Get a copy of a PPSR search result

If you need to, you can get copies of search results and search certificates. You might need copies if:

• you lose your original search certificate or search results
• a car seller tells you they’ve already done a search, but you want to make sure it’s correct.

There’s no fee to get a copy of search results. You can do this for any type of search on the PPSR, including used car searches.

To get updated information, you’ll need to do another PPSR search. To be protected by the PPSR, it's best to do a search the day of or the day before you buy the goods you've searched for. For more information, see How the PPSR protects buyers and lessors.

Before you begin, you’ll need the original search number. This is a unique number the PPSR issues for every search.

Can't find the search number?

The search number is written in the tax invoice emailed to you when you did your search (attached to the email as a PDF file).

Alternatively, you can do another search for $2 or contact us for help.

Navigate to the PPSR Retrieve search result page on the PPSR which can be found under the Search menu, then:

1. Enter the search number and select Retrieve.
2. You'll now see a Search result summary. Select View certificate to open your search certificate and find your detailed search results. You can also select Email certificate to have the search results emailed to you.
3. Save your search certificate somewhere safe. This is your legal record of your search.

For help reading your search certificate see Understand your car search result for car searches or Searching the PPSR for other types of searches.

Retrieve a PPSR search result

Retrieve a PPSR search result

When you request to download your large search result, it may not be possible for the results to generate instantly. To be alerted when the result is ready for download users can request to be notified when your search result is ready for download.

If you have received the email confirming that your search result is ready for download navigate to the PPSR Retrieve search result page on the PPSR which can be found under the Search menu, then:

1. Enter the search number and select Retrieve Search.
   The search number is located in the email confirming that your download is ready.
2. Select the download result icon.
   The PPSR displays the downloaded search result, if you have requested more than 1 type of file to be downloaded there may be more than 1 file available to download.
3. From the download search results list, click on the Search result shown in the Link to file column.

If you're a regular user of the PPSR and have an account with us, there's an extra feature you can use when searching for cars or other motor vehicles called 'search refresh'.

Search refresh

If you searched for a motor vehicle on the PPSR, you can refresh your search results within 14 days. This means we'll let you know if anything has changed since you did your PPSR search - such as if new registrations have been created or existing registrations have been updated or ended.

It won't tell you what the exact changes are though - only if any changes have occurred since your search. It also won't report any changes to stolen or written off information contained in your search.

To get your search refresh, follow the steps above to retrieve a search result.

If you see any changes to your search results summary, you can then do a new search to check what the exact changes are. You'll need to pay the $2 fee to search again. If you are logged in, you can easily search on the same serial number again, by selecting the Redo search button on your search results summary page. 

Do you need the search certificate number to be the same as the original?

If you need the certificate to be an exact copy of the original search certificate with the same search certificate number (the steps above produce a new search certificate number), you can reissue a search certificate. You'll need your original search certificate number to do this.