How to Complete and Lodge the QLD Rego Transfer Form F3520

The QLD rego transfer form F3520 is the paper application a buyer and seller complete together to transfer a registered vehicle, trailer, caravan, or boat in Queensland. Both parties sign it, the buyer lodges Part A at a service centre within 14 days of the sale, and the seller keeps Part B as their record.¹ You only need the F3520 if you are handling the transfer in person; Queensland also runs a fully online transfer process that skips the paper form.²

Do You Need the Paper Form at All

The Department of Transport and Main Roads runs a two-step online transfer: the seller transfers the registration out of their name, then the buyer finalises the transfer and pays the fees and duty.² If both parties are comfortable working online, that is usually the faster route.

If either party would rather do it on paper, download the F3520 from the Department of Transport and Main Roads support portal. You can print it and complete it by hand, or fill it in digitally with the free version of Adobe Reader, which also lets both parties sign electronically.¹ Either way, the buyer still has to take Part A to a service centre in person.

Check the Vehicle Before You Fill Anything In

Search the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) before you commit to a private purchase. A search costs $2 and confirms whether the vehicle has outstanding finance or other security interests against it.³ If money is still owed and you buy anyway, the lender can repossess the vehicle from you. Print the certificate as proof of clear title; it is valid for 24 hours. If the search shows a debt, make the seller clear it before you go ahead.⁴

Licensed motor dealers and auctioneers must guarantee clear title, so PPSR is mainly a private-sale concern.

Safety Certificate

The seller must provide a current safety certificate when transferring registration.⁵ The inspection covers tyres, brakes, steering, suspension, body rust or damage, windscreen, and lights. Validity depends on the seller:

Private and other sellers: 2 months or 2,000 km, whichever comes first.
Licensed motor dealers: 3 months or 1,000 km, whichever comes first.⁵

A certificate is not required in a handful of situations: transfers between spouses (including separated married couples and registered partners, until a divorce is finalised or the registered relationship formally ends), transfers to a beneficiary from a deceased estate, sales by sellers in certain exempt remote areas, and unregistered vehicles or vehicles traded to or between licensed motor dealers.⁵ If you are unsure whether an exemption fits, call the Department of Transport and Main Roads on 13 23 80.

Information You Need to Complete the Form

Missing information is the main reason a transfer gets sent back. Have all of this ready before you sit down with the F3520:

Full legal names, Queensland driver licence numbers, and contact details for both parties. If a party does not hold a Queensland licence, their Customer Reference Number (CRN) is used instead.
Vehicle details: make, model, VIN, registration number, and engine number.
Current odometer reading at the time of sale.
Sale price and date of sale.
The Queensland garage address where the vehicle will be primarily kept. If this differs from the buyer’s residential address, bring evidence of the garage address when you lodge.⁶
Safety certificate number and date of issue, unless an exemption applies.
A current gas certificate if the vehicle runs on LPG or CNG.

Completing and Signing Part A and Part B

The F3520 has two parts. Part A is the acquirer’s (buyer’s) section and is lodged with the department. Part B is the seller’s section, which the seller keeps as a record of the sale.¹

Both parties must sign. The signatures are a legal declaration that the details are true and correct. Write legibly; a clerk who cannot read the sale price or the VIN will hold the transfer up. If you complete the form digitally in Adobe Reader, save the signed file so you both have a copy.

If you are the seller, hold on to Part B. Until the buyer finalises the transfer at a service centre, you may still appear as the registered operator in the state database. Part B is your evidence that the sale happened on the date recorded, which matters if a traffic offence or toll charge occurs in the gap between sale and lodgment.

Where and When to Lodge Part A

The buyer must lodge Part A within 14 days of the sale date.¹ Acceptable lodgment locations are:

Department of Transport and Main Roads customer service centres
Queensland Government Agent Program (QGAP) offices
Magistrates Courts that provide vehicle registration services
Local police stations that provide vehicle registration services¹

Bring acceptable proof of identity. A Queensland driver licence is the simplest; without one, you will need a combination of identity documents. Also bring the safety certificate (or evidence of exemption) and payment for the transfer fee and vehicle registration duty. Do not let the 14-day window slip. Driving a vehicle still registered in someone else’s name past the deadline creates enforcement problems and can result in penalties.

What You Pay at the Counter

Two charges are payable when Part A is lodged: a flat registration transfer fee set by the department, and vehicle registration duty.⁷ Duty is calculated on the vehicle’s dutiable value; for a used vehicle, that is the market value or the purchase price, whichever is higher.⁸

Duty Rates for Light Vehicles

Light vehicles (gross vehicle mass of 4.5 tonnes or less) are taxed at tiered rates based on cylinder count and value:⁸

Hybrid or electric (any cylinders): $2 per $100 on the first $100,000 of value; $4 per $100 above $100,000.
1–4 cylinders, 2 rotors, or steam: $3 per $100 on the first $100,000; $5 per $100 above $100,000.
5–6 cylinders or 3 rotors: $3.50 per $100 on the first $100,000; $5.50 per $100 above $100,000.
7 or more cylinders: $4 per $100 on the first $100,000; $6 per $100 above $100,000.

A four-cylinder car worth $20,000 works out to about $600 in duty; a six-cylinder at the same value is $700. The department has an online duty calculator that gives you an estimate before you visit a service centre.⁹

When Duty Is Not Payable

Duty is waived in several situations:¹⁰

Gift to a qualifying family member. The vehicle must be given for no money at all. Qualifying relatives are a spouse (including de facto or registered partner), parent, grandparent, child, stepchild, or grandchild, along with each of their spouses. Siblings, aunts, uncles, and in-laws (other than spouses) do not qualify.
Deceased estates: no duty when a vehicle transfers to the personal representative or a beneficiary entitled to the vehicle.
Ex-service persons: eligible veterans with concessional registration may be exempt on one vehicle at a time. A letter from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs is required, confirming at least 70 per cent incapacitation under Commonwealth veterans’ legislation or at least 50 impairment points under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004.
Loss of use of legs: waived where you have lost the use of one or both legs, the vehicle is used for transport to work or education, and you cannot use public transport. A statutory declaration and medical certificate are required.
Re-registering a previously registered vehicle: no duty where the same owner or their relative is re-registering a vehicle whose registration expired or was cancelled.

Bring the supporting evidence with you. The exemption is applied at the counter; you cannot claim it later.

After Lodgment

Once the service centre officer processes payment and paperwork, the transfer is recorded in the state database and you receive a registration certificate in your name. Keep it. It settles any question about who owns the vehicle if you are pulled over or need to dispute a toll.

Sellers should confirm the transfer has actually gone through, especially if the buyer lodged alone. Until it is finalised in the system, traffic camera fines and toll charges may still be directed to you as the previous registered operator. Your signed Part B, along with a record of the sale date and the buyer’s details, is the evidence you need to push back on any charges that arrive after the sale.

1
Queensland Government. How to Transfer a Queensland Registered Vehicle, Trailer, Caravan or Boat in Person
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Queensland Government. How to Transfer a Queensland Registered Vehicle, Trailer, Caravan or Boat Online
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Personal Property Securities Register. Personal Property Securities Register
4
Queensland Government. Clear Title or Free From Debt
5
Queensland Government. Safety Certificates
6
Queensland Government. Register Your Vehicle or Motorcycle
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Queensland Government. Transfer Registration as Buyer
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Queensland Government. Vehicle Registration Duty Rates
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Queensland Government. Vehicle Registration Duty Calculator
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Queensland Government. Exemptions for Vehicle Registration Duty