Can I Sell My Car Without a Roadworthy in QLD?
This comes up constantly. I was doing an inspection on this Kia in Birkdale today and the owner mentioned he’d almost sold the car without getting a roadworthy first. Glad he didn’t – here’s why.
Registered car - no, you must provide a roadworthy
If your car is currently registered in Queensland, you are legally required to provide a valid safety certificate (roadworthy certificate) to the buyer before ownership can be transferred.
No certificate, no transfer. It’s the law.
Selling a registered car without a roadworthy is an offence. And beyond the legal issue, it creates a mess. The car stays in your name until the transfer is completed. Any tolls, fines, speeding tickets, or incidents that happen while the buyer is driving around in “their” new car land on you – because legally it’s still yours. I’ve seen this go badly for sellers more times than I can count.
Get the roadworthy done before you list the car. Not after a buyer is found. Before.
Unregistered car - legally yes, but you probably shouldn't
If your car is unregistered, you’re not legally required to provide a roadworthy to sell it. The buyer takes the car as-is and it’s their responsibility to get it inspected and registered.
But just because you can sell without a roadworthy doesn’t mean you should. Here’s why providing one anyway is almost always worth it.
A car with a roadworthy sells faster. Buyers browsing Facebook Marketplace or Carsales see dozens of listings. The ones with a roadworthy ready stand out immediately. It tells the buyer the car is in safe condition and ready to go. Listings without a roadworthy make buyers suspicious – they assume there’s something wrong with the car.
A car with a roadworthy sells for more. When a buyer knows the car has already passed an inspection, they have confidence in what they’re buying. That confidence translates directly into a higher price. Without a certificate, buyers will lowball you because they’re factoring in the risk and the cost of getting their own inspection and potential repairs.
The buyer can register it and drive away the same day. This is the big practical one. If you provide a roadworthy for an unregistered car, the buyer can pay you, take the certificate, go to TMR and register the car, receive number plates straight away, come back, put the plates on, and drive off. Done in a day.
Without a roadworthy, the buyer can’t register the car. To take it away, they need a tow truck, a car trailer, or a trade plate. Most casual buyers don’t have any of these. This makes the sale harder and often kills the deal entirely. Many buyers will simply move on to a car that comes with a roadworthy ready.
The cost is small compared to the benefit
A mobile roadworthy with Local Roadworthys starts from $110 booked online. That small investment typically comes back multiple times over through a faster sale at a higher price. And if the car passes, you can mention “roadworthy certificate ready” in your ad – which is one of the strongest selling points you can have.
If the car fails, at least you know what needs fixing before a buyer turns up. You can get the repairs done on your own terms, at your own pace, without the pressure of a buyer waiting. That’s a much better position to be in than finding out your car has issues after you’ve already agreed on a price.
The short answer
Registered car – you must provide a roadworthy. It’s the law.
Unregistered car – you don’t have to, but you’ll sell faster, for more money, and with far less hassle if you do.
