How to Sell a Car on Behalf of Someone Else in QLD: Authority Forms, Power of Attorney and Paperwork

By A1 Cash for Cars Team · Last updated: 3 November 2026

A1 Cash for Cars is a Brisbane vehicle buyer and licensed motor dealer with a yard at 60 Bowhill Rd, Willawong. We assess and buy unwanted, damaged, scrap and non-running cars, utes, vans and 4WDs across Greater Brisbane.

You can sell a car on behalf of someone else in QLD, but you need proof that you’re allowed to act for the registered operator. For most family sales, that means TMR’s Authority to Represent form (F5225), both people’s ID and the usual transfer form. An enduring power of attorney can also give you that authority.

Can you sell a car on behalf of someone else in QLD?

Yes, as long as you can show you have the registered operator’s authority. Common examples are selling a car for an elderly parent, a partner working overseas, a family member in hospital or a deployed defence force member. TMR deals with the registered operator, so the paperwork has to prove you’re acting for them.

There are three usual ways that authority is shown:

• A signed F5225 authority. The owner fills in and signs TMR’s Authority to Represent Registered Operator Vehicle Registration form, naming you as their representative.
• An enduring power of attorney (EPOA) for financial matters. If you’re the owner’s financial attorney and your power has started, you can make decisions about their property, which can include selling their car.
• A QCAT-appointed administrator. If an adult has impaired capacity and no attorney, the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) can appoint an administrator for financial matters.

If the owner has died, the rules are different, because the car becomes part of their estate. Our guide to selling a deceased estate car in QLD covers executors, letters of administration and what TMR asks for.

What is TMR’s F5225 Authority to Represent form?

Form F5225 is TMR’s form for letting another person act for a registered operator. The owner signs it to authorise a named representative to sign and present registration forms on their behalf, either for all their vehicles or for specified vehicles and activities. It’s the simplest option when the owner can still make and sign their own decisions.

The form has four parts:

Source: Authority to Represent Registered Operator Vehicle Registration (F5225), Department of Transport and Main Roads.

A few details on the form matter when you’re selling:

• List the car clearly. If the authority is only for one vehicle, write its registration number or VIN and its make and model, and include the transfer or sale in the activities.
• Keep the original. TMR says the original authority must be presented each time you do business for the owner, because the department doesn’t record it.
• Watch the dates. The authority is valid for a maximum of 12 months from the owner’s signature, unless it’s revoked or a shorter period is set.
• Don’t fill in the wrong section. Signing the form is a declaration that the information is true, and TMR notes that false or misleading information is an offence under the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995.

What ID do you need to sell a car for someone else?

You’ll need ID for both of you. TMR asks the representative to bring the original F5225, show the owner’s original proof of identity documents, and prove their own identity with a Category A or Category B document. A current Queensland driver licence is the most common way to prove identity for most people.

TMR’s registration pages list these requirements for anyone acting on someone else’s behalf, including for deployed defence force members (Queensland Government). The full list of acceptable documents is on the Queensland Government’s evidence of identity page.

In practice, that means you should gather these before a buyer comes to look:

• ☐ The original, signed F5225 authority (or your power of attorney or tribunal order)
• ☐ The owner’s original proof of identity, such as their driver licence
• ☐ Your own Category A or B identity document
• ☐ The vehicle registration transfer application (F3520), with the seller’s section ready to sign
• ☐ A current safety certificate if you’re selling a registered car privately (not needed if you sell to a licensed motor dealer)

If the owner is overseas or in care and can’t hand over their original ID, call TMR on 13 23 80 before you agree a sale. Ask what they’ll accept in your situation rather than guessing.

How does the rego transfer work when you’re the representative?

The transfer uses the same vehicle registration transfer application (F3520) as any other sale. You sign the seller’s part for the owner, the buyer signs too, and the buyer lodges Part A at a customer service centre while you keep Part B. The owner doesn’t pay any transfer fee or duty; the buyer does.

TMR’s in-person transfer page sets out the basics that apply to every seller:

• The buyer has 14 days to finalise the transfer after the sale.
• The seller gives the buyer a current safety certificate (unless an exemption applies) and a gas certificate if the car has a gas system.
• The seller keeps Part B of the F3520 until the registration is out of the owner’s name.
• SPER enforcement action on the vehicle stops the transfer until it ends.

The online seller transfer service asks the seller to log in with their own licence number or CRN and only shows registrations in that person’s name. It also can’t be used for registrations held by a company with an ACN. So a representative will usually lodge the transfer in person with the F3520, the F5225 and the ID listed above.

After the sale, check the transfer has gone through. You can help the owner log in to My registrations, or call TMR on 13 23 80. If the buyer doesn’t lodge their part, TMR recommends the seller lodges Part B so the owner isn’t held responsible for the buyer’s offences. Our guide to transferring registration after selling a car in QLD goes through those steps.

Can you sell a car with a power of attorney in QLD?

Usually, yes, if you’re the owner’s attorney for financial matters and your power has started. Queensland’s Office of the Public Guardian says a financial attorney’s role begins immediately or at the time the principal set in the enduring power of attorney. Selling property, such as a car, is a financial matter, so it can fall within that role.

Being an attorney comes with legal duties under the Powers of Attorney Act 1998 and the Guardianship and Administration Act 2000. The Office of the Public Guardian says you must (Office of the Public Guardian):

• Only act as the document allows, including any limits or conditions in its terms and instructions.
• Follow the principal’s views, wishes and preferences, and support them to make their own decisions where they can.
• Assume the person has capacity unless it’s proven otherwise; being older or unwell doesn’t automatically mean they can’t decide.

For a car sale, that means talking to the owner if you can, getting a fair price, and putting the money where it belongs. The Office of the Public Guardian’s guide to attorney responsibilities also says attorneys should keep accurate records and keep the principal’s money separate from their own.

When you deal with TMR as an attorney, bring the original power of attorney or a certified copy, your own ID and the owner’s details, and call 13 23 80 first to confirm what they’ll accept for your transaction. If the car is the only thing you need to deal with and the owner can still sign, an F5225 is often simpler.

What if the owner can’t sign and has no power of attorney?

Then nobody has automatic authority to sell the car for them, even a spouse or adult child. If an adult has lost capacity and hasn’t made an enduring power of attorney, a family member can apply to QCAT to be appointed as their administrator for financial matters. Once appointed, the administrator can deal with the car.

QCAT’s page on enduring powers of attorney and the Queensland Government’s information on guardians and administrators explain how this works. It takes time, so if a car is sitting unused, consider whether it can wait safely, and whether the registration should be kept or cancelled.

Please don’t sign the owner’s name yourself, even with good intentions. Signing a transfer form for someone without authority can be an offence, and a buyer or dealer who later finds out may refuse to go ahead or unwind the sale.

What about joint owners and company cars?

If a car is registered in two names, both registered operators usually need to agree to the sale. The F5225 has space for a second registered operator to sign, so one owner can authorise the other, or both can authorise a third person. For a company car, an authorised person signs for the business.

A few points for these situations:

• Joint registration. Talk to TMR if one owner won’t or can’t sign. TMR’s online seller service can’t be used to add or remove a name, and it’s built for the owner’s own transactions.
• Company or business vehicles. TMR says online transfer isn’t available to organisations, so company-registered cars are transferred in person. On the F5225, a company fills in its name and ACN or ABN, and the signatory gives their position.
• Finance owing. If the car has a loan or lease on it, the lender’s interest shows on the PPSR, and it has to be cleared first. Our guide to selling a car with finance owing in QLD explains payout figures.

How does A1 Cash for Cars handle a sale by a representative?

We buy cars from representatives regularly, such as adult children selling a parent’s car or a partner selling for someone overseas. As a licensed motor dealer, we must record who sold us the car, so we’ll check your authority, your ID and the owner’s ID, and run a PPSR check before we pay.

Here’s what to expect:

• No safety certificate needed. Because we’re a licensed motor dealer, you don’t need a safety certificate to sell the car to us.
• Seller statement. Queensland’s Office of Fair Trading requires dealers to get a signed, dated statement from the seller, including their name, address and driver licence number (Office of Fair Trading). When you sell as a representative, we’ll also ask to see your F5225, power of attorney or tribunal order.
• Payment to the right person. Tell us upfront whose account the money should go to, so the payment matches your authority.
• Damaged or non-running cars. Cars that have been sitting for months are common in these sales. We can often collect them, depending on ownership, the car’s condition and safe access.

If you’re not sure whether your paperwork is enough, send us a photo of what you have when you ask for a quote and we’ll tell you what’s missing before you book anything.

Frequently asked questions

Can I sell my parent’s car in QLD?

Yes, if your parent authorises you. The simplest way is TMR’s F5225 Authority to Represent form, signed by your parent, plus their original ID and yours. If your parent can no longer make decisions, you’ll need an enduring power of attorney for financial matters or a QCAT administrator order.

How long is a TMR F5225 authority valid?

Up to 12 months from the date the registered operator signs it, unless they revoke it or set a shorter period on the form. TMR doesn’t record the authority, so you must bring the original each time you do business for the owner.

Can I transfer someone else’s rego online in QLD?

Usually not. TMR’s online seller transfer service asks you to log in with your own licence number or CRN and only shows registrations in your name. Representatives normally lodge the F3520 transfer form in person, with the F5225 and both sets of ID.

Can my wife or husband sell my car without me?

Only if they’re a registered operator or you give them authority. Being married doesn’t give a spouse automatic power to sell a car registered only in your name. Sign an F5225 for them, or make sure your enduring power of attorney covers financial matters.

Can I sell a car for a family member who is overseas?

Yes. They can sign an F5225 naming you as representative and send you the original, together with whatever proof of identity TMR will accept. Call TMR on 13 23 80 before agreeing a sale to confirm the ID requirements, since original documents can be hard to send.

Does a power of attorney let me sell a car in QLD?

A financial attorney under an enduring power of attorney can usually sell the principal’s property once their power has started, unless the document limits it. You must follow the principal’s wishes, act in their interests and keep the sale money separate from your own.

What if the car owner has died?

A power of attorney ends when the person dies, so it can’t be used to sell their car. The car is part of the estate, and the executor or administrator deals with it. TMR has a separate process for transferring a deceased person’s vehicle.

Sources and further reading

• How to transfer a Queensland registered vehicle in person, Queensland Government (Transport and Main Roads)
• Transfer registration as seller (online service), Queensland Government (Transport and Main Roads)
• Authority to Represent Registered Operator Vehicle Registration (F5225), Department of Transport and Main Roads
• Register your motor vehicle or motorcycle, Queensland Government (Transport and Main Roads)
• Register a vehicle, boat, caravan or trailer, Queensland Government (Transport and Main Roads)
• Role and responsibilities as an attorney, Office of the Public Guardian Queensland
• Responsibilities of an attorney under an enduring power of attorney, Office of the Public Guardian Queensland
• Enduring power of attorney, Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal
• Powers of attorney and guardianship, Queensland Government
• Acquiring a used car from a seller, Office of Fair Trading Queensland

About the author

A1 Cash for Cars Team. A1 Cash for Cars is a licensed motor dealer at 60 Bowhill Rd, Willawong, buying unwanted, damaged and non-running vehicles across South East Queensland. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Powers of attorney and TMR requirements can be complex, so check the linked official pages, call TMR on 13 23 80, or speak to a lawyer about your situation.

Ready to sell a car for a family member?

Call 0400 119 641 or request a quote. Tell us the year, model, kilometres and where the car is, and let us know you’re selling as a representative, so we can explain the paperwork before you decide.