Car buying & selling guides
How to buy and sell a car in Australia — buyer guides on what to look for and how to avoid scams, plus every selling platform’s reported fees, reach and reputation, gathered from public sources with links so you can check everything yourself. General information only: always confirm current details on each platform’s own website. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.
Best site to sell your car in Australia (2026)
Every option compared side by side — carsales, Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, the instant-offer services and the challengers — with verified fees, complaint records and a decision framework by car value and urgency.
Updated 11 July 2026
Selling a car
What a private sale actually involves in Australia — the paperwork each state requires, how to get paid safely, and what it costs. Rules vary by state and change, so always confirm the current details with your own transport department.
How much does a car depreciate in Australia?
What actually moves a used car's value in Australia — age, kilometres, service history, colour and body type — and which of those you can still do something about.
How much does it really cost to sell a car privately in Australia?
An itemised, state-aware breakdown of what a private car sale actually costs — the inspection, the transfer, the duty, the presentation, and who pays which.
What documents do you need to sell a car in Australia?
The paperwork for a private car sale in Australia — what your state requires, what protects you even though it isn't required, and what buyers will ask for.
Am I accidentally trading as a car dealer?
Australian states and territories limit how many vehicles you can sell privately before you need a motor dealer's licence. Here's how the threshold works and why it catches people out.
How to sell a car privately in the ACT
The ACT requires an inspection for any vehicle over six years old, transfers have to be done in person, and its late-transfer fee is the steepest in the country. Here's the process.
How to sell a car privately in NSW
What you actually have to do to sell a car privately in New South Wales — including why you don't need a pink slip, how to lodge the notice of disposal, and what the buyer has to do next.
How to sell a car privately in the NT
The Northern Territory overhauled its light-vehicle inspection rules in February 2026 — only vehicles 7 years and older need one now, and either party can get it. Here's the current process.
How to sell a car privately in Queensland
Queensland dropped the rule requiring a safety certificate before you advertise — but you still need one to complete the sale. Here's what a private sale actually requires, and why much advice online is out of date.
How to sell a car privately in SA
South Australia needs no inspection to sell a registered light vehicle. Here's the rest of the process — the disposal notice, the 14-day deadline, the transfer, and the threshold that makes you a dealer.
How to sell a car privately in Tasmania
Tasmania needs no inspection to sell a Tasmanian-registered car within the state, but gives you only 7 days to lodge the notice of disposal. Here's the full process.
How to sell a car privately in Victoria
Victoria is the only state where the seller must supply a roadworthy certificate, and it has to be under 30 days old. Here's what else a private sale in Victoria requires.
How to sell a car privately in WA
Western Australia needs no inspection to sell a licensed vehicle, but gives you only 7 days to lodge the seller's notice — half the time most states allow. Here's the full process, from form MR9 to the transfer.
How to transfer car registration in Australia
Registration transfer is the buyer's job, but it runs on the seller's paperwork. Here's who does what, in what order, in every state and territory.
What happens to your insurance and CTP when you sell a car
Comprehensive cover and compulsory third party behave differently when you sell. Here's what to cancel, when to cancel it, and the test-drive question worth asking first.
Meeting a buyer safely: a private seller's checklist
Almost all used-car safety advice is written for buyers. This is the other side — the test drive, the address, the handover, and the insurance question nobody answers.
What is a notice of disposal — and what happens if you don't lodge one?
A notice of disposal tells your state you no longer own a car you've sold. Here's how long you have in each Australian state and territory, how to lodge it, and what happens to your fines and tolls if you don't.
Number plates when you sell: what stays and what goes
Do the plates go with the car? Usually yes — but personalised plates are yours to keep, and some states want the plates back. Here's what to sort out before the sale.
The safest way to accept payment when selling a car privately
The riskiest part of a private car sale is the moment a buyer says the money has been sent. Here's how to get paid safely — what "cleared" actually means, which methods hold up, and the one rule that protects you.
Selling a car from a deceased estate: what's actually required
Transferring or selling a vehicle registered to someone who has died — who has authority to do it, what each state requires, and what to expect if there's no will.
Selling a car interstate: what changes
Selling to a buyer in another state adds an inspection question, a plate question and a transport question. Here's what changes and what to sort out before you agree.
Selling a car privately in Australia: what every state actually requires
Inspection rules, notice-of-disposal deadlines, transfer fees and duty for all eight Australian states and territories, taken from each transport department's own pages.
Can you sell a car with expired registration?
Yes — unregistered cars are sold in Australia every day. Here's what changes: how the buyer moves it, whether to re-register first, and what it does to your price.
How to sell a car that still has finance owing
You can sell a car under finance in Australia, but the loan has to be settled for the buyer to get clear title. Here's the sequence that protects both of you.
Selling a written-off or repairable write-off car in Australia
A written-off vehicle can be sold, and repairable write-offs sell perfectly well when they're disclosed. Here's what the register records, what you have to say, and where the rules differ.
Is it worth fixing your car before you sell it?
Some repairs pay for themselves before a private sale and most don't. Here's how to tell which is which — and why the answer partly depends on your state.
Buying a car
Practical, Australia-specific guides to buying a used car — how the process works, what to check before you hand over money, and how to spot a scam.
How to avoid used-car scams in Australia
The common used-car scams in Australia and how to avoid them — fake escrow and deposit scams, odometer wind-back, curbstoning, cloned listings and cars with money owing — plus how to pay and meet safely.
How to buy a used car in Australia
A step-by-step guide to buying a used car in Australia — setting a budget, searching smart, running a PPSR check, inspecting and test-driving, negotiating, and transferring the rego.
Used car inspection checklist: what to look for
What to check when inspecting a used car in Australia — body and panels, engine, interior and electronics, tyres and brakes, the test drive and the paperwork — plus the red flags that mean walk away.
Platform reviews
carsales
Classifieds + dealer marketplace
What selling your car on carsales reportedly costs in 2026 — publicly shared ad-tier examples, how Instant Offer works, seller protection, and where the complaints cluster.
Facebook Marketplace
Free peer-to-peer classifieds
Facebook Marketplace is free and huge for private car sales in Australia — here’s what it does well, the scam patterns to expect, and how to sell on it safely.
Gumtree Cars
Classifieds + instant cash offer
Gumtree car listings now start at $19 with a bundled PPSR report. What sellers get for it in 2026, how the Fast Car Offer works, and why the review scores are so low.
CarsGuide
Editorial + dealer marketplace (no private ads)
CarsGuide discontinued private car listings. What replaced them (Gumtree hand-off, Fast Car Offer), what its valuation and research tools still offer sellers in 2026.
Autotrader Australia
Dealer marketplace + instant cash offer (no private ads)
Autotrader.com.au no longer takes private car listings and is unrelated to the UK/US Autotraders. What it actually offers Australian sellers in 2026.
Drive
Editorial + dealer-only marketplace + dealer-offer selling
Drive.com.au doesn’t do private classifieds — it matches you with dealer offers for free. How the flow works, what it pays versus private sale, and who it suits in 2026.
OnlyCars
Classifieds + dealer marketplace + finance
OnlyCars charges a flat $49 to list until sold, with finance-qualified buyers via Credit One. How the challenger stacks up against carsales and Gumtree in 2026.
AusCarSales
Free classifieds (private + dealer)
AusCarSales.au lists cars completely free with no paid tiers. What the early-stage Australian challenger offers, where it’s thin, and how to use it sensibly in 2026.
Instant-offer services
Direct buyers, dealer auctions & consignment
Every major Australian instant car buyer compared for 2026 — Carma, Cars24, AutoFlip, easyauto123, CarBuyers, auctions and the new entrants — with how each pays and what it costs.