Dealer stock register in NSW: the dealer’s register and what goes in it
NSW motor dealers must record every vehicle they acquire and dispose of within one business day, at each licensed premises. The register can be physical or digital, must be kept for 6 years after the last entry, and is now governed by the Motor Dealers and Repairers Regulation 2025.
- The Motor Dealers and Repairers Regulation 2025 replaced the 2014 Regulation and sets the record keeping rules.
- Make entries within one business day of the transaction.
- Physical or digital. Electronic records need a backup at least every 4 weeks and a trail of any changes.
- Keep records for at least 6 years after the last entry, at each licensed premises.
- The record keeping clauses carry a maximum of 20 penalty units; confirm the clause for a particular breach with NSW Fair Trading.
Which law applies
Record keeping for NSW dealers sits under the Motor Dealers and Repairers Act 2013 and the Motor Dealers and Repairers Regulation 2025, which was published on 29 August 2025 and replaced the 2014 Regulation from 1 September 2025. NSW doesn’t officially call it a “dealings book”: the government guidance just calls it a register, and the Regulation describes records of each vehicle’s acquisition and disposal. NSW Fair Trading administers it.
What to record
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Entry number | A number for each vehicle |
| Acquisition | Date received and how it was acquired (for example purchase, trade-in or consignment) |
| From | Name and address of the person you got it from |
| Vehicle | Make, model, build date, registration number, engine number and VIN or chassis number |
| Odometer | Readings at purchase and at sale |
| Disposal | Date sold, buyer’s name and address, and the buyer’s licence or passport details |
| Sales notice | The type and serial number of the notice used |
| Consigned vehicles | The trust account entry number for the vehicle |
NSW guidance says you can keep using the existing forms if you want to. Check the full field list in the Regulation before designing your own layout.
When entries must be made
Within one business day of the transaction.
Digital registers
You choose how the information is recorded, as long as it’s kept as physical or electronic records. Electronic records need a backup copy at least once every 4 weeks (clause 35; the 2014 Regulation required weekly backups), and the system must keep a record of any information that’s amended or deleted. No separate approval from NSW Fair Trading is mentioned in the guidance or the Regulation.
Where to keep it and for how long
Records are kept at the premises the licence is granted for, so a dealer with more than one licensed premises keeps a register at each. Keep records for at least 6 years after the date of the last entry (clause 39).
Consignment
A consigned car is recorded as acquired by consignment, and its disposal record includes the trust account entry number. You also need a written consignment agreement covering the owner and dealer details, the vehicle, any encumbrance, the agreed price to the owner, payment directions and the consignment period, with a copy to the owner. Trust account records (receipt book, deposit book and cash book or electronic equivalent) are separate and are audited every 12 months.
Inspection and penalties
Authorised officers can require records to be produced at the licensed premises, including electronic records in written form. The record keeping clauses carry a maximum of 20 penalty units; confirm the clause for a particular breach with NSW Fair Trading. Whether police have their own power to inspect the register: check with NSW Fair Trading. Licensing is covered in our NSW car dealer licence guide.