# Buying a Used Car in Tasmania

Last updated: 6 November 2026. Web page: https://shufti.com.au/guides/buying-a-used-car-in-tasmania.

When you buy a used car privately in Tasmania, the seller has 7 days to lodge a notice of disposal and you have 14 days to transfer the registration. A car with current registration doesn't need a roadworthy to change hands, but one that's been unregistered for three months or more must pass an inspection. Duty is worked out on the price or market value, whichever is greater.

## Tasmania at a Glance

| Topic | The rule |
| --- | --- |
| Certificate | None for a currently registered car; an inspection if it's been unregistered for three months or more |
| Transfer deadline | 14 days from the purchase |
| Notice of disposal | The seller, within 7 days of the sale |
| Duty | On the greater of the price and market value, from $3 per $100, with a higher band from $35,000 |
| Before you pay | Your own PPSR search, on the day |

## How to Check a Car Before Buying in Tasmania

Start before you go to see the car, once you have its number plate and VIN. See [car and vehicle checks before buying](https://shufti.com.au/guides/vehicle-checks-before-buying) for what each one shows.

1. Run Transport Tasmania's free [registration check](https://www.transport.tas.gov.au/rego-status/search), by number plate. It shows the vehicle's details and when its registration expires, which also tells you whether the rule below applies.
2. Run a [PPSR check](https://shufti.com.au/guides/what-is-a-ppsr-check) with the VIN, on [ppsr.gov.au](https://www.ppsr.gov.au/), for money owing and whether the car has been reported stolen or written off anywhere in Australia.
3. Look up its recalls on the government's [vehicle recalls site](https://www.vehiclerecalls.gov.au/), and ask the seller for proof any were fixed.
4. Inspect the car yourself with a [used car inspection checklist](https://shufti.com.au/checklists/australian-used-car-inspection-checklist), then [test drive it](https://shufti.com.au/guides/how-to-test-drive-a-used-car). Nobody has to check a currently registered car for you.

## When a Car Needs an Inspection

Registration is the thing to check. A car that's been unregistered for three months or more must be inspected at an Approved Inspection Station before it can be registered in your name. If the registration lapsed less than three months ago, you pay the renewal fee, backdated to the expiry ([Transport Tasmania](https://www.transport.tas.gov.au/registration/buying_selling_or_transferring/buying_a_vehicle)).

So a cheap car with lapsed registration can cost more than its price suggests. Ask how long it's been off the road, and budget for the inspection and any repairs it needs to pass.

## What the Seller Does

The seller must lodge a notice of disposal within 7 days of the sale, which is half the time you have to transfer. It can be done online if both of you hold a Tasmanian licence, or through a Service Tasmania service centre, by post or by email ([Transport Tasmania](https://www.transport.tas.gov.au/registration/buying_selling_or_transferring/selling)). Give the seller your details on the day.

## Transferring the Registration

You must lodge your application to transfer the registration within 14 days of buying the car ([State Revenue Office](https://www.sro.tas.gov.au/motor-vehicle-duty)). The paperwork can be lodged at a Service Tasmania service centre, and penalties may apply if you miss the deadline ([Transport Tasmania](https://www.transport.tas.gov.au/registration/buying_selling_or_transferring/transfer_of_registration)).

There's a transfer fee as well as duty. It was $35.28 for a car as at November 2026, and the [duty and transfer fee calculator](https://www.transport.tas.gov.au/fees_forms/registration_fees/accordion/duty_and_transfer_fee_calculator) adds up both.

## Motor Vehicle Duty

Duty on a used car is charged on the dutiable value, which is the greatest of the price you paid, including any trade-in, and the market value when you acquired the car or apply to register it ([State Revenue Office](https://www.sro.tas.gov.au/motor-vehicle-duty/dutiable-value)). These are the rates for a passenger car as at November 2026 ([State Revenue Office](https://www.sro.tas.gov.au/motor-vehicle-duty/rates-of-duty)).

| Dutiable value | Duty on a passenger car |
| --- | --- |
| Up to $600 | $20 |
| $600 to $35,000 | $3 per $100, or part of $100 |
| $35,000 to $40,000 | $1,050, plus $11 per $100, or part of $100, over $35,000 |
| Over $40,000 | $4 per $100, or part of $100, on the whole value |

## What Duty Costs in Practice

A $15,000 car costs $450 in duty, and a $38,000 car costs $1,380. Watch the band from $35,000 to $40,000: each extra $100 there costs $11 in duty, so a price just under $35,000 is worth more than it looks. Utes, panel vans and motorcycles stay at a flat $3 per $100, with a $20 minimum, whatever their value.

## Before You Pay

Run your own [PPSR check](https://shufti.com.au/guides/what-is-a-ppsr-check) on the day you pay, and check [the documents](https://shufti.com.au/guides/what-documents-to-check-when-buying-a-used-car). A private sale doesn't come with a dealer's guarantees: see [buying from a private seller](https://shufti.com.au/guides/buying-a-used-car-from-a-private-seller).

Buying in another state? See [Victoria](https://shufti.com.au/guides/buying-a-used-car-in-victoria), [NSW](https://shufti.com.au/guides/buying-a-used-car-in-nsw), [Queensland](https://shufti.com.au/guides/buying-a-used-car-in-queensland), [Western Australia](https://shufti.com.au/guides/buying-a-used-car-in-wa), [South Australia](https://shufti.com.au/guides/buying-a-used-car-in-sa), [the ACT](https://shufti.com.au/guides/buying-a-used-car-in-the-act) or [the NT](https://shufti.com.au/guides/buying-a-used-car-in-the-nt).

## Selling Privately in Tasmania?

Lodge a notice of disposal within 7 days of the sale, and don't leave it to the buyer. You won't get an automatic confirmation, so contact Service Tasmania about a week later to check the car is off your name. If you sell it unregistered, you must surrender the plates at Service Tasmania ([Transport Tasmania](https://www.transport.tas.gov.au/registration/buying_selling_or_transferring/selling)).

## Questions Answered

### Do you need a roadworthy to sell a car in Tasmania?

Not for a car with current registration. A car that's been unregistered for three months or more must be inspected at an Approved Inspection Station before it can be registered ([Transport Tasmania](https://www.transport.tas.gov.au/registration/buying_selling_or_transferring/buying_a_vehicle)).

### How long do I have to transfer registration in Tasmania?

14 days from buying the car. The seller has a shorter deadline: 7 days to lodge the notice of disposal ([State Revenue Office](https://www.sro.tas.gov.au/motor-vehicle-duty)).

### How much is duty on a used car in Tasmania?

$3 per $100 of the dutiable value for a passenger car up to $35,000, so $450 on a $15,000 car, as at November 2026. The rate is higher above $35,000 ([State Revenue Office](https://www.sro.tas.gov.au/motor-vehicle-duty/rates-of-duty)).

### Who lodges the notice of disposal in Tasmania?

The seller, within 7 days of the sale. Don't rely on the buyer to do it or to transfer the registration ([Transport Tasmania](https://www.transport.tas.gov.au/registration/buying_selling_or_transferring/selling)).

---

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