The F3520 transfer form and the seller statement
Two pieces of paper follow every car you buy or take on consignment in Queensland: the seller statement you must get before accepting it, and the F3520 that transfers the registration.
- Get a signed seller statement before you buy or accept a car on consignment.
- F3520 is the “Vehicle Registration Transfer Application”. Part A is lodged by the buyer; Part B is kept by the seller.
- The buyer must lodge the transfer within 14 days.
The seller statement
When you buy a car or accept one on consignment, you must get a signed statement from the seller and keep a copy. It doesn’t apply if the seller is your financier or another licensee. The Regulation says it must include:
- The seller’s name and address, and driver licence number if they’re not a dealer.
- Make, model, colour, engine or chassis number, VIN, registration number and build date.
- The odometer reading, in words and figures.
- Whether the odometer or engine has been replaced.
- Any mortgage or encumbrance, with the amount owing and to whom.
- The date the statement was given.
Your statement to the buyer
After the sale, you give the buyer your own statement covering the car and its previous owner (for a consignment, that’s the consignor). It can be included in the contract.
The F3520
F3520 is the “Vehicle Registration Transfer Application” (form version May 2025), made under the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995. Both parties sign both parts, and photocopies aren’t accepted.
| Part | Who completes it | What happens to it |
|---|---|---|
| Part A: Transfer Application | Buyer | Lodged by the buyer |
| Part B: Proof of Transfer / Notice of Disposal | Buyer and seller sign | Kept by the seller |
The 14-day deadline
The form says it may be an offence if the buyer doesn’t lodge the transfer within 14 days of acquiring the car. Until the transfer is recorded, the seller may be held responsible for the buyer’s offences, so sellers can also transfer online or lodge Part B themselves.
Transfer fee and duty
The buyer pays the transfer fee and vehicle registration duty; the seller pays nothing. The transfer fee is $33.65 (as at 1 July 2026). Duty is charged on the higher of the sale price (including GST) or the market value.
| Light vehicle | Duty per $100, up to $100k | Over $100k |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid or electric | $2 | $4 |
| 1 to 4 cylinders | $3 | $5 |
| 5 to 6 cylinders | $3.50 | $5.50 |
| 7 or more cylinders | $4 | $6 |
A transfer to a dealer of a used car taken as trading stock is exempt from duty. If the car is still unsold after a year, or stops being stock in that year, the dealer lodges Form D9.2 and pays the duty within 28 days.
A worked example
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Buyer takes the car and both parties sign the F3520 | 3 March |
| Latest the buyer should lodge Part A | 17 March |
| Seller keeps Part B as proof of the transfer | From 3 March |
Until the transfer is recorded, the seller may be held responsible for the buyer’s offences, which is why sellers often transfer online or lodge Part B themselves.
Exemptions that matter to dealers
- No safety certificate is needed for a sale or disposal to a licensed motor dealer (exemption 3 on the form).
- Registration duty is exempt when a dealer acquires a used car as trading stock, provided it’s sold within one year (exemption 6).
A dealer’s paperwork checklist
- Signed seller statement on file before you buy or accept the car.
- Every field on the statement filled: seller details, vehicle details, odometer in words and figures, odometer or engine replacement, finance owing.
- F3520 signed by both parties on both parts, originals not photocopies.
- Part A lodged within 14 days when you’re the buyer.
- Your own statement to the buyer at resale, covering the car and its previous owner.
Lodging transfers as a dealer
TMR’s online transfer service isn’t available to organisations, and the online seller service can’t be used when the car is registered to a company. Dealers lodge in person, or through TMR’s Rego Easy scheme for approved high-volume clients.
What the seller does after the sale
- Complete Part B on the day of sale, have the buyer sign it, and keep it until the transfer is done.
- Give the buyer the safety certificate, and any gas certificate under 3 months old.
- Cancel the registration direct debit and any toll tags.
- Personalised plates belong to the seller and need their own form to keep or transfer.