.16
Alternatively, you might like to get a car history check for the used car you’re considering buying. This contains the same information as a PPSR and car rego check, as well as some extra details, which may include any odometer discrepancies.17
Car history checks are available through government agencies in NSW and in Victoria. In other states and territories, you can purchase a history check from a private provider.
Before you buy a used car, it might also be worth taking the vehicle to a qualified mechanic for a pre-purchase inspection, to make sure it’s in good working order.16
Now that you know more about car registration and insurance checks and why they matter, you’ll hopefully feel more confident about staying on top of your own vehicle’s registration, or making more informed choices when you’re buying a used car.
Remember though that while CTP insurance is mandatory and is bundled with your registration, it only covers injuries to people – not damage to vehicles or property; that’s where a general car insurance policy comes in.5 Youi offers three different levels of general car insurance – why not consider starting a quote online to see if one of them is a good fit for your needs?
The information provided in this article contains general advice only. It has been prepared without taking into account any person’s particular objectives, financial situations or needs.
1 Source: Drive – These are the most expensive driving fines in Australia, January 2026
2 Source: NSW Government – Rules for unregistered vehicles
3 Source: Legal Aid Queensland – Police impounding vehicles
4 Exclusions, limits and additional fees may apply. For full details, see the Car Insurance PDS.
5 Source: Canstar – How to check if my car is insured, January 2025
6 Source: Motor Accident Insurance Commission – About CTP insurance, November 2024
7 Source: Legal Aid Western Australia – Tips for buying a car, March 2025
8 Source: Legal Aid Victoria – Driving an unregistered vehicle, September 2025
9 Source: NSW Government – Free odometer reading feature to combat vehicle tampering, June 2023
10 Source: Service NSW – Check a vehicle registration, January 2026
11 Source: Qld Government – Check registration status
12 Source: MTA WA – A win for industry and consumers through odometer record on DoTDirect and reduced Licence Centre congestion, July 2025
13 Source: Service Victoria – Check registration
14 Source: Tas Government Transport Services – Frequently Asked Questions, October 2024
15 Source: SA Government – Check a vehicle or boat registration, December 2025
16 Source: Moneysmart – Buying and running a car
17 Source: carsales – Vehicle history report
