Moving Back to Australia (Canberra) - Buying and Registering a Car in NSW or ACT with QLD Licence and Address?

Wilburre on 13/08/2017 - 18:19
Last edited 14/08/2017 - 09:37 by 1 other user

Hi everyone, I'm moving back to Australia and have questions about registration.

Originally from Qld, moved to New Zealand for a few years for a job. Moving to Canberra in a month and to get there I have to fly to Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane so thought I might try and purchase a used car outside the ACT as there doesn't seem to be much there.

I've been able to ascertain that if I buy something interstate I will need to pay to re-register the vehicle in ACT after 3 months.

Currently, I have a QLD open/full drivers license and maintain a "permanent address" in QLD (parents house), as well as an Australian passport and bank card for ID. I will likely not hold a permanent ACT address until a week after I arrive (near impossible to organise a lease from overseas).

My questions are:

Can I transfer ownership and registration of an NSW/VIC/ACT plated vehicle to me with my QLD license and address?
From a cost perspective do you think I'm better off buying in ACT or interstate? (Keep in mind I'm looking for a cheap station wagon which seems very hard to find)

Hoping someone else has dealt with this before - so much bloody hassle compared to New Zealand!

Cheers, Tom.

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  Qroozn on 13/08/2017 - 18:59

  I would suggest you purchase in Qld with Qld rego (at least 3 months)
  And then move registration to act when you do the move( you will get a refund of the Qld green slip and rego when you notify qld that you are cancelling qldrego - minus some fees).

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  PVA on 13/08/2017 - 19:01

  Ask at the car dealers.
  We are from Qld and went to buy a Nissan from a deal in NSW ( just over the border). He said there is no problems buying and having it registered.
  Just call one and check.

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  k-rokfm on 13/08/2017 - 20:47

  I think you'll find the issue is if you have a non matching licence/rego combo and get pulled over. If you get pulled over and they match and say you're just visiting they will go yeah sure thats fine. But to get a car registered in qld you would have to have it checked there I think? If you had mismatching rego/licence then they will push for more information and they can fine you for not transferring your rego and everything to canberra

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  Sunshines bright on 13/08/2017 - 20:51

  I am not sure but I think you have to have an address (perm) in the state your registering in. I know QLD won't register a car with a NSW address. And to get the NSW rego we had to have a NSW address where the car resided.