What is the PPSR Certificate section in a vehicle history report?

The PPSR Certificate section allows you to download the available PPSR certificate directly from a carVertical report.

The PPSR certificate is an official document that shows whether a vehicle has a security interest recorded against it. A security interest means the car could have money owing on it and could be repossessed from you even though you’ve paid for it.

To prevent this from happening, it’s recommended to search the PPSR (Personal Property Securities Register) before buying any used car.

What you can learn from the PPSR certificate

A PPSR certificate usually consists of 1-2 pages that include the following information:

• PPSR registration details, where you can see information about security interests or other registration kinds registered on the PPSR against the vehicle
• Search criteria details, such as serial number search type (typically VIN) and PPSR registration state searched
• Important notifications about the vehicle (stolen status and written-off status)
• Additional motor vehicle details, including VIN, make, model, vehicle type, colour, registration plate number, year of manufacture, and more
• Search certificate number and search number

Why the PPSR Certificate section may be missing from the report?

The PPSR is an Australian registry, so vehicles that have only been registered overseas won’t appear in PPSR records. Therefore, if the vehicle has never been registered in Australia, the PPSR Certificate section won’t be available in the report.

Sometimes, PPSR information may also be missing due to administrative errors or reporting inconsistencies from data providers.

How can the PPSR Certificate section help you when buying a car?

The PPSR Certificate section can help you when buying a car by providing:

• Outstanding finance check – confirms if the car has any loans or financial obligations that could lead to repossession
• Stolen vehicle status and write-offs – identify if the car has been reported as stolen or severely damaged
• Clear ownership verification – shows any legal claims, helping verify that the seller has full ownership rights
• Registration details – provide additional vehicle identification, verifying the car’s authenticity

This information adds clarity and helps you make a more secure purchase decision.

Still have questions? If you need more help understanding the PPSR Certificate section of your report, feel free to reach out to our support team.