What a rego transfer costs in Queensland, the forms you need, the deadline, and how to work out your stamp duty.
What Is a QLD Rego Transfer?
A QLD rego transfer is the process of transferring car ownership in Queensland when you buy, sell, or gift a vehicle. Whether you are transferring rego after a private sale, moving a car to a family member, or completing a change of ownership, it all runs through Transport and Main Roads (TMR).
It is not optional. Leave it too long and you risk fines, late fees, and letters from the Queensland Government. Do it right and do it on time.
How Much Does It Cost to Transfer Rego in QLD?
There are up to three costs, and only the first one is a flat fee. Stamp duty is the variable that catches people out, because it scales with the car's value and its engine.
| Cost | Amount | Who normally pays |
|---|---|---|
| Registration transfer fee | $33.65, a flat fee set by TMR (as at 1 July 2026) | Buyer |
| Stamp duty | $2 to $6 per $100, based on the car's value and engine. See the calculator below. | Buyer |
| Registration renewal | Only if the rego has expired or is about to | Buyer |
| Personalised plate transfer | $122.10, only if the car carries custom plates | Negotiable |
Fees are set by TMR and are indexed on 1 July each year, so a figure you read anywhere (including here) is worth confirming on the TMR website before you budget.
Who Pays, the Buyer or the Seller?
The buyer is generally responsible for both the transfer fee and the stamp duty. It can be negotiated as part of the sale, but the default is that it lands on the buyer. Stamp duty is calculated on the vehicle's dutiable value, which TMR defines as the list price or the market value depending on whether the car is new, used, or modified for a person with a disability. A bargain price on the receipt does not automatically mean a lower duty bill.
How to Transfer Registration in QLD
Four steps, in this order.
1. Get a Roadworthy Certificate
If you are selling a registered car in Queensland you will almost always need a current safety certificate before the registration can be transferred. The inspection fee is set by the government at $102.70 for a car, and obtaining the certificate is the seller's obligation, not the buyer's. Our guide to the roadworthy certificate in QLD covers the cost, how long it lasts, and what the inspection checks.
2. Complete the Change of Ownership Form (F3520)
The official form is the F3520, the Vehicle Registration Transfer Application. Both the buyer and the seller fill it out and sign it. You can download it from the TMR website or pick one up at a customer service centre. For the full list of documents a private sale needs alongside it, see what paperwork you need to sell a car.
3. Pay the Transfer Fee and Stamp Duty
The transfer fee is flat. Stamp duty depends on the sale price and the engine, and is worked out below. If the registration has expired or is close to it, the renewal is paid at the same time.
4. Submit Everything to TMR
You can lodge it online, or in person at your nearest Transport and Main Roads office. If you go in person, bring your QLD driver's licence, and a personalised plate transfer form if the car has custom plates.
Do You Need a Roadworthy to Transfer to a Family Member?
It depends which family member. Transfers between spouses are exempt, and TMR includes separated married couples and registered partners in that, up until the divorce or the end of the registered relationship is finalised. Gifting a car to your kids is not exempt, and needs a certificate like any other transfer. Other exemptions that catch people: a beneficiary of a deceased estate, and a vehicle garaged in an exempt area at the time of sale. Licensed motor dealers are also exempt when trading between dealers. Note that a duty exemption and a roadworthy exemption are two different things, so check which one you are relying on. If you would rather not get an inspection at all, see selling a car without a roadworthy in QLD. Exemption criteria are specific, so confirm with TMR on 13 23 80 before you lodge.
How Long Do You Have to Transfer Rego in QLD?
The buyer has 14 days from the date of sale to transfer the registration into their name. Sellers should complete their side of it straight away rather than waiting.
Miss the 14 day window and the buyer can cop late transfer penalties from TMR. It is worse for the seller: until the transfer is lodged, you are still the registered owner, which means tolls, fines, and anything else involving the car can still come back to you. That is the real reason not to leave it.
How to Transfer Registration Online in QLD
You can complete the whole transfer through the TMR portal without visiting an office, and it is the fastest way to do it. The seller starts the transfer. The buyer then completes it by uploading the safety certificate, entering their licence details and address, adding the odometer reading, and paying the transfer fee and stamp duty.
You will need your QLD driver's licence number and the vehicle's registration details to hand. The portal is available at any hour, which is usually quicker than finding a customer service centre that is open.
How to Calculate Stamp Duty on a Vehicle in QLD
Vehicle stamp duty is a state tax applied when ownership of a vehicle transfers. Every state calculates it differently. In Queensland it applies to all motor vehicles, including cars, utes, motorcycles, and commercial vehicles, and it is worked out on the car's dutiable value. TMR defines that as the list price or the market value, depending on whether the car is new, used, or modified for a person with a disability. If you are not sure what the car is actually worth, run it through our car valuation tool first.
Two things drive the rate: the dutiable value, and the engine. Move the slider below to your car's purchase price and select the engine type to see what you will pay.
QLD Vehicle Stamp Duty Calculator
Note: Rates change for values over $100,000.
2026 Queensland Car Stamp Duty Rates
Two things set the rate: the dutiable value, and the engine. Hybrids and EVs sit in the lowest band on their own. Note that a 1 to 4 cylinder petrol car is not in that band, it pays $3 per $100, not $2. Rates step up again above $100,000 of dutiable value.
| Dutiable value | Engine type | Rate (per $100) |
|---|---|---|
| Up to $100,000 | Hybrid or electric | $2 |
| Up to $100,000 | 1 to 4 cylinders, or 2 rotors | $3 |
| Up to $100,000 | 5 or 6 cylinders, or 3 rotors | $3.50 |
| Up to $100,000 | 7 or more cylinders | $4 |
| Above $100,000 | Hybrid or electric | $4 |
| Above $100,000 | 1 to 4 cylinders, or 2 rotors | $5 |
| Above $100,000 | 5 or 6 cylinders, or 3 rotors | $5.50 |
| Above $100,000 | 7 or more cylinders | $6 |
Those rates are for light vehicles up to 4.5 tonnes GVM. Heavy vehicles above 4.5 tonnes pay the same lower-band rates with no $100,000 threshold, and conditionally registered special vehicles such as forklifts, tractors, and graders pay a flat $25.
Who Pays Stamp Duty on a Car in QLD?
The buyer pays it, on both private sales and dealership purchases, at the same time as the transfer fee. It is calculated on the dutiable value, which TMR defines as the list price or the market value depending on whether the car is new, used, or modified for a person with a disability. Writing a low figure on the receipt does not reduce the bill.
QLD Stamp Duty Exemptions
Queensland offers duty exemptions in a number of specific circumstances. You may be able to apply if you:
- have registered the vehicle in Queensland or interstate
- give a vehicle as a gift to a family member
- receive a vehicle from a deceased estate
- are an ex-service person
- have lost the use of either leg
- have vehicles registered in a business name
- are doing a small business restructure
- have a vehicle that is part of a matrimonial matter
- are a vehicle dealer
- use your vehicle for charities
- use your vehicle for primary production
Eligibility rules are specific and they change, so check the current criteria with Transport and Main Roads on 13 23 80 before you assume an exemption applies. Watch the difference between the two kinds of exemption: duty exemptions and safety certificate exemptions are separate lists. Gifting a car to your kids can be exempt from duty and still need a roadworthy. A transfer between spouses is exempt from both.
Transferring Rego in Rural Queensland
Living in rural Queensland can make a transfer awkward when the nearest TMR customer service centre is hours away. You do not have to make the drive. Residents in these areas can usually handle registration transfer documents at their local QGAP office, magistrates court, or police station. These act as service hubs for communities without a TMR office nearby. Transferring online avoids the trip entirely.
Transferring an Unregistered Vehicle
The process is different when the car is unregistered: there is no registration to transfer, so you pass ownership with proof such as a receipt or a written agreement, and the buyer arranges the roadworthy and registration before it can be driven. Full detail is in our guide to selling an unregistered car in QLD.
If you're the one selling, we're a licensed Brisbane car buyer and we handle the QLD transfer for you. Free pickup across SE QLD, same-day bank transfer, no forms to chase.
Get an offer on your carUseful QLD Government Resources
- Transfer a vehicle registration Queensland Government
- Vehicle Registration Transfer Application (form F3520) Queensland Government
- Vehicle registration duty rates Queensland Government
- Registration costs and transfer fees Queensland Government
- Safety certificates (roadworthies) Queensland Government
Sell Any Car Fast is a licensed QLD motor dealer (DLN 4871214). This guide is general information, not legal advice. Fees, duty rates, and transfer rules are set by the Queensland Government and are reviewed each year, so confirm the current figures on the Queensland TMR website before you rely on them.
