Car dealer licence in Australia: how it works in every state
If you buy, sell or exchange cars as a business in Australia, you need a dealer licence from the state or territory where you trade. There is no national licence: each of the 8 states and territories has its own regulator, rules, fees and name for the licence.
- Dealer licensing is state-based. You apply to the regulator in the state or territory where you trade.
- Most states treat you as a dealer once you sell a set number of cars in 12 months: 4 or more in VIC, WA and SA, 6 or more in TAS, more than 4 to non-dealers in NSW. Running a business is enough even below the count.
- Published new-licence fees run from $891 for 1 year (ACT) to $4,913 for 5 years (NSW), with terms of 1 to 5 years.
- Only QLD and WA require a dealer training course before you apply.
Pick your state
Who needs a dealer licence
Every state and territory requires a licence to carry on the business of buying, selling or exchanging motor vehicles. That covers used car yards, consignment dealers, online-only dealers and, in most states, wholesalers.
Most states also set a number that presumes you are trading as a business. If you buy, sell or exchange that many cars in 12 months, you are treated as a dealer unless you can prove otherwise. Selling fewer doesn’t make you exempt if you are actually running a business.
| State | When you’re presumed to be a dealer |
|---|---|
| NSW | Selling or offering more than 4 vehicles to non-dealers in 12 months |
| VIC | Buying, selling or exchanging 4 or more cars in 12 months |
| WA | Selling or exchanging 4 or more vehicles in 12 months to non-dealers |
| SA | Buying, selling or offering 4 or more vehicles in 12 months (6 or more combined with a close associate) |
| TAS | Buying, selling or exchanging 6 or more vehicles in a year |
| QLD | Carrying on the business of a motor dealer |
| ACT | Buying and selling vehicles as a business |
| NT | Buying, selling, offering or exchanging vehicles as a business (NT Police have described selling 4 or more in 12 months without a licence as an offence; check with Licensing NT) |
Dealer licence requirements by state
The table compares the new-licence basics. Fees are for one person or company with one place of business; extra premises, salespeople and police checks cost more. Click a state for the full steps.
| State | Regulator | Licence name | Approx cost and term | Processing time | Training required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | NSW Fair Trading | Motor dealer licence | From $1,865 (1 year, online) to $4,913 (5 years, online), 2026-27 | Not published | No course listed |
| Victoria | Consumer Affairs Victoria (Business Licensing Authority) | Motor car trader licence | $2,917.80 (sole trader) or $2,965.20 (company) for the application and first annual fee, then an annual fee, 2026-27 | Target 85% within 56 days | No course; you must know the Act |
| Queensland | Office of Fair Trading | Motor dealer licence | $1,709 (1 year) or $3,205 (3 years), 2026-27 | 4 to 6 weeks | Yes |
| Western Australia | Consumer Protection WA | Motor vehicle dealer licence | $2,130 for one premises, up to 3 years (schedule updated April 2026) | 4 to 6 weeks | Yes |
| South Australia | Consumer and Business Services (CBS) | Second-hand vehicle dealer licence | $375 application plus $577 (individual) or $868 (company) licence fee, then an annual fee, plus a $200 annual compensation fund fee, 2026-27 | Not published | No course listed |
| Tasmania | Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS) | Motor vehicle trader licence | $225.40 application plus $1,932.56 licence fee, 3 years (from 1 July 2026) | Not published | No course listed |
| Australian Capital Territory | Access Canberra | Motor vehicle dealer licence | $891 (1 year) or $4,037 (5 years), 2026-27 | Not published | No course listed |
| Northern Territory | Licensing NT | Motor vehicle dealer licence | $580 application plus $333 grant, then $333 a year (check the current fee with Licensing NT) | Not published (police check up to 6 weeks) | No course listed |
“No course listed” means the regulator’s licence page doesn’t list a mandatory training course. You still have to meet fit and proper rules everywhere, and in Victoria you must show you know the Motor Car Traders Act and Regulations.
What every state checks
- Age: you must be 18 or older.
- Fit and proper: a police check, plus checks for bankruptcy, past licence cancellations and dishonesty offences.
- Company details: a company applying needs its ASIC details, and its directors go through the same checks.
- Premises: most states license the place you trade from, and some (WA, NT) want proof the site suits a car yard.
- Money: NSW asks whether you have sufficient financial resources, and the NT asks for accountant-certified financial statements and a business plan.
Trading in more than one state
A licence only covers the state that issued it. If you hold an individual dealer licence in your home state, Automatic Mutual Recognition may let you work in another state after you notify its regulator (Tasmania and the ACT both say so on their licence pages). If you set up a yard in another state, apply for that state’s licence.
What software you’ll need once you’re licensed
Getting the licence is the start. From day one you need a record of every car you buy and sell, the right warranty terms on each contract, PPSR checks on every car, and somewhere to track licence and salesperson expiry dates.
Our dealer management software runs the whole car lifecycle: source, buy or consign, recon, sell and settle, with the true net profit on each car. If you’re just getting started, see how new dealers set up, or read our guide to starting a car dealership.