Selling a car in ACT

How to sell a car in ACT

There are only a few rules that apply when selling a car in the ACT as a private owner.

Follow them, and plan your sale, and selling your car will be a breeze.

Transfer of registration

Once the sale has been made you must transfer the registration to the new owner. The transfer must take place within 14 days of the sale; failure to do so will incur a late fee of $103.50, which is payable by the buyer.

As the private seller of a used car it is your responsibility to fill out the 'Application to transfer registration' and the 'Notice of disposal', both of which you will find on the back of your car's registration certificate. Both need to be filled out by the seller and the buyer.

With the sale completed the seller must send the 'Notice of disposal' to an Access Canberra location or post it to the ACT Road Transport Authority.

Before advertising your car for sale you should determine its market value. 

The 'Application to transfer registration' is to be given to the buyer so they can transfer the registration of the used car to their name.

A fee of $38.70 is applicable when a vehicle changes hands, but the buyer is the one who has to pay it.

It's important that the transfer of registration takes place as soon as possible after you've sold the vehicle, as you, the seller, could be liable for any parking fines or traffic infringements incurred while the car is still registered in your name.

Roadworthy certificate

When selling a car in ACT you're not required to get a roadworthy inspection if the vehicle is less than six years old, but cars older than that do need to have an inspection.

A current Roadworthy Certificate is needed to transfer the registration to a new owner, that's the buyer, but it doesn't necessarily have to be obtained by the seller. If the buyer agrees the sale could take place on the condition that they obtain the Roadworthy Certificate.

The roadworthy check looks at your car's tyres, brakes, suspension, safety features, windscreen etc. It's a check to ensure your car is safe to be on the road.

ACT roadworthy checks of used cars are done by an Authorised Test Examiner. The cost for the check is $66.40.

The only situation in which a roadworthy check is not needed to transfer ownership of a used car more than six-years-old is when the buyer is a dealer.

How much is my car worth?

Before advertising your car for sale you should determine its market value. That way you won't rob yourself of possible sales by setting too high a price, or cheating yourself by setting a price that is too low.

Preparing your car for sale

A little planning can make selling your car so much easier. Presentation is key, so thoroughly clean your car inside and out before offering it for sale, touch up any minor stone chips, scratches or blemishes, inflate the tyres to the recommended pressure, and have the service book and ownership papers available for the buyer to inspect.

Have you ever sold a car in the ACT? Tell us about your experiences in the comments below.

List your car here on Autotrader.com.au.