Transferring a vehicle interstate: what you need in every state
A practical guide to moving a registered vehicle from one Australian state to another, including the inspection required and the order to do things in.
The general rule
Every state requires some form of inspection before issuing local registration to a vehicle that has been registered interstate. The name and rigour of the inspection vary, but the principle is consistent: your home state regulator wants to verify the vehicle meets local standards before adding it to its register.
Plan two to three weeks for the full transfer. The pinch points are usually the inspection booking (often a few days out), any rectification work that follows, and the visit to the local registry itself.
Maintain interstate registration until the new registration is issued. Driving an unregistered vehicle without a permit is a substantial fine and voids most insurance.
State-by-state inspection requirement
Queensland: Safety Certificate from a Queensland Approved Inspection Station. Cars over 4.5 tonnes need a Certificate of Inspection (COI) instead.
New South Wales: Authorised Unregistered Vehicle Inspection (Blue Slip), regardless of the age or origin of the vehicle. More thorough than a Pink Slip.
Victoria: Certificate of Roadworthiness (RWC) from a Licensed Vehicle Tester. Same inspection as a sale within Victoria.
Western Australia: WA vehicle examination at a DoT-approved examiner if the vehicle is over 12 years old, or as directed.
South Australia: Vehicle inspection report from an authorised inspector. Trigger is interstate transfer or unregistered vehicle.
Tasmania: Vehicle inspection report (valid 14 days for transfer purposes) from an Authorised Inspection Station.
Northern Territory: Inspection at an MVR-approved station. Required for any interstate transfer.
Australian Capital Territory: Inspection Report from an Access Canberra-authorised inspector. Required for vehicles entering the ACT register.
Order of operations
1. Confirm residency. Most states require the registration transfer once you are a resident of the new state. The trigger is usually a permanent address.
2. Book the inspection. Mobile operators can come to you, which is the easiest option for an interstate move where the car may be at a temporary address.
3. Rectify any fails. Most rectifications are done within 14 days to keep the original inspection's re-inspection eligibility.
4. Cancel old-state registration. Only after the inspection is in hand. Most states refund the unused portion of registration and CTP.
5. Visit the new-state registry with the inspection certificate, the cancelled-registration paperwork, identity documents, proof of address, and proof of ownership. Pay the new registration fee, stamp duty (where applicable), and CTP if it is separate.
6. Receive new plates. In most states, plates are issued same-day. NSW and VIC sometimes mail plates if a personalised series is requested.
Common interstate-transfer mistakes
Cancelling old rego before the new inspection. This leaves you with an unregistered vehicle that cannot legally be driven to the inspection. Use a mobile inspector or get an unregistered vehicle permit if you have already cancelled.
Trusting that an interstate roadworthy will work. It will not, in any direction. Each state issues its own certificate and the others do not recognise each other's documents.
Forgetting CTP differences. Queensland and Tasmania bundle CTP into registration. NSW, VIC, SA, WA require a separate CTP / Green Slip / MAI policy purchased before registration.
Modifications that were legal in the old state. Lift kits, exhaust changes, wheel offsets that were within tolerance in QLD may sit outside tolerance in VIC. The new state's inspector will fail these and you may need an engineer's certificate to keep them.