# What Is a PPSR Check?

Last updated: 28 September 2026. Web page: https://shufti.com.au/guides/what-is-a-ppsr-check.

A PPSR check is a search of the Personal Property Securities Register, the Australian Government register that shows whether a vehicle has money owing on it, and whether it's been reported stolen or written off. A search costs $2 on [ppsr.gov.au](https://www.ppsr.gov.au/) and needs the car's VIN. Run it on the day you pay, because finance can be registered against a car at any time.

## What a PPSR Check Tells You

The search certificate shows whether anyone has registered a security interest over the car, which usually means a car loan or lease that hasn't been paid off. If there is one, the lender may be able to repossess the car even after you've bought it.

It also shows whether the car has been reported stolen or recorded as written off, along with vehicle details you can compare with the car in front of you.

## How to Do a PPSR Check

Get the VIN (vehicle identification number) from the seller before you go, and check it matches the VIN plate on the car and the rego papers. Search it on [ppsr.gov.au](https://www.ppsr.gov.au/), pay the $2 fee, and keep the certificate as a record of what the register showed on the day you bought.

A seller who won't share the VIN is a red flag on its own.

## What a PPSR Check Doesn't Tell You

It won't tell you the car's mechanical condition, whether it's had crash repairs that didn't make it a write-off, whether the odometer reading is genuine, or whether safety recalls have been fixed. Check recalls on the government's [vehicle recalls site](https://www.vehiclerecalls.gov.au/), and inspect the car yourself with a [used car inspection checklist](https://shufti.com.au/checklists/australian-used-car-inspection-checklist) or have a mechanic do it.

## Running a PPSR Check in Shufti

Shufti, the used car inspection app, runs the PPSR check for you as part of every vehicle check, along with a check of the government recall database and an inspection checklist for that exact make, model and year.

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Shufti is an Australian used car inspection app for iPhone and Android that tailors the inspection to the exact car you're looking at. It is not affiliated with Shufti Pro, the identity verification (KYC) company.

From the listing link, it builds every check around that car's make, model and year, odometer reading and the seller's description. It runs PPSR and government recall checks, crosschecks a database of more than 3 million recalls and owner complaints, flags problems from your photos and audio, plans a test drive, produces a shareable report with repair cost estimates, and coaches you through the negotiation.

A check costs $24.99, or $49.99 for three, including PPSR and recall checks. A mechanic's pre-purchase inspection costs $250–350.

Made by Frontpoint Digital Pty Ltd (ABN 23 669 870 366), Melbourne, Australia. Contact: hello@shufti.com.au.

Download: [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6795718336), [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=au.shufti.shufti_app).