Transfer Registration After Selling a Car in QLD: What Sellers Must Do

By A1 Cash for Cars Team · Last updated: 28 October 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.

To transfer registration after selling a car in QLD, the seller and buyer both sign TMR’s Vehicle Registration Transfer Application (F3520), or the seller starts the transfer online. It must be done within 14 days. The seller pays no transfer fee, keeps Part B as proof, and stays answerable for tolls and fines until TMR records the new owner.

What does a seller have to do with the rego after selling a car in QLD?

Make sure the registration leaves your name. On the day of sale, complete and sign the seller’s part of the transfer form with the buyer, or start the transfer online. Then remove toll tags, take the rego off direct debit, sort out any personalised plates and check that TMR has recorded the new owner within 14 days.

This guide focuses on the transfer itself and what you’re liable for afterwards. If you want the full list of documents to gather before you sell, see our QLD paperwork checklist for selling a car.

Here’s the seller’s side of a private sale at a glance:

When	What the seller does
Before the sale	Get a current safety certificate (registered car, private sale), plus a gas certificate if the car has a gas system. Decide what to do with personalised plates
On the day of sale	Complete and sign Part B of the F3520 with the buyer, or start the online seller transfer. Give the buyer the safety certificate or its number
Straight after	Remove toll tags, update Linkt, take the rego off direct debit and update or cancel your car insurance
Within 14 days	Check that the car is no longer registered to you. If it still is, lodge Part B yourself

TMR’s transfer in person page and selling a used vehicle page set out these steps.

How long do you have to transfer registration after selling a car in QLD?

You have 14 days. TMR says that when a used vehicle changes hands, the registration must be transferred within 14 days, and the online service gives sellers the same deadline. The law puts the main duty on the buyer: they must apply within 14 days of acquiring the car, and penalties may apply if they don’t.

The Vehicle Registration Regulation 2021 says a person who buys or acquires a registered vehicle must apply to transfer it within 14 days unless they have a reasonable excuse. It also lets the seller, called the disposer, apply for the transfer or give TMR a disposal notice.

In practice, that means you shouldn’t rely on the buyer alone. The 14-day window is also the point at which you should check the car has left your name. A few things can stop a transfer from going through, according to TMR:

• SPER enforcement action. A vehicle can’t be transferred while it’s subject to enforcement action by the State Penalties Enforcement Registry.
• Number plate confiscation. A vehicle under a Queensland Police Service Number Plate Confiscation Notice can’t be transferred during the confiscation period.
• Interstate buyers. A Queensland registration can’t be transferred to another state or territory. The buyer has to register the car in their own state.

How do you complete the seller’s part of the transfer?

You have two options. You can transfer the registration out of your name online, if you’re eligible, using the buyer’s licence or customer reference number, name and email, plus the sale date, value and odometer reading. Or you and the buyer sign the paper F3520, and you keep Part B while the buyer lodges Part A.

TMR recommends that all sellers complete Part B of the F3520 and have the buyer sign it on the day of sale, even if they plan to transfer online (Queensland Government). The form can be printed and signed by hand, or downloaded and signed digitally in Adobe Reader.

	Online seller transfer	Paper F3520
Who starts it	The seller, then the buyer finalises it	Both sign; the buyer lodges Part A
Cost to the seller	Nothing	Nothing
Details needed	Buyer’s Qld licence or customer reference number, name and email; sale date, dutiable value and odometer reading	Both parties’ details and signatures on Parts A and B
Safety certificate	Must be recorded with TMR (electronic certificates are recorded automatically)	Give the buyer the original blue copy, or the electronic certificate number
Not available for	Personalised or customised plates, gas systems, transfers to more than 1 person or an organisation, SPER enforcement action, and some other cases	Most private sales can use it
Confirmation	Email confirmation if your email is recorded with TMR	Keep your signed Part B

Online eligibility rules come from TMR’s online transfer page. If you can’t use the online service, the buyer lodges Part A at a transport and motoring customer service centre, or at a QGAP office, Magistrates Court or police station that offers registration services.

What is Part B of the F3520, and why should you keep it?

Part B is the seller’s copy of the Vehicle Registration Transfer Application. It records the sale, the buyer’s details and both signatures, and it works as your proof of transfer or notice of disposal. Keep it until the registration is out of your name, because it’s what you’ll use if the buyer doesn’t lodge the transfer.

When you fill it in, make sure:

• The buyer’s details are complete. Queensland Police suggest asking to see the buyer’s driver licence and making sure their full details are on the form (Queensland Police Service).
• Both signatures are on it. An unsigned form is much weaker evidence.
• The date and time of sale are recorded. If a camera-detected fine lands on the same day as the sale, you may need to prove the time of the handover.
• You keep the safety certificate number. TMR asks you to bring a copy of the safety certificate if you lodge Part B yourself.

Take a photo of the completed form, along with any receipt, and keep the originals somewhere safe. A written receipt showing the price, date, time, VIN and both names is also worth having.

What happens to the number plates when you sell a car in QLD?

Standard plates stay on the car and go with the registration to the buyer. You only hand plates back to TMR if you cancel the registration instead of transferring it. Personalised or customised plates are different: decide before the sale whether you’re keeping them or selling them with the car, because each choice needs its own form.

Your situation	What happens to the plates
Standard plates, registration transferred	Plates stay on the car for the new owner
Standard plates, registration cancelled	Hand in both plates (1 for motorcycles and trailers) with the cancellation form F3517
Keeping personalised or customised plates	Lodge form F2964 to remove them. You pay the standard plate fee, unless exempt, and must attach the new standard plates within 1 day
Selling personalised plates with the car	Both of you complete the personalised plate transfer form F2963 as well as the F3520. The online transfer service can’t be used
Lost, stolen or destroyed plates	Declare it in section 7 of the cancellation form if you’re cancelling

Sources: TMR’s pages on attaching, removing or cancelling personalised plates, buying, selling and transferring personalised plates and cancelling registration. Personalised plates remain the property of the State of Queensland, so follow TMR’s process rather than simply unscrewing them.

Do you get a rego or CTP refund when you sell your car?

Not when you transfer it. The remaining registration and CTP stay with the car and pass to the buyer. Refunds only come when you cancel a current registration that’s in your name: you may get back the unused registration and CTP insurer’s premium, minus a cancellation fee. Many sellers factor the remaining rego into the price.

On compulsory third party (CTP) insurance, Queensland’s Motor Accident Insurance Act 1994 says a CTP policy is unaffected by a change of ownership or a transfer of the registration (AustLII). In other words, the CTP keeps covering the car for the rest of the registration period, now under the new owner.

If you’re cancelling rather than transferring, for example because the car is being scrapped or sold unregistered, TMR’s cancellation page explains:

• Who gets a refund. The registration must be current and in your name at the time of the cancellation request.
• What’s refunded. The unused portion of the registration and the CTP insurer’s premium.
• What isn’t. The traffic improvement fee, CTP levies and other fees and surcharges. A cancellation fee is deducted from the refund.
• Insurance write-offs. If an insurer has taken over the registration as part of a claim, you may not be eligible for a refund.

MAIC, the CTP scheme regulator, confirms that CTP levies aren’t refundable. CTP is separate from your comprehensive or third party property insurance, which you should cancel or move to your next car with your own insurer. If you’re selling a car without rego, our guide to selling an unregistered car in QLD explains how that works.

Who pays tolls and fines until the transfer goes through?

Until TMR records the new owner, the car is still registered to you. TMR warns you may be held accountable for offences committed by the buyer until the transfer is finalised, and that you’ll remain liable for tolls and fines for a vehicle registered in your name. That’s why lodging the transfer quickly and keeping proof matters.

If a fine for a sold car does arrive, don’t pay it. A paid fine is treated as finalised. TMR’s how to transfer a fine page explains your options:

Problem	What to do
Camera-detected fine (speed, red light, mobile phone, seatbelt and similar) after you sold the car	Nominate the buyer through TMR’s online “Transfer a fine” service or by statutory declaration, within 28 days of the notice date
Unregistered or uninsured vehicle fine	Can only be transferred if you sold or disposed of the car before the offence
Sale on the same day as the offence	Attach supporting documents, such as Part B and your receipt showing the sale time
Toll notices	Remove the tag and vehicle from your Linkt account, and contact Linkt about tolls incurred after the sale

You’ll need the buyer’s name and address and the date and time of the sale. If you don’t transfer a fine within 28 days, SPER may take enforcement action and demerit points may be recorded against you, so act quickly. TMR also reminds sellers to remove toll tags and update their details with Linkt (Queensland Government).

What should you do if the buyer doesn’t transfer the registration?

Check first, then act. Log in to TMR’s My registrations service or call TMR on 13 23 80 to see whether the car is still in your name. If it is, lodge Part B of the F3520 yourself, in person or online if eligible, with a copy of the safety certificate. Don’t wait for fines to arrive.

A simple follow-up routine:

1. Day 1 to 3. Confirm with the buyer that they’ve lodged Part A or finalised the online transfer.
2. Around day 14. Check My registrations or call 13 23 80.
3. Still in your name? Lodge Part B at a transport and motoring customer service centre, with the safety certificate copy. TMR’s transfer page recommends this if you believe the buyer hasn’t lodged the form.
4. Keep records. Hold on to Part B, the receipt and any messages with the buyer in case you need to transfer a fine later.

Under the Vehicle Registration Regulation 2021, TMR can also give the buyer a written notice requiring them to apply for the transfer within 14 days. Queensland Police note that sellers in this situation may otherwise have to go through an investigative process to prove they no longer own the car (Queensland Police Service).

What happens to the rego when you sell to a licensed motor dealer?

The dealer takes on the TMR side. Under Queensland’s Vehicle Registration Regulation 2021, a dealer who acquires a registered vehicle must give TMR notice of the acquisition within 14 days. You still sign the transfer paperwork and keep your copy, but you don’t need a safety certificate when selling to a licensed motor dealer.

	Private buyer	Licensed motor dealer
Safety certificate (registered car)	Required	Not required
Who notifies TMR	The buyer applies within 14 days; the seller can lodge Part B	The dealer must give notice of the acquisition within 14 days
Risk the transfer isn’t lodged	Depends on the buyer	Lower, because it’s a legal obligation for a licensed business
Your paperwork	Signed Part B and a receipt	Signed transfer paperwork and a receipt from the dealer
Damaged, non-running or unregistered cars	Hard to sell	Commonly bought

The safety certificate exemption for sales to a licensed motor dealer is listed on the F3520 form and on TMR’s safety certificates page. You can check that a business holds a current motor dealer licence on the Fair Trading Licensing Register by choosing the motor dealing sector.

Selling to a dealer doesn’t remove every seller task. You should still remove toll tags, take the rego off direct debit, sort out personalised plates and update your insurance. For more on the trade-offs, read our comparison of selling privately vs selling to a car wrecker.

How does selling your car to A1 Cash for Cars work?

Tell us the make, model and year, whether it’s registered and runs, and where it’s parked. We’re a licensed motor dealer, so you don’t need a safety certificate to sell to us. Ask us about the transfer paperwork when you call, and keep a copy of everything you sign as your record of the sale.

• Registered or unregistered. We look at cars with current rego, expired rego or no rego at all.
• No safety certificate needed. Queensland doesn’t require one when you sell to a licensed motor dealer.
• Paperwork checked properly. Bring your ID and registration details. If there’s finance owing, see our guide to selling a car with finance owing in QLD; if the owner has died, see selling a deceased estate car in QLD.
• Any condition. We assess older, damaged, written-off and non-running cars, utes, vans and 4WDs, subject to ownership and safe access. Our written-off car guide covers insurer involvement.
• Honest assessment. Every offer depends on the car’s condition, history and paperwork, so we don’t quote prices without knowing the vehicle.
• Where we work. From our Willawong yard we cover Brisbane North and South, Logan, Ipswich, Moreton Bay, mainland Redlands and selected Gold Coast suburbs. See our service locations and our page on cash for unwanted cars.

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to transfer registration after selling a car in QLD?

The registration must be transferred within 14 days of the sale. The buyer is legally required to apply within that time, but the seller can start the transfer online or lodge Part B of the F3520 if the buyer doesn’t. Check after 14 days that the car is no longer in your name.

Does the seller pay anything to transfer the rego in Queensland?

No. TMR says the seller doesn’t pay any fees to transfer a registration out of their name, online or in person. The buyer pays the transfer fee and any vehicle registration duty when they finalise the transfer.

Do I keep my number plates when I sell my car in QLD?

Standard plates stay on the car when the registration is transferred. If you have personalised or customised plates and want to keep them, lodge form F2964 to remove them and fit standard plates before the sale. If you cancel the registration instead, you hand the standard plates in to TMR.

Can I get a refund on my rego when I sell my car?

Not if the registration is transferred, because it stays with the car. A refund of the unused registration and CTP insurer’s premium is only available when you cancel a current registration that’s in your name. A cancellation fee is deducted, and levies and some other fees aren’t refunded.

Am I responsible for fines after I sell my car?

You can be until TMR records the transfer. If a camera-detected fine arrives for an offence after the sale, don’t pay it. Nominate the buyer online or by statutory declaration within 28 days, giving their details and the date and time of the sale.

What if the buyer never transfers the registration?

Check My registrations or call TMR on 13 23 80. If the car is still registered to you, lodge your Part B of the F3520 in person, or online if eligible, with a copy of the safety certificate. TMR can also require the buyer to apply for the transfer.

Who transfers the rego when I sell to a car dealer?

A licensed motor dealer who acquires a registered vehicle must give TMR notice of the acquisition within 14 days. You sign the transfer paperwork and keep your copy, and you don’t need a safety certificate when selling to a licensed motor dealer such as A1 Cash for Cars.

Sources and further reading

• How to transfer a Queensland registered vehicle, trailer, caravan or boat in person, Queensland Government (Transport and Main Roads)
• How to transfer a Queensland registered vehicle, trailer, caravan or boat online, Queensland Government (Transport and Main Roads)
• Selling a used vehicle, Queensland Government (Transport and Main Roads)
• Cancelling your vehicle registration, Queensland Government (Transport and Main Roads)
• Attaching, removing or cancelling personalised number plates, Queensland Government (Transport and Main Roads)
• Buying, selling and transferring personalised number plates, Queensland Government (Transport and Main Roads)
• How to transfer a fine, Queensland Government (Transport and Main Roads)
• Safety certificates, Queensland Government (Transport and Main Roads)
• Transport Operations (Road Use Management—Vehicle Registration) Regulation 2021, Queensland Legislation
• Motor Accident Insurance Act 1994, section 24: Transfer of registration, AustLII
• Buying CTP insurance, Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC)
• Fair Trading Licensing Register, Office of Fair Trading Queensland
• Seller beware: what you need to know when selling a vehicle, Queensland Police Service

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. Registration rules and forms can change, so check the linked official pages or call TMR on 13 23 80 about your situation.

Got a car to sell without the transfer hassle?

Call 0400 119 641 or request a quote. Tell us the year, model, condition and rego status, and we’ll explain how the sale and paperwork work before you decide.