Dealer stock register: what it is and the rules in each state
A dealer stock register is the running record a licensed car dealer keeps of every vehicle bought, sold, traded or consigned, with the vehicle details, the other party and the dates. Each state names it differently (transactions register in QLD, dealings book in VIC, dealings register in the ACT and NT, register of transactions in WA) and sets its own fields, deadlines and retention rules.
- Most states require a register kept at each place of business, with an entry for every car that comes in or goes out.
- QLD, NSW, VIC and WA allow it to be kept electronically. The ACT allows a computer system approved by the Commissioner for Fair Trading.
- Deadlines range from the time of the transaction (VIC) to 24 hours (QLD) and one business day (NSW).
- Keep it for at least 5 years in QLD and 6 years after the last entry in NSW and VIC. Other states differ, so check the state page.
- In SA and Tasmania we couldn’t confirm a single named register in the legislation, but dealers still have to keep vehicle records.
Pick your state
What a dealer stock register is
It’s the official log of your stock movements. For each car you record where it came from, how you got it (bought, traded in, taken on consignment), its identifiers (VIN, engine number, rego), the odometer reading, and where it went: who bought it, when, or whether it went back to its owner.
Regulators and police use it to trace cars, check odometer readings and follow up stolen or encumbered vehicles. For you, it’s the record that proves where every car came from if a sale is ever questioned.
Why states require one
Licensed dealers handle a high volume of second-hand vehicles, and a written trail of each acquisition and disposal makes it harder to move stolen cars or wind back odometers. That’s why the register sits in the dealer licensing law in most states, alongside the licence itself. Getting licensed is covered in our car dealer licence guide.
The register in each state and territory
| State | What it’s called | Law | Electronic allowed? | How long to keep it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QLD | Transactions register | Motor Dealers and Chattel Auctioneers Act 2014, s 117 | Yes, hard copy or electronic | At least 5 years |
| NSW | Dealer’s register (records of vehicle acquisitions and disposals) | Motor Dealers and Repairers Regulation 2025 | Yes, physical or digital | 6 years after the last entry |
| VIC | Dealings book | Motor Car Traders Act 1986, s 35 | Yes, paper or electronic | 6 years after the last entry |
| WA | Register of transactions (Form 1) | Motor Vehicle Dealers (Sales) Regulations 1974 | Yes, with weekly off-site backup | Check with Consumer Protection WA |
| SA | No single named register confirmed; dealer sale records | Second-hand Vehicle Dealers Act 1995 and Regulations 2025 | Check with CBS | At least 2 years for sale documents |
| TAS | No register confirmed in the Act or Regulations | Motor Vehicle Traders Act 2011 | Check with Consumer Affairs Tasmania | Check with Consumer Affairs Tasmania |
| ACT | Dealings register | Sale of Motor Vehicles Act 1977, s 15 and 16 | Yes, if the computer system is approved | Check with Access Canberra |
| NT | Dealings register | Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading Act 1990, s 157 and 158 | Check with NT Consumer Affairs | Check with NT Consumer Affairs |
Each state page lists the fields, deadlines, inspection powers and penalties we could confirm, with the official sources.
What every register has in common
- One entry (or record) per vehicle, covering both the acquisition and the disposal.
- Vehicle identifiers: make, model, VIN or chassis number, engine number and rego number.
- The odometer reading, at least when you acquired the car.
- The name and address of the person you got the car from and the person you sold it to.
- Dates for each movement, and in most states the register is kept at each licensed place of business.
Keeping it electronically
Where electronic registers are allowed, the rules are about integrity, not format. NSW and WA require the software to show the register on screen and print it at any time, to keep a record of anything amended or deleted, and to back it up regularly (at least every 4 weeks in NSW, weekly to separate premises in WA). QLD expects electronic corrections to be struck out with the reason, name and date, and backups off-site. The ACT requires a computer system approved by the Commissioner for Fair Trading.
The simplest way to meet these rules is to have the register fill itself from the stock movements you already record: car in, car consigned, car moved to another site, car sold. That’s how the register works in our compliance features, built off the stock card in inventory management. QLD is live now; NSW and VIC packs are coming.