Plenty of cars reach the end of their useful life with a faded rego label and no chance of passing a roadworthy inspection. Maybe it failed on rust, maybe it has been sitting in the driveway since the last renewal notice went unpaid. Either way, you can still sell it. Here is how it works in Victoria.
What the roadworthy rule covers
In Victoria, a roadworthy certificate (RWC) is generally required to transfer the registration of a registered vehicle in a private sale. The seller supplies it, a licensed vehicle tester issues it, and it confirms the basics are safe: brakes, tyres, steering, lights, seatbelts, windscreen and the structure of the body. It is not a full mechanical inspection, and it is only valid for a limited time, so it is done close to the sale.
The rule exists so a buyer is not handed a registered car that is unsafe to drive away. It is enforced at the transfer, not at the handshake. VicRoads will not complete the transfer of a registered car without it.
The requirements and exemptions are set by VicRoads and do change, so confirm the current rules at vicroads.vic.gov.au before you commit to anything.
Option one: sell it unregistered
If the car is not worth the repairs, you can cancel the registration with VicRoads, return the plates and sell the car as an unregistered vehicle. No RWC is needed from you because there is no registration to transfer. The buyer registers it later, and getting a roadworthy becomes their job.
Two things to know. First, you may get a refund of any unused registration when you cancel, which is a small bonus on a car that was costing you money. Second, once the plates are off, nobody can legally drive it on the road without an unregistered vehicle permit. The practical answer is a tow truck or a trailer, which sidesteps the question entirely.
Option two: sell to a licensed motor car trader
The other legitimate route is to sell to a licensed motor car trader (LMCT). When a trader buys a car, the private-sale roadworthy requirement does not fall on you. The trader takes the vehicle into stock and deals with the roadworthy side if and when it is resold.
Car buyers like us hold an LMCT, so the car goes from your driveway onto our truck with no inspection, no permit and no trailer hire. Our page on what we buy covers what we take. You still lodge your own notice of disposal with VicRoads, which we cover below.
Is it worth getting the RWC first?
Sometimes. If the car runs well and would pass with a couple of tyres and a globe, a fresh RWC widens the pool of private buyers and lifts the price. Get a quote for the inspection and the likely repairs, then weigh that against what the car is realistically worth.
If the tester is likely to find rust in the sills, worn suspension, an oil leak and a cracked windscreen, the maths rarely works. You spend hundreds to recover a similar amount and lose weeks doing it. At that point the car is priced on its metal and parts, not on how it drives.
Tip. If you are selling unregistered, cancel the registration and hand in the plates before the car leaves, not after. If the plates go with the car, any tolls or camera fines racked up on them come to you, and you have no record of when the car stopped being yours.
Before the car leaves
- Clear your things out, including the glovebox, the boot and under the seats.
- Find both keys if you have them. One is fine.
- Have your driver licence ready as ID. A buyer who does not ask for it is not one you want.
- Decide the route: RWC and transfer, cancel the rego and sell unregistered, or sell to a licensed trader.
- If the car is still registered, lodge the notice of disposal with VicRoads within 14 days of the sale.
That last one matters more than people think. Until VicRoads knows you have sold it, you are the registered operator and fines and tolls keep coming to you. Our transfer guide below goes through it in detail.
If the car would not pass a roadworthy and you would rather skip the inspection, the permit and the plate return, send us the rego and a couple of photos and we will make an offer and collect it as it sits.
Get my offer