Selling a car in Victoria: RWC, VicRoads notice and 14-day rule
Key takeaways
- Tell VicRoads within 14 days, most easily through myVicRoads, and keep the confirmation email and a copy of the transfer form.
- A private sale of a registered car needs an RWC less than 30 days old. VicRoads' table lists no RWC and no duty for a private-to-dealer transfer, but check how that applies if the dealer is licensed interstate.
- Don't sign the transfer until you've been paid. Consumer Affairs Victoria says a licensed trader must pay you before trying to resell your car.
- Cancel your rego direct debit, take out your e-tag and sort out custom plates before the sale, not after.
When you sell a registered car privately in Victoria, you give the buyer a roadworthy certificate (RWC) less than 30 days old, complete the transfer with them and tell VicRoads within 14 days. If a licensed dealer buys it instead, VicRoads’ own transfer table lists no RWC and no duty for a private-to-dealer transfer. That table is written for Victorian transfers, so if the dealer is licensed in another state, confirm which paperwork applies before you agree.
Selling in another state? Our guide to selling a car in Australia has the rules for each state and territory.
What does a Victorian seller have to do?
Here’s the whole job at a glance. The private-sale column comes from Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) and VicRoads. The dealer column comes from VicRoads’ transfer fees and exemptions table, which has a row for a transfer from a private owner to a dealer.
| Task | Private buyer in Victoria | Victorian licensed motor car trader |
|---|---|---|
| Roadworthy certificate | Needed, less than 30 days old | Not needed on a private-to-dealer transfer |
| Motor vehicle duty | Buyer pays | Not payable on a private-to-dealer transfer |
| Transfer paperwork | You and the buyer, most easily in myVicRoads | VicRoads says the dealer manages it |
| Getting paid | Wait until the money is in your account | The trader must pay you before trying to resell |
| Rego direct debit | Cancel before the sale | Cancel before the sale |
| Custom plates | Sort out before the sale | Sort out before the sale |
Whoever buys, CAV’s advice is the same: don’t sign any document that transfers ownership until you’ve received your payment.
If the dealer is licensed in another state, as we are, see the interstate section below.
When do you need a roadworthy certificate in Victoria?
You need one when you sell a registered car to a private buyer. Consumer Affairs Victoria says you must provide a Certificate of Roadworthiness less than 30 days old, and the buyer sends it to VicRoads with the transfer form within 14 days of the sale.
A few details catch sellers out:
- The 30 days start on the day it’s issued. The Department of Transport and Planning says an RWC is current for 30 days from issue. If the car hasn’t sold by then, you’ll need a new one before you hand it over. Some guides quote 28 days, but the official figure is 30.
- A fail isn’t the end. If the car fails, the tester gives you a report of what needs fixing. The Department of Transport and Planning says you then have 14 days to fix the problems and have it checked again. Take longer and you pay for a new test.
- It’s a safety check, not a mechanical one. The Department of Transport and Planning says an RWC checks safety, not mechanical reliability, so some buyers will still want their own inspection.
- Unregistered cars are different. CAV says a car that’s unregistered, or whose rego has been cancelled, can be sold without an RWC. The buyer then pays for the RWC, rego and plates.
Because of that 30-day window, book the test when you’re ready to advertise or have a serious buyer lined up, not weeks ahead.
How do you tell VicRoads you’ve sold it?
VicRoads says that when you sell a car registered in Victoria, you need to let it know within 14 days. The easiest way is online: log in to myVicRoads, open Vehicles and Registration, choose Transfer vehicle, and complete the notice of disposal with the buyer. VicRoads says it then emails you, inside a day, to confirm the car is out of your name.
Keep a copy of the transfer form with your details and the buyer’s. If you’re worried the transfer hasn’t gone through, CAV suggests notifying VicRoads in writing and enclosing a copy of that form.
This step is what protects you. VicRoads warns that if you don’t complete and submit the notice of disposal, you may be subject to fines, tolls and other legal issues linked to the car after you’ve sold it. If a notice has already arrived for a car that’s no longer yours, our guide to a fine or toll for a car you’ve sold explains how to sort it out.
A private-sale timeline
- Before you list: cancel the rego direct debit, decide what happens to custom plates and gather the logbook and spare keys.
- Once a buyer is lined up: book the RWC so it’s less than 30 days old on the day of sale.
- On the day: check the money has landed in your account, then complete the transfer with the buyer, most easily in myVicRoads, and hand over the RWC and keys.
- The next day: check for VicRoads’ email confirming the car is out of your name. If nothing has arrived, follow up with VicRoads before the 14 days are up.
- Within 14 days of the sale: the buyer completes the transfer application with VicRoads, using your RWC, and pays the duty and transfer fee.
Do you need an RWC if a dealer buys your car?
For a Victorian transfer, VicRoads’ own answer is no. Its transfer table lists a transfer from a private owner (an individual or a company) to a dealer as: transfer fee payable, motor vehicle duty not payable, RWC not needed. VicRoads also says that if your transfer involves a dealer, the dealer will manage the transfer process for you.
CAV adds a protection that comes with a licence. A licensed motor car trader (LMCT) must pay you for your car, or provide a trade, before they try to sell it. A private buyer isn’t bound by that licence rule, which is why CAV’s advice not to sign until you’re paid matters most in a private sale.
When the dealer is licensed in another state
The VicRoads table is written for Victorian transfers, and it doesn’t say whether the dealer row covers a dealer licensed in another state. VicRoads has separate advice for selling to someone interstate: it recommends cancelling the Victorian rego and removing the plates, which you can do in myVicRoads. VicRoads says you may be able to get a refund of unused rego when you cancel.
| Who’s buying | RWC | What happens to the rego |
|---|---|---|
| Private buyer in Victoria | Less than 30 days old | Transfers to the buyer |
| Victorian licensed motor car trader | Not needed, per VicRoads’ table | The dealer manages the transfer |
| Buyer in another state | Not needed if rego is cancelled before the sale, per CAV | VicRoads recommends cancelling it and removing the plates |
We hold a NSW motor dealer licence (MD 077404), not a Victorian LMCT licence. So rather than assume which row fits, we confirm the paperwork for your Victorian car before pickup and walk you through your side of it. Our guide to whether you need a roadworthy to sell to a dealer covers the same question for every state.
How do you keep your custom plates?
Sort them out before the sale. VicRoads presumes that whoever buys a car carrying custom plates also acquires the rights to that number, unless the rights are transferred separately. The plates themselves remain the property of the State. What you hold is the right to the number.
To keep it, tell VicRoads and take the custom plates off before the transfer, then move the number to another vehicle or put it into storage. Check the current steps and fees with VicRoads before you advertise. If you’re cancelling the rego because the buyer is interstate, deal with the plates at the same time. Our guide to keeping personalised number plates has the steps for each state.
What about direct debits, tolls and insurance?
A few loose ends are easy to forget once the car is gone:
- Rego direct debit. VicRoads says to cancel it before the sale.
- Tolls. Take your e-tag out of the car and remove the plate from your toll account. The notice of disposal is your protection if a toll still slips through.
- Compulsory third-party cover. In Victoria it’s part of your rego, and on a normal transfer the rego stays with the car.
- Your own car insurance. Keep it running until the car has actually left your hands, then call your insurer to cancel it or move it to your next car.
What does the buyer pay in Victoria?
On a private sale, the new owner pays the transfer fee and motor vehicle duty to VicRoads within 14 days of the purchase. As at October 2026, VicRoads lists the transfer fee as $47.50 for a private motor vehicle and $24.20 for a dealer motor vehicle.
Duty is worked out on the higher of the price paid (including GST and luxury car tax) or the market value, rounded up to the nearest $200. A passenger car that isn’t a green or primary producer car, new or used, falls in the State Revenue Office’s “other passenger car” group. Its rates from 1 July 2026 are:
| Dutiable value | Duty, as at October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Up to $80,809 | $8.40 per $200 |
| $80,809.01 to $100,000 | $10.40 per $200 |
| $100,000.01 to $150,000 | $14.00 per $200 |
| Over $150,000 | $18.00 per $200 |
Green passenger cars pay $8.40 per $200 at any value. The State Revenue Office defines these as models with combined tailpipe CO2 emissions of 120 grams per kilometre or less, which includes pure electric cars. Its table also lists used non-passenger vehicles at $8.40 per $200 at any value. The SRO’s duty calculator gives an exact figure.
A hypothetical example. Say a private buyer agrees to pay $36,000 and the car’s market value is no higher. That’s 180 lots of $200 at $8.40, so duty comes to $1,512. Add the $47.50 transfer fee and the buyer needs $1,559.50 on top of the price.
Two things follow for you as the seller. A buyer who has budgeted to the dollar may try to claw that back in the haggle. And writing a lower price on the form doesn’t cut the duty, because the SRO uses market value whenever it’s higher.
What if you’ve already sold without an RWC?
If the car was registered at the time, the RWC was your job. CAV says the seller of a registered car must provide an RWC less than 30 days old, and the buyer sends it to VicRoads with the transfer form. The practical fix is to get one now.
- Talk to the buyer straight away. Agree on when and where the car will be tested.
- Book a licensed vehicle tester. If the car fails, the same 14-day window to fix it and have it re-checked applies.
- Keep your paperwork. Hold on to the transfer form and any VicRoads emails. If the transfer stalls, write to VicRoads with a copy of the form, as CAV suggests.
- Get advice before taking the car back. If the buyer wants to undo the sale, talk to Consumer Affairs Victoria or a lawyer before you agree to anything. Our guide to a private buyer who wants a refund covers what to do next.
If the car was unregistered, or the rego had been cancelled before the sale, CAV says no RWC was needed. In that case the buyer arranges the certificate, rego and plates.
Private buyer or dealer: which suits your car?
A private sale in Victoria means paying for an RWC, selling inside its 30-day window, completing the transfer with the buyer and waiting for the money before you sign. Selling to a Victorian licensed trader takes the RWC and duty steps out of the transfer under VicRoads’ own table, and CAV says the trader must pay you before trying to resell.
We buy cars, utes, SUVs and 4WDs 2021 or newer with 100,000 km or less. If yours is older or has done more kilometres, send it through anyway and we’ll tell you straight away if we can help. You get a genuine offer by phone from a licensed dealer, not an online estimate. Once you accept, a deposit is often paid the same day and the car is inspected at a time and place that suits you. The balance goes into your bank account, and we collect the car only after you confirm the funds have cleared.
When you sell to a licensed dealer, the private-sale roadworthy rule usually doesn’t apply in Victoria, and we’ll confirm what applies to your car on the call. We prepare the sale paperwork, help with the transfer of ownership and make sure your notice to VicRoads is done correctly. We arrange collection anywhere in Australia, including Melbourne and regional Victoria.
“I put my faith in the transaction going through while away on holidays and to his word Dean was honest, transparent and came through without any issues.” Robert, Melbourne VIC.
You can read more about selling your car in Melbourne, or call 1800 73 55 73 for a free valuation with no obligation and no fees taken out of the offer.
Questions sellers ask
Do I need a roadworthy to sell to a dealer in Victoria?
VicRoads' transfer table says a transfer from a private owner to a dealer needs no RWC and no motor vehicle duty, and VicRoads says the dealer manages the transfer. The RWC rule applies when the buyer is a private person. If the dealer is licensed in another state, ask which paperwork applies before you agree. We hold a NSW licence, so we confirm what applies to your Victorian car on the call.
How long is a Victorian RWC valid?
Consumer Affairs Victoria says an RWC is valid for 30 days from the date of issue, and the Department of Transport and Planning gives the same figure. A private buyer must get one less than 30 days old, so if the car sits unsold past that point you pay for a new one. Time the test for when you have a buyer lined up.
Can I sell an unregistered car in Victoria?
Yes. Consumer Affairs Victoria says a car that's unregistered, or whose registration has been cancelled, can be sold without a roadworthy certificate. The buyer then arranges and pays for the RWC, registration and plates. They may also need an unregistered vehicle permit from VicRoads, which usually only lets them drive to their home or to a licensed vehicle tester at set times of the day.
Who pays stamp duty when a car is sold in Victoria?
The buyer. On a private sale, the new owner pays motor vehicle duty and the transfer fee to VicRoads within 14 days, with duty based on the higher of the price paid or the market value. On a transfer from a private owner to a dealer, VicRoads' table says no duty is payable.
