How to get a motor dealer licence in Queensland
If you buy, sell or consign cars as a business in Queensland, you need a motor dealer licence from the Office of Fair Trading. Here’s what it takes, what it costs in 2026-27, and how long it runs.
- You need a licence to carry on the business of a motor dealer. Unlicensed dealing carries up to 400 penalty units or 2 years’ prison.
- You must be 18 or over, pass the required training units, and pass a suitability check.
- An individual licence costs $1,709 for 1 year or $3,205 for 3 years (2026-27).
- Apply online or on paper; processing takes 4 to 6 weeks.
Who needs a licence
Anyone who carries on the business of a motor dealer in Queensland must hold a motor dealer licence. Carrying on the business without one carries a maximum penalty of 400 penalty units or 2 years’ imprisonment.
There’s no “few cars a year” exemption
Queensland has no number-of-vehicles threshold. Under the Act, you carry on business as a dealer if you advertise or hold yourself out as one, “either generally or for a single transaction”. The only exception the Office of Fair Trading gives is a genuinely private sale. A business mainly concerned with hiring out or leasing vehicles is also excluded.
Who can get one
You must be 18 or older and have completed the required training. You don’t have to redo the training if you held an equivalent licence in the past 2 years.
You must also be a suitable person. You’re not suitable if you’re an insolvent under administration, currently disqualified, or were convicted of a serious offence (one punishable by 3 or more years in prison) in the past 5 years. Your criminal history and character are also considered.
The training units
You need one of two sets of units from the current AUR training package. Older AUR99, AUR05 and AUR12 modules aren’t accepted, and neither are credit transfers.
| Set 1 | Set 2 |
|---|---|
| AURSCA007 | AURSCA007 |
| AURSCA003 | AURSCA103 |
| AURSCA005 | AURSCA105 |
| AURSLA001 | AURSLA001 |
| AURSCA010 | AURSCA010 |
| AURAMA005 or AURACA003 | AURAMA005 or AURACA103 |
| AURASA002 | AURASA102 |
| AURAFA003 or AURAQA001 | AURAFA103 or AURAQA001 |
| AURACA001 | AURACA101 |
Where to do the training
The Office of Fair Trading doesn’t list or approve particular training providers. It says to pass the units from a recognised provider and points to training.gov.au to find one. A certificate issued through a credit transfer isn’t accepted.
What it costs (2026-27)
Fees rose 3.4% on 1 July 2026. These are the new-licence fees from the Office of Fair Trading.
| Item | 1 year | 3 years |
|---|---|---|
| Individual motor dealer licence | $1,709.00 | $3,205.00 |
| Corporate motor dealer licence | $973.00 | $1,755.00 |
| Motor salesperson registration | $401.10 | $681.50 |
| Criminal history check (per person) | $47.35 |
What a licence actually costs to get started
A worked example for a sole trader with one salesperson, using the 2026-27 new-licence fees:
| Item | 3-year term |
|---|---|
| Individual motor dealer licence | $3,205.00 |
| Your criminal history check | $47.35 |
| One motor salesperson registration | $681.50 |
| Total in fees | $3,933.85 |
Training is extra and priced by the training provider. Fees rise each July, so check the current figures with the Office of Fair Trading before you apply.
How to apply
Apply online through the Queensland Government portal, or on paper using Form 1-1 (individual) or Form 1-2 (corporation), lodged in person or posted to the Industry Licensing Unit, Office of Fair Trading, GPO Box 3111, Brisbane. Processing takes 4 to 6 weeks, longer if the application is incomplete.
What to have ready before you apply
- Evidence you’ve completed one of the two required sets of training units.
- The address of every place of business you’ll trade from, and who will be in charge of each one.
- For a company: details of every director and executive officer, each of whom must pass the suitability check.
- For a company trading under a business name: the ASIC registration showing the company owns that name.
- Payment for the licence fee and a criminal history check for each person checked.
Places of business
There’s no “registered office” requirement. Instead you register every place of business when you apply. Each one needs a licensed person in charge, and one person can’t be in charge of two places unless they’re on adjacent blocks not separated by a public road.
Individual or corporate licence
- A company needs its own corporate licence.
- An individually licensed person must still be in charge of every place of business, and directors who act as dealers need individual licences.
- Every director and executive officer must pass the suitability check.
- If the company trades under a business name, the company must be registered with ASIC as the owner of that name.
Salespeople need their own registration
Anyone selling for you needs to be registered as a motor salesperson (Form 3-3, or online). Acting as a salesperson without registration carries up to 200 penalty units.
Once you’re licensed
- Keep a copy of your licence available for inspection at every place of business. It doesn’t have to be on display.
- Tell buyers and sellers you’re a licensed dealer, and have them sign a written acknowledgement.
- Notify the Office of Fair Trading within 14 days of a change to your name or business name, contact details, the person in charge of a place of business, your residential address, an executive officer (for a company), or anything that affects your suitability.
- Notify within 14 days if you change your principal place of business or open or close a place of business. The maximum penalty is 200 penalty units.
- Keep a transactions register at each place of business, with each transaction entered within 24 hours.
Renewing, and what happens if it lapses
- You can only apply to renew before the licence expires. The Office of Fair Trading posts a renewal notice 4 to 6 weeks before expiry.
- A renewal must include a trust account audit report, or a statutory declaration that you didn’t operate a trust account.
- Renew online, in person or by post; not by email or phone.
- Your licence stays in force while the renewal is decided.
- If it lapses, you can apply to restore it within 3 months of expiry, with a restoration fee on top of the renewal fee. After 3 months you must stop trading and apply for a new licence.
Conditions and refusals
The Office of Fair Trading can put conditions on a licence that it considers necessary or desirable, including limits on what you can do. It can also refuse an application that doesn’t meet the eligibility or form requirements, not just suitability. If you’re refused, you can’t reapply for 3 months.