Dealer stock register in the ACT: the dealings register
ACT motor vehicle dealers must keep a dealings register at each place of business, either as a bound book written in ink or on a computer system approved by the Commissioner for Fair Trading. Each second-hand vehicle acquired and disposed of is recorded, and failing to keep or fill in the register carries up to 20 penalty units.
- Required by sections 15 and 16 of the Sale of Motor Vehicles Act 1977.
- A dealings register at each place of business.
- Bound book in ink, or a computer system approved by the Commissioner, with immediate retrieval and a backup.
- Up to 20 penalty units for not keeping the register, and for not making the entries.
Which law applies
Section 15 of the Sale of Motor Vehicles Act 1977 requires the register and section 16 sets out what goes in it. Access Canberra administers it. Licensing itself has moved to the Traders (Licensing) Act 2016; see our ACT car dealer licence guide.
Book or computer
- A bound book with consecutively numbered pages, each showing your name and the address where the book is kept. Entries are in ink and never erased or made illegible.
- Or a computer system approved by the Commissioner for Fair Trading, which allows immediate retrieval and keeps a backup copy.
- If you have several places of business, use the register at the place where the dealing happens, or the nearest one if it happens off-site.
Ask Access Canberra how to get a computer system approved before switching from a book.
What to record
| When | Detail |
|---|---|
| On acquiring a second-hand vehicle | Make, model, year, registration number, engine number and odometer reading |
| On disposal | Date of disposal and the buyer’s name and address |
| If not in working condition | Its condition at sale |
| If demolished or dismantled | A note of that and the date |
Section 16 has been amended several times (most recently in 2018), so check the current list in the Act. Giving a licensee incorrect information for the register is itself an offence under section 17.
Deadlines and retention
We couldn’t confirm a deadline for entries or a retention period for the register itself. Check with Access Canberra. Trust money records under section 38 must be preserved for 7 years.
Inspection and penalties
Inspectors can inspect the register and take copies of or extracts from documents about the business or a vehicle sale. Not keeping a dealings register, and not making the required entries, each carry up to 20 penalty units.
Consignment
We couldn’t confirm consignment-specific register entries. Consigned cars are dealings, so record them, and check the details with Access Canberra. Money held for consignors is trust money with its own records.