How to sell an unregistered car

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By
Emmalyn Otten
Emmalyn Otten
Senior Manager
July 19, 2021
5
minute read

Your easy guide to selling an unregistered car for cash

An unregistered car is a useless hunk of metal taking up valuable space on your lot and in your mind. It’s a headache, is what it is. We reckon that the best cure for that headache is cash. 

The good news is that you do not need rego papers to sell your car. Whether you’re a private seller trying to get rid of a four-wheeled bucket or a panel beater wanting cash for scrap cars, 1800 Salvage will happily turn your unregistered vehicles into a tidy stack of cash.

If you’re ready to sell your unregistered salvage vehicles, get in touch with 1800 Salvage. We pay competitive prices for unregistered cars, make same-day payments and even tow your vehicles away for you.

In this guide to selling unregistered cars, we’ll explain:

  • Who to sell you unregistered cars to
  • The process for selling an unregistered car
  • How to keep proof of purchase
  • Getting an Unregistered Vehicle Permit (UVP), if you need one
  • Getting a Certificate of Roadworthiness, if you need one
  • Whether to inform your road authority about your intent to sell
  • How to unregister your car and get a registration refund

Who should you sell your unregistered vehicle to?

You can sell your unregistered vehicle to a private buyer or salvage and second-hand car business. We recommend selling to an experienced unregistered car buyer business, as this will be the quickest and easiest way to get rid of your car and get paid.

How to sell an unregistered car:

Whether you sell to a private buyer or a salvage business, the process for selling an unregistered vehicle is essentially the same:

  1. You and your buyer must agree on a purchase price. Your buyer may request a third-party valuation, or you both may haggle till you find an acceptable price.
  2. You must agree on who is responsible for arranging the vehicle collection and who bears the cost burden.
  3. You must both keep a strict record of the proof of purchase.
  4. You must agree on when payment will be made to you. You could agree to be paid in part before the collection or perhaps in full upon collection.

At 1800 Salvage, we make unregistered car sales easy. All you need to do is provide us with a few basic details about the vehicle and a handful of photos. We’ll send you a highly-competitive price no matter what state the car is in. If you’re happy, we’ll send a free tow truck to collect your unregistered car and pay you instantly once it’s in our position.

Ready to turn your unregistered car into cash? We pay cash for cars. And we buy more than just cars with expired registrations; we buy anything from broken cars to unwanted cars. We’ll handle the paperwork and pick up — you just kick back, relax and count your cash. 

See a full list of the salvage vehicles we’ll buy, and let us turn your unwanted van, motorbike or truck into cash.

Always keep proof of purchase

When selling your unregistered car, it is required that both the buyer and the person selling the vehicle create a proof of purchase document. This is one of many reasons why we recommend selling to an experienced salvage car buyer like 1800 Salvage — we take care of the nitty-gritty details.

This proof of purchase must contain:

  • The date and time of the sale
  • The seller’s name and address
  • The buyer’s name, address and signature
  • The vehicle’s details, such as the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or chassis number, make and model

Both buyer and seller should keep a copy of this receipt.

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You may need an unregistered vehicle permit

Whatever state you live in, most cars (except for a very select few) must have a proper vehicle registration to be driven. However, an unregistered vehicle may still need to be driven on a one-off basis — that’s where a UVP can help.

An Unregistered Vehicle Permit allows unregistered vehicles to be driven without full registration, but only for specific and critical purposes (such as driving to get your car registered.) To get a UVP, you will need to contact your state’s road authority.

If you’re selling your unregistered car privately, you may need to pay for a UVP. But if you’re selling your unregistered car for cash to 1800 Salvage, we’ll tow it away for free.

Do you need a Certification of Roadworthiness?

A Certificate of Roadworthiness is an official document that confirms your vehicle is safe enough to drive on public roads. Some states refer to this document as a Safety Certificate. 

Each Australian state has unique requirements, and it’s best to check whether your state requires you to have a Certificate of Roadworthiness to sell your unregistered vehicle and, if so, under what circumstances. 

1800 Salvage is a fully licensed salvage car buyer — we can buy vehicles in any state, roadworthy or not. Choose to sell your unregistered car to us, and you won’t have to worry about safety certificates at all.

Do you need to tell the state about selling an unregistered car?

It is best to check with your state’s road authority so that you have the most up-to-date information. However, most states do not require you to inform them before selling an unregistered car (they may have different rules for selling a registered vehicle, though.)

In Victoria, for example, VicRoads does not require you to inform them before selling an unregistered car. 

Wherever you are, you can contact 1800 Salvage, and we’ll point you in the right direction to discover what you need to do before selling your unregistered vehicle for cash.

Want to unregister your car? Get a registration refund!

If your vehicle is registered, it is possible to cancel the registration and receive a refund for what you’ve paid. At 1800 Salvage, we specialise in purchasing unregistered cars — so we typically request that our customers take advantage of this refund from their local road authority.

The process is simple: simply remove your number plates from the registered car, return them to your road authority to get your car unregistered, and collect your refund. That’s even more extra cash for your bank account; too easy.

Get a refund on your car registration

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Get in touch for friendly advice

Whether you want to buy or sell salvage vehicles, we are here to help. Get in touch and we will get back to you soon with the information you need.

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