Rego transfer in NSW: what the buyer and seller each have to do

What the seller does on the day of sale

Complete and sign the transfer section of the registration certificate and hand it to the buyer, then lodge a notice of disposal. You can do it online through a Service NSW account in a couple of minutes, and it takes effect from the moment you submit it.

Keep a record of the buyer's name, address and licence number, along with the date, time and price. If a toll or camera fine arrives later for a date after the sale, that record is what resolves it.

• Sign the transfer section of the rego papers
• Lodge the notice of disposal the same day
• Remove your e-tag and any personalised plates
• Cancel your comprehensive insurance once the money has cleared

What the buyer does within 14 days

The buyer has 14 days to lodge the transfer, either online or at a service centre. Later than that and a late transfer fee applies on top of the transfer fee and stamp duty.

Stamp duty in NSW is charged on the higher of the sale price or market value, so an unrealistically low figure on the paperwork does not save money and can cause the transfer to be reassessed.

Inspections and unregistered cars

A car over five years old in the Sydney metropolitan area generally needs a current safety inspection (a pink slip) before the registration can be renewed, though a transfer alone does not always trigger one. If the car is unregistered, the buyer needs an unregistered vehicle permit or a tow to get it home, plus a blue slip inspection before it can go back on the road.

Before you hand over money

Run a PPSR check on the VIN. It costs a couple of dollars and tells you whether there is finance owing on the car, whether it has been written off, and whether it has been reported stolen. Money owing on a car can follow the car, not the seller.