How to Sell a Company or Business Car in QLD: Ownership, Paperwork and Options

By A1 Cash for Cars Team · Last updated: 6 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.

Need to sell a company car in QLD? The registered business must authorise the sale, prove ownership and clear any finance before a buyer can take clear title. Selling to a licensed motor dealer usually skips the safety certificate a private sale of a registered car needs, and the dealer handles the seller statement and transfer steps.

Can you sell a company or business car in QLD?

Yes, you can sell a company or business car in QLD when the registered operator — the company, partnership or sole trader named on the registration — authorises the sale. An authorised officer signs the transfer and dealer paperwork. Online seller transfer isn’t available for organisations, so company cars are usually transferred in person.

Company and business vehicles show up in several common situations:

• Company-owned fleet cars registered to a Pty Ltd or other company with an ACN.
• Sole-trader business cars registered in the trader’s personal name but used for the business.
• Partnership vehicles registered to the partnership or to partners jointly.
• Employee-driven company cars that the business wants to dispose of at the end of a role, lease or upgrade cycle.
• Novated-lease cars, where the finance company usually owns the vehicle and the employer and employee have lease obligations.

TMR says the easiest way to sell your vehicle is to a licensed motor dealer (Queensland Government). That often suits businesses clearing one or more cars without advertising, test drives or arranging a private-sale safety certificate. If someone other than the registered operator is handling the sale day, our guide to selling a car on behalf of someone else in QLD covers authority forms and ID.

Who must authorise the sale of a company car?

The person who can sell a company car is whoever the business has authorised to act for it, such as a director, company secretary or nominated officer. They must prove that authority to the buyer and to TMR. That often means company letterhead authority, organisation details on form F5225, or TMR’s Letter of Authority form F5244.

In practice, buyers and TMR look for clear evidence of who is signing:

Sources: Authority to Represent Registered Operator (F5225), Department of Transport and Main Roads; Letter of Authority for Dealer/Agent to sign on behalf of organisations (F5244), Queensland Government publications.

An employee who only drives the car is not automatically allowed to sell it. The money from the sale should go to the business (or as the lease and finance contracts require), not into a personal account by default. If you’re unsure whether your paperwork is enough, ask the buyer what they need before you book a collection time.

What ownership proof do you need for a company vehicle?

To sell a company vehicle you generally need proof the business is the registered operator, the authorised signatory’s photo ID, and enough vehicle details for the buyer to identify the car. Registration details, the VIN, keys and any finance payout letter are the usual starting point. A licensed dealer will also run a PPSR check before paying.

Documents and details that commonly help:

• Registration details showing the company or business as the registered operator.
• Company identifiers such as the ACN or ABN that match how the vehicle is registered.
• Photo ID for the authorised signatory, usually a current driver licence.
• Written authority if the person attending isn’t a director or isn’t named on the registration.
• Keys, including spares, and an honest description of the car’s condition and kilometres.
• Finance or lease documents if money is still owing, including a written payout figure.
• Purchase or asset records the business already keeps for its fixed-asset register.

If some paperwork is missing, a sale can still be possible once ownership and authority are confirmed another way. Our QLD paperwork checklist for selling a car and guide to selling a car without papers in QLD explain what buyers usually ask for when certificates or receipts can’t be found.

Do company cars need a safety certificate when sold?

Not if the company sells the car to a licensed motor dealer. Queensland’s rules say vehicles that are unregistered, or traded to or between licensed motor dealers, don’t need a safety certificate. If the business sells a registered company car privately, it generally must give the buyer a current safety certificate, and fines can apply for failing to do so.

TMR’s safety certificates page sets out the main points:

• Private sale of a registered car. You must obtain a safety certificate before disposing of a registered vehicle, other than to a dealer, and you may be fined over $700 for not having a current one.
• Sale to a licensed motor dealer. No safety certificate is needed.
• Unregistered car. No safety certificate is needed to sell it.
• Fee. TMR lists the safety certificate fee for motor vehicles up to 4,500kg GVM as $102.70 (as at 1 July 2026), and repairs may be needed before a car passes.
• Validity for other sellers. For sellers who aren’t licensed dealers, a certificate is valid for 2 months or 2,000 km, whichever expires first, and can be used for one transfer only.

For fleet cars that are old, high-kilometre or due for replacement, selling to a licensed dealer avoids booking an approved inspection station and paying for repairs only to pass a private-sale certificate. Our guide to safety certificates when selling a car in QLD covers exemptions in more detail.

What happens if the company car still has finance or a novated lease?

Any finance or security interest must be cleared before the buyer gets clear title, whether the car is company-owned with a chattel mortgage or held under a novated lease. Ask the lender or lease provider for a written payout figure first. A PPSR search will usually show the security, and a licensed dealer will check it before paying.

How the arrangement usually works:

Sources: PPSR car check, Australian Financial Security Authority; Car leasing and FBT, Australian Taxation Office.

Under a novated lease the finance company is commonly the lessor, with repayments made through the employer as part of a salary-sacrifice arrangement (ATO). That means you usually can’t sell the car as if the business or the employee owned it outright. Our guide to selling a car with finance owing in QLD explains payout letters and how dealer sales often handle the lender.

How does selling a company car to a licensed dealer differ from a private sale?

Selling a company car to a licensed motor dealer is usually simpler than a private sale: no ads, no stranger test drives and no safety certificate for a registered car traded to a dealer. The dealer takes a signed seller statement and checks ID, authority and finance. A private buyer generally needs a current safety certificate.

Sources: Selling a used vehicle, Queensland Government; Acquiring a used car from a seller, Office of Fair Trading; Safety certificates, Queensland Government.

Before you sell to any business, check it holds a motor dealer licence on the Office of Fair Trading’s licensing register. Queensland’s Office of Fair Trading requires a licensed dealer acquiring a used car to get a signed, dated statement with the seller’s name, address and driver licence number, the car’s identifying details, the odometer reading in words and figures, and any mortgage or security (Office of Fair Trading).

What paperwork and tax records should the business keep?

Keep copies of the sale contract or dealer paperwork, the signed seller statement, proof of payment, any finance payout confirmation and evidence the registration left the company’s name. The ATO says GST often applies when a GST-registered business disposes of a motor vehicle used in the enterprise. Confirm the tax treatment with your accountant.

Useful records to file with the asset disposal:

• Sale documents. Signed dealer statement or private-sale contract, receipt and any authority forms used on the day.
• Identity of the signatory. Who authorised the sale and in what capacity.
• Finance clearance. Payout letter and confirmation the PPSR interest was discharged.
• Registration outcome. Evidence the car left the company’s name, or that registration was cancelled if it was dismantled.
• Tax working papers. Sale price, GST treatment, written-down value and any tax invoice your accountant needs for the activity statement.

The ATO’s page on disposing of a motor vehicle explains that disposal includes selling, trading in or transferring ownership, and that GST of one-eleventh of the sale price generally applies on a taxable sale. Different rules can apply to privately owned assets, associates and luxury cars, which is why businesses should check with their tax adviser rather than relying on a blog post.

How do you get a cash offer for a company car in Brisbane?

To get a cash offer for a company car in Brisbane, contact a licensed motor dealer with the make, model, year, kilometres, condition, registration status and location. Say it’s a company vehicle and who will authorise the sale. The dealer can then tell you what ID, authority and finance documents they need before inspecting and paying.

A typical dealer sale for a business vehicle looks like this:

1. Quote. You supply accurate details and any photos requested.
2. Authority check. You confirm who will sign and whether finance or a lease is involved.
3. Inspection. The dealer checks the car matches the description.
4. Paperwork. The authorised signatory completes the seller statement and transfer documents; keep copies for the business records.
5. Payment and handover. Payment is made as agreed, usually to the business or as the finance contract requires, and the car is collected subject to ownership, access and condition.
6. After the sale. Confirm the registration has left the company’s name, remove toll tags, stop direct debits and update insurance and the asset register.

A1 Cash for Cars is a licensed motor dealer at 60 Bowhill Rd, Willawong. Sellers to us don’t need a safety certificate, and we can often collect written-off or non-running cars subject to ownership, insurer status and safe access. For the step-by-step buyer process, see how cash for cars works in Brisbane. Call 0400 119 641 or request a quote with the car’s details and who will authorise the sale.

Frequently asked questions

Can an employee sell a company car in QLD?

Only if the company has authorised them. Driving the car for work does not by itself give an employee the right to sell it. The authorised officer should provide written authority and photo ID, and payment should go where the business and any finance contract require.

Do I need a safety certificate to sell a company car to a dealer?

No. Queensland’s rules say vehicles traded to licensed motor dealers don’t need a safety certificate. If you sell a registered company car privately, you generally must provide a current safety certificate, and you may be fined over $700 for not having one.

Can we sell a company car that still has a novated lease?

Usually not as if you owned it outright. Under a typical novated lease the finance company owns the car. Contact the lease provider for a payout figure and their process before you advertise or book a dealer collection.

What ID does a licensed dealer need from a company seller?

The authorised signatory’s driver licence or other photo ID, plus proof they can act for the company, such as company details with ACN or ABN and written authority where needed. The Office of Fair Trading requires dealers to record the seller’s name, address and driver licence number in a signed statement.

Can a company transfer a Queensland registration online?

No. TMR’s online seller transfer service is for registrations in the logged-in person’s own name and isn’t available for registrations held by a company with an ACN. Company transfers are completed in person with the usual transfer form and supporting documents.

What if the company car is damaged or written off?

Many licensed dealers still buy damaged, non-running and written-off cars if ownership is clear. Collection depends on ownership, insurer status and safe access. Tell the buyer about the damage and any insurance claim when you ask for a quote so the offer reflects the real condition.

Should the business charge GST when selling a company car?

Often yes if the business is registered for GST and the disposal is a taxable sale of a vehicle used in the enterprise. The ATO generally treats GST as one-eleventh of the sale price on taxable disposals, but exceptions exist. Confirm the treatment with your accountant before you finalise the invoice.

Sources cited

• Selling a used vehicle, Queensland Government
• Safety certificates, Queensland Government
• How to transfer a Queensland registered vehicle in person, Queensland Government
• Transfer registration as seller (online service), Department of Transport and Main Roads
• Authority to Represent Registered Operator Vehicle Registration (F5225), Department of Transport and Main Roads
• Letter of Authority for Dealer/Agent to sign on behalf of organisations (F5244), Queensland Government publications
• Acquiring a used car from a seller, Office of Fair Trading
• Fair Trading licensing register, Office of Fair Trading
• PPSR car check, Australian Financial Security Authority
• Disposing of a motor vehicle, Australian Taxation Office
• Car leasing and FBT, Australian Taxation Office

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, tax or financial advice. Registration, consumer and tax rules can change, so check the linked official pages, call TMR on 13 23 80, contact Fair Trading Queensland on 13 QGOV (13 74 68), or speak with your accountant. Last updated 6 November 2026.

Ready to sell a company or business car?

Call 0400 119 641 or request a quote. Tell us the year, model, kilometres, condition, whether it’s registered, whether finance or a lease is involved, where the car is and who will authorise the sale for the business.