You have driven and loved your car for years, maybe even decades, but the time has come to bid farewell. Perhaps your car has good bones…. or maybe it doesn’t. Whatever the case may be, your car does not have a Certificate of Roadworthiness. This documentation can only be obtained through an inspection conducted by an authorised person, and it essentially states that your vehicle is safe to drive on the road.

You can usually sell a car that is no longer roadworthy to a wrecker, but if you want to sell privately the rules differ between states.

If you live in NSW

The Roads and Maritime Service allow you to sell your car without a Certificate of Roadworthiness, but if your vehicle is over five years old you will need an annual safety inspection to complete registration renewal. Technically you don’t need a roadworthy certificate to sell the car, but the presumption is that the car is roadworthy (in most cases).

If you live in Victoria

You are allowed to sell a car that isn’t roadworthy in Victoria, but you have to sell it without the number plates (which you need to return to VicRoads before the sale). By opting to sell this way you are effectively suspending the registration. If you’re selling a car that is registered, then it has to be sold as a roadworthy car with a certificate.

If you live in the Australian Capital Territory

Residents of the ACT do not have to obtain a roadworthy certificate to sell a car unless it is over six years old.

If you live in Queensland

Queenslanders have to acquire a safety certificate before selling a registered vehicle privately, regardless of its age. The certificate also has to be clearly displayed during the car sale process.

If you live in South Australia

There is no obligation for South Australians to obtain a roadworthy certification before selling a car, regardless of its age.

If you live in Western Australia

The process in Western Australia is easy when it comes to selling a car, with no certification proving roadworthiness required.

If you live in the Northern Territory

You don’t have to obtain a roadworthy certificate if selling your car in the NT, but you are required to get one yearly to re-register your car if it is over five years old.

If you live in Tasmania

Services Tas don’t require your car to be roadworthy to sell, regardless of the age of the vehicle. The only time a certificate is required is if the car has been unregistered for more than three months, or if the registration has been cancelled.

If you download DIYinspect

Irrespective of your address or the state of your car, you can always sell it using DIYinspect. The easy-to-use app is the brainchild of Australia’s leading asset remarketer, Pickles, and it allows users to sell their car efficiently and for a good price.

It also doesn’t matter if your car is roadworthy or not. All you need to do is download the app (via Apple Store or Google Play), then follow the instructions concerning photos and information. Once you have completed the steps, you can sit back and wait for an offer. The DIYinspect team will come back with an offer within 24 business hours. If you accept it, a free pick-up (if you live within 30 kilometres of a Pickles drop-off point) is easy to arrange.