Do You Need Rego Papers After a Car Accident in Australia?
One of the documents you are going to need after a motor vehicle accident will be the registration papers for your car, sometimes called a registration certificate, or commonly, the registration renewal notice.
Why Are Rego Papers Required?
You may be asked to provide these documents for:
- Third-party repairs to begin
- A total loss (market value) settlement
- A not-at-fault hire car through a credit hire company :
The reason the not at fault hire car company requires the registration papers is because the insurance company of the at fault driver will want to prove that the renter, and person that suffered the loss of use of their vehicle is the registered owner of the vehicle, and while there are a variety of ways to prove this, the document commonly requested by the insurance company is the registration papers of the vehicle.
Do Rego Papers Prove Ownership?
Now admittedly, there are actually disclosures on these documents in some states that do stipulate “registration does not stipulate ownership” however, 99.9% of the time, the insurance company will accept the registration papers as ownership of the vehicle for practical purposes.
Why a Rego Check Isn’t Enough
While you can perform an online rego check in Australia, these:
- Do NOT show the owner’s name
- Are limited due to privacy laws
That’s why insurers request the actual document.
Private vs Commercial Registration (GST Factor)
There is another aspect as to why the registration papers are requested and this is to prove if the vehicle is registered for private or commercial usage, and this has to do with if the GST portion of the hire is recoverable or not through the third party insurer, most states of Australia (with the exception of Queensland) do not list this, but it is displayed on the registration papers / registration certificate.
Important: The Papers Must Be Current
Now before you start to think you can just dig up any old copy of your registration papers its important to note, it is required to be registration papers as current at the time of the accident, meaning, the registration papers for the period of time your car was involved in the accident, as registration status can change depending on who registers the car.
What If You’ve Lost Your Rego Papers?
If you have lost your registration papers, or simply cant find them, most states of Australia will allow you to request a digital copy of them that you can send to the insurer or not at fault hire car company, which, is a requirement for final settlement along with a copy of your drivers license.
Why This Document Matters More Than You Think
With everything going on surrounding a car crash, credit hire companies can appreciate this document request can seem like another layer of complexity into an already stressful situation, but it is a required document for final settlement, honestly, as absurd as it sounds, an at faults insurer will flatly request to progress settlement until this document has been provided for an almost indefinite amount of time, and have the legal basis to do so, which is why its important you gather this document after a not at fault motor vehicle accident to provide to all requesting parties.
What If the Car Was Recently Purchased?
Now in some instances, particularly if your driving a newly purchased vehicle, you may not be able to provide registration papers because your vehicle simply hasn’t needed to be renewed as of yet, in these instances, the best thing to do is to provide your bill of sale for the vehicle as a substitute, the documents you got from the dealership when you purchased it or the vehicle was signed over to you as this will usually work as a substitute in those circumstances.
Final Thoughts
If you have been in a motor vehicle accident that was not your fault, having your registration papers is paramount, so make sure you gather the associated documents, and if your in the need of a hire car while your own is being repaired or your awaiting a total loss settlement, why not apply today to see if your eligible for a not at fault hire car, you could be back on the road in no time with just the completion of a quick application.