How to Start a Car Dealership in Queensland (QLD): Motor Dealer Licence, Costs, Steps

• Yes: As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) requires a licence for any business that trades in used vehicles, and registration as a motor salesperson for staff who sell them.
• Cost: As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) lists $1,709.00 for a new 1-year individual licence. A company pays $973.00 for its corporate licence, and each person in charge of a place of business also needs an individual licence.
• First step: pass the required Automotive Retail, Service and Repair (AUR) training modules, then apply through the OFT online portal.^[1]

Selling a few cars, or asking for a family member? As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says you need the licence if you trade in used vehicles at all as part of a business. The only exception is selling as a private individual, when the sale is not part of a business, for example not to earn a profit. The OFT pages set no number of cars, so as at 5 November 2026 we did not confirm a safe count. Next step: call 13 QGOV (13 74 68), the number on the OFT pages, before you start.^[2]

Do you need a motor dealer licence in Queensland?

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) requires a motor dealer licence if you trade in used motor vehicles as part of a business operation. A licence is also needed to work as an independent operator (including as a contractor), to be in charge of a place of business, and to do motor dealing work as a director of a dealer company.^[2]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) defines a motor vehicle as a vehicle that moves on wheels and is propelled by its own motor, or a caravan. A trailer (unless it is a caravan), a motorised scooter, a golf buggy, a wheelchair, a tractor and farm machinery are not motor vehicles. A used vehicle generally means one that has been licensed or registered at any time, a new vehicle registered for demonstration or sales promotion, or a used import.^[2]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says the licence lets you:^[2]

• sell a used vehicle, including its parts;
• obtain a used vehicle, or parts, to sell as a complete unit or in parts;
• sell a used vehicle for another person (on consignment);
• sell a leased vehicle to the lessee under the lease terms; and
• negotiate for another person to buy or sell a used motor vehicle.^[2]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says you may not auction any vehicles or other goods without a separate chattel auctioneer licence.^[2]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says buying or selling used caravans and RVs in Queensland, including on consignment, also needs a motor dealer licence.^[25]

• Motor dealer licence: the Queensland licence to trade in used motor vehicles, under the Motor Dealers and Chattel Auctioneers Act 2014.
• Principal licensee: the person who holds the licence, or the company’s relevant officer, and who runs the trust account.
• Person in charge: the licensed person responsible for a place of business.
• Statutory warranty: the dealer’s legal promise that a used car is free of defects for a set period.
• Cooling-off period: the short time a buyer can cancel a contract for any reason.
• Trust account: a separate bank account for other people’s money, such as a consignment sale deposit.
• Consignment: selling a vehicle for its owner, for a commission.^[2]

Who can get a Queensland motor dealer licence? Age, training and suitability

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) requires you to be 18 or older and to pass the required training modules. It runs a criminal history check on each person named in the application.^[2]

As at 5 November 2026, ABLIS (the Australian Business Licence and Information Service on business.gov.au) lists two more tests for the Queensland licence: you must be a suitable person, and you must have a registered office in Australia.^[4]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says you must pass every module from one of two Automotive Retail, Service and Repair (AUR) lists, through a recognised provider. The only exception is if you held an equivalent licence in the past 2 years. Modules from older packages such as AUR99, AUR05 or AUR12 are not accepted.^[2]

• List 1: AURSCA007, AURSCA003, AURSCA005, AURSLA001, AURSCA010, AURAMA005 or AURACA003, AURASA002, AURAFA003 or AURAQA001, and AURACA001.
• List 2: AURSCA007, AURSCA103, AURSCA105, AURSLA001, AURSCA010, AURAMA005 or AURACA103, AURASA102, AURAFA103 or AURAQA001, and AURACA101.^[2]

We did not confirm what training providers charge as at 5 November 2026, because the Queensland pages give no price. Next step: ask two or three registered training organisations for quotes, and add that cost to the licence fees below.

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says you are not suitable if you are an insolvent under administration, are disqualified from holding a licence, have been convicted of a serious offence in the past 5 years, or are subject to a court control order for serious criminal activity. A serious offence is one punishable by 3 or more years in prison, such as fraud, dishonesty, drug trafficking or a violent offence.^[2]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) also weighs your criminal history, any past cancellation, a claim fund payout against you, and whether you were an executive officer of a licensed company that became insolvent. If you were, OFT asks you to explain what happened, and to attach a report from the receiver or liquidator with a list of creditors and amounts owed.^[2]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says that if you were born in New Zealand or hold a New Zealand passport, you must also supply a New Zealand criminal history check. The check is free, takes 20 working days, and must be dated within 1 month of the day you send it.^[2]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says a company must hold a corporate licence, but every person in charge of a place of business needs an individual licence too. A director also needs an individual licence if they do the work of a motor dealer themselves. A director who does not act as a motor dealer does not need one. If your company is in business jointly with another company, that company must hold a current licence as well.^[3]

How to apply for a Queensland motor dealer licence

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) takes applications online through its licensing portal, or on a paper form lodged in person or posted to the Industry Licensing Unit, GPO Box 3111, Brisbane QLD 4001. Use the individual application for yourself, and the corporate application for a company. ABLIS names them Form 1-1 and Form 1-2.^[2]

1. 1Decide between an individual and a corporate licence, and between 1 and 3 years. Check the price in the fee table below.
2. 2Pass the AUR training modules from a recognised provider, unless you held an equivalent licence in the past 2 years.
3. 3List every place of business you will use. OFT does not approve the site, but your council’s rules still apply, so check zoning first.
4. 4Get certified copies of your ID: a birth certificate or extract, driver licence, passport or citizenship certificate. A Justice of the Peace, Commissioner for Declarations, solicitor, barrister or notary public can certify them.
5. 5Complete the application online (or on paper) and attach your ID, training results and anything about past insolvency.
6. 6Pay the licence fee and a $47.35 criminal history check for each person named, then lodge.
7. 7Wait about 4 to 6 weeks. Answer any OFT request for missing information straight away.
8. 8Once licensed, record your transactions, display your signs and open a trust account if you will sell on consignment.^[2]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says an incomplete application, such as missing information or unpaid fees, takes longer. OFT contacts you to finish it, and may withdraw the application if you do not. ABLIS adds that your application needs an application fee, a licence issue fee and a criminal history fee for each person. The fees page lists a single amount for each licence term.^[2]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says that if you withdraw your application, or it is refused, you may get a partial refund. You may also get back the criminal history fee if that check has not started.^[2]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says you can apply to transfer a comparable individual licence from another Australian state or New Zealand under mutual recognition, and keep working under it while OFT processes the application. A corporate licence cannot be transferred this way. Tasmania has no equivalent licence, so a Tasmanian dealer applies for a new Queensland licence.^[21]

How much does a motor dealer licence cost in Queensland?

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) lists a new individual motor dealer licence at $1,709.00 for 1 year or $3,205.00 for 3 years, and a new corporate licence at $973.00 for 1 year or $1,755.00 for 3 years. On top of that, a $47.35 criminal history check applies per person unless OFT checked you in the last 6 months.^[1]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) lists the cheapest new licence as the corporate 1-year licence at $973.00, and the dearest as the individual 3-year licence at $3,205.00.^[1]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says its fees and charges rose by 3.4% on 1 July 2026 in line with the government’s indexation policy, and they typically rise each 1 July. Check the page before you pay.^[1]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) lists a $199.00 fee to add another category to an individual licence. For a corporate licence there is no charge to add a category at the initial application, renewal or restoration, and a $51.50 licence reprint fee applies if you add one during the term. The fees page does not say what the categories are, so we did not confirm them. Next step: call 13 QGOV (13 74 68).^[1]

Yard rent, stock, signs, software, trust account auditor fees and insurance: we did not confirm a figure for these as at 5 November 2026, because no Queensland page we opened gives one. Next step: get written quotes before you commit. The national guide covers ABN, GST and insurance.

Queensland motor dealer licence fees

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) does not say whether its motor industry fees include GST, so we did not confirm it. Next step: call 13 QGOV (13 74 68) before you pay. The Queensland Government registration costs page says its fees do not attract GST unless indicated, and none is indicated for dealer plates. The table shows every motor industry fee we confirmed, and the dealer plate fees from the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR).^[1]

How long does it take to get a motor dealer licence in Queensland?

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) lists a processing time of 4 to 6 weeks for a new motor dealer licence, individual or corporate. It adds that this can be longer if your application is incomplete.^[2]

What takes longest: the training and any New Zealand criminal history check, because both come before you can lodge. We did not confirm how long the training takes as at 5 November 2026, because the Queensland pages give no course length. Next step: ask your training provider.

Places of business, zoning and who runs the yard

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) requires you to tell it your intended place of business before it can give you a licence. OFT says it does not approve the place under the current laws, but you must still obey local government laws about trading from a site.^[15]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) requires every place of business to have a licensed person in charge. One person cannot be in charge of more than one place, unless the places are on land that adjoins and is not separated by a public road. The principal licensee must be in charge at the registered office.^[15]

We did not confirm which Queensland council zoning applies to a car yard as at 5 November 2026, because OFT does not set it and the pages we opened do not list it. Next step: ask your local council planning team about your exact address before you sign a lease. A home garage may not qualify.

• As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says you can share your business location with other licensees.
• As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says you must tell it within 14 days if you move your address. The maximum penalty for not telling OFT about a change of principal place of business, or opening or closing a place, is $34,540.
• As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) lists a maximum $34,540 penalty for an individual, or $172,700 for a corporation, for not having a licensee in charge of a place of business.^[5]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says that if you will be away, you can appoint a substitute licensee. For 30 days or fewer you only need their signed consent, for up to 12 weeks in any 12 months. For more than 30 days OFT must approve the person, for up to 26 weeks in any 12 months, and appointing a substitute for more than 30 days, or extending the appointment, costs $101.70.^[19]

Staff: registered salespeople and showing your licence

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says a person who sells used vehicles for a licensed dealer must be a registered motor salesperson, and it is illegal to work unregistered. You do not need registration to sell new vehicles. Salespeople can only work as employees, so a contractor needs a full motor dealer licence.^[17]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says a salesperson must be 18 or older, pass a criminal history check, and complete all the modules of an AUR training package. Salespeople cannot work as independent operators, conduct auctions, operate trust accounts or be in charge of a place of business.^[17]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) lists a motor salesperson registration at $401.10 for 1 year or $681.50 for 3 years. Renewal is $201.45 for 1 year or $489.05 for 3 years. The maximum penalty for employing an unlicensed or unregistered person is $34,540 or 2 years in prison.^[1]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says you must keep a copy of your licence, and of each employee’s licence or registration, on the premises, and show it to a client who asks. If you sell your own car privately, you must still follow the dealer sale rules, including the cooling-off period.^[18]

Selling used cars in Queensland: cooling-off, warranty and signs

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) requires a cooling-off period of 1 business day on a used vehicle sale. It starts when you and the buyer have both signed, and ends at 5pm on the next business day. A business day is a day you are open that is not a Sunday or public holiday.^[7]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says you must complete and give the buyer the approved cooling-off period and statutory warranty form before they sign the contract. If you do not, the buyer is entitled to a 7-day cooling-off period and you could be fined. There is no cooling-off period for consignment sales, auctions, or when the buyer is another dealer.^[7]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says that if a buyer cancels, you must return their trade-in and you may keep no more than $100 of the deposit. You must tell the buyer about that non-refundable amount in writing when they pay. OFT lists a maximum $34,540 or 2 years in prison for harassing or coercing a buyer during the period.^[7]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says a class A statutory warranty applies when the car has an odometer reading under 160,000 km and was built no more than 10 years before the sale. It lasts 3 months or 5,000 km, whichever comes first. A class B warranty applies to cars at or over 160,000 km, or more than 10 years old, and lasts 1 month or 1,000 km.^[8]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says these have no statutory warranty: motorcycles, caravans, commercial vehicles, consignment vehicles whose owner is not a licensee, and unregistered vehicles that are written off or cannot be registered in Queensland because of their design. You must tell the buyer, in the advertisement, on the windscreen or price tag, or on a sign at the main entrance. On a restorable vehicle (one over 20 years old, sold for restoration) the buyer can choose to waive the warranty.^[8]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says a buyer must tell you about a defect, and you have 5 business days to say in writing whether you will fix it. You must repair it within 14 days unless you have an acceptable reason, and you extend the warranty by 1 day for each day the car is with you. A buyer can take an unrepaired defect to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.^[8]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says a single sign at your main entrance can cover unwarranted vehicles or vehicles with no cooling-off period, if it is true for every vehicle. It needs letters at least 10 cm tall. Individual signs near the price on each vehicle need letters at least 5 cm tall. You must give a receipt immediately when a buyer pays any money.^[14]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) lists a maximum $34,540 penalty for not telling a buyer that a car is a written-off vehicle, or not getting their signed acknowledgement. It lists a maximum $69,080 for a dealer or salesperson who does not disclose that status in a private sale.^[5]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says you do not need to give a statutory warranty on a used caravan, but the Australian Consumer Law guarantees still apply. On a camper or motorhome built on a vehicle, the statutory warranty covers only the vehicle part. From 1 July 2024, every caravan and RV must have a photoelectric smoke alarm when its registration starts or is transferred.^[25]

Records: the transactions register and buying from sellers

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) requires a transactions register at each place of business. You must enter each transaction within 24 hours, including buying or selling a vehicle, a deposit, an option to buy, a trade-in, a consignment, or moving a vehicle between places of business. The maximum penalty for not keeping the register or not entering a transaction in time is $34,540 or 1 year in prison. You no longer need a separate employment register.^[9]

• Dates: when you receive, sell, move or return a vehicle.
• Transaction: direct sale or consignment, the premises, the seller and buyer names and addresses, and the price.
• Vehicle: odometer reading in words and figures, make, model, colour, built date, identification and registration numbers, and engine number (chassis number for a caravan).^[9]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says you must get a signed, dated statement whenever you accept a used car from a seller, whether you buy it or hold it on consignment. It covers the seller’s name, address and driver licence number, the vehicle details and history, whether the odometer or engine was replaced, and any mortgage or security with the amount owing and the lender. You do not need the statement when you acquire from your financier, another dealer or an auctioneer.^[26]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) lists a maximum $34,540 penalty for not keeping a copy of the seller’s statement, and for not guaranteeing clear title (no debt or other claim on the car) on a vehicle you sell. It lists a maximum $1,727 for not promptly giving a motor dealer receipt, or not keeping a duplicate.^[5]

Consignment sales and the trust account

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says you must have a trust account if you intend to sell on consignment. You also need a signed and dated Appointment of a motor dealer or chattel auctioneer form before providing any service, with the services, any limits, and the commission, fees and expenses the client will pay. Give a copy to the client.^[10]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says you must use a Queensland branch of an approved financial institution, and the account name must contain the words ‘trust account’. You must hold your licence before you open the account, and be the principal licensee to operate it.^[13]

• As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says you must bank trust money into your trust account before the end of the first business day, and issue a trust account receipt.
• As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says you cannot accept a trade-in on a consignment sale. You can still buy the car, but as a separate transaction.
• As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says you must tell customers that a consignment vehicle has no cooling-off period, in any advertisement and on a sign on the vehicle, and say whether a statutory warranty applies.
• As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says you cannot increase the commission after the appointment, or take a commission if you have a beneficial interest in the sale.^[10]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says you must appoint an auditor within 1 month of opening a trust account, and give OFT evidence of their acceptance within another month. The auditor must be a registered company auditor, or a member of CPA Australia, the Institute of Chartered Accountants or the Institute of Public Accountants.^[12]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says each trust account must be audited every year, and the audit report is due 4 months after the end of your audit period. If you did not use the account at all, you can lodge a statutory declaration instead. In your last year of business the report is due 2 months after you stop trading.^[12]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) lists a maximum $172,700 or 5 years in prison for wrongful conversion of trust money or falsifying accounts, and $34,540 or 2 years for not banking trust money immediately. It also lists a maximum $34,540 or 2 years for unauthorised use of a trust account.^[5]

Dealer plates in Queensland

As at 5 November 2026, the Transport Operations (Road Use Management—Vehicle Registration) Regulation 2021 (Qld), called the Vehicle Registration Regulation below, says dealer plates are registered by the chief executive of the transport department, the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), not by OFT. A dealer plate lets you drive an unregistered vehicle on the road for the purposes the regulation allows, such as a demonstration, delivery to a buyer, travel to a workshop for painting or repairs, or a move between dealer premises.^[23]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Government registration costs page lists a dealer plate at $704.45 for 1 year or $352.20 for 6 months, with a $10.15 processing surcharge on the 6-month term. It lists $76.65 to renew after the expiry date and $134.55 for a replacement plate.^[22]

As at 5 November 2026, the Vehicle Registration Regulation says you must describe your business on the application, and include a compulsory third-party (CTP) insurance certificate for the term. The Chief Executive must refuse the application if satisfied you do not need the plate for your business. The registration cannot be transferred, and you can apply to renew up to 3 months after the expiry day.^[23]

As at 5 November 2026, the Vehicle Registration Regulation sets a maximum penalty of 40 penalty units for using a vehicle with a dealer plate outside the allowed purposes, and 12 penalty units for not attaching the plate to the rear as required. As at 5 November 2026 we did not confirm the dollar value of a penalty unit, because the regulation page does not state it. Next step: search "penalty units" on qld.gov.au or ask TMR on 13 23 80.^[23]

Renewing, restoring and ending your licence

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says you can renew for 1 year or 3 years, and sends a renewal notice 4 to 6 weeks before expiry. You cannot renew by email or phone. Your individual renewal costs $868.40 for 1 year or $2,409.70 for 3 years, and your corporate renewal costs $492.40 for 1 year or $1,280.70 for 3 years.^[6]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says that if your licence has expired, you have 3 months to apply to restore it. If OFT receives your application within 3 months, you can keep working while it is processed. After that the licence expires, you must stop working, and you need a new licence. Restoration costs more than renewal, for example $1,004.00 for an individual for 1 year. Every renewal or restoration needs a trust account audit report, or a statutory declaration that you did not operate a trust account.^[6]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) lists $101.70 to deactivate a licence if you stop trading for a while. You must stop trading at once and still renew the inactive licence, and after 5 years or more inactive you must do all the current training again.^[28]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says a licence cannot be transferred to another person for any reason. If you surrender it, you must close your trust accounts, tell OFT, and provide a final audit of each account within 2 months of closing it. OFT says it cancels a licence at once if you are convicted of a serious offence or become bankrupt, and you then have 14 days to return the licence document.^[20]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) keeps a free public register of licensed motor dealers, salespeople and corporations that shows each licence status, number and class. An extract, a paid record of your search, costs $20.70 and OFT sends it within 10 working days.^[16]

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says a consumer can claim from its claim fund if a dealer mishandles trust money, makes false claims about a vehicle, keeps a deposit, or does not guarantee clear title. If the fund pays, OFT asks you to repay the fund, and not repaying can affect your licence.^[24]

Penalties for trading without a licence in Queensland

As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) lists a maximum penalty of $69,080 or 2 years in prison for working unlicensed or unregistered as a motor dealer. OFT says these fines are for individuals, and a corporation could face up to 5 times the maximum.^[5]

• As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) lists a maximum $34,540 or 2 years for selling, hiring out, lending, buying or borrowing a licence or registration.
• As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) lists a maximum $34,540 or 2 years for tampering with an odometer. People can be charged even if they are not dealers.
• As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) lists a maximum $34,540 for not giving the buyer the cooling-off and statutory warranty form, and $17,270 for not telling OFT in writing within 14 days about a change to your licence details.
• As at 5 November 2026, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT) lists a maximum $34,540 or 1 year for obstructing an inspector or not producing documents. It lists $8,635 for not giving an inspector your name and address.^[5]

What changed: 10 November 2026: first published. Fees checked against the Queensland Government fees page (updated 1 July 2026) and the Queensland Government registration costs page (cost as at 1 July 2026).