The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) records security interests over personal property.
Our PPSR lawyers advise individuals and businesses on registering, searching and enforcing security interests.
We simplify the process, ensure compliance with the Personal Property Securities Act and give you confidence your position is properly protected.
The PPSR is Australia’s national online register of security interests in personal property — essentially, any property other than land. It records who has a claim over assets like vehicles, equipment, stock, intellectual property or even bank accounts.
For lenders and suppliers, registering on the PPSR protects your right to repossess goods or enforce payment if a customer defaults or goes insolvent.
For buyers, a PPSR search shows whether an asset is encumbered before you purchase.
Without registration or searching, you may lose priority rights or risk paying for something that isn’t truly free of debt.
Our PPSR lawyers help you register correctly and search effectively, ensuring your interests are protected.
To register, you must create an account with the PPSR and complete an online financing statement. This involves identifying the secured party, the debtor and describing the collateral being secured.
The information must be accurate — an error in names, ABNs, or serial numbers can make the registration invalid.
You also need to select the duration of the registration (often 7 years, 25 years, or indefinite, depending on the collateral).
Mistakes are common and can cost businesses their rights entirely in insolvency.
Our PPSR lawyers review your documents, prepare correct registrations, and make sure your security interests are valid, enforceable and compliant with the Personal Property Securities Act 2009 (Cth).
A PPSR search allows you to check whether personal property has an existing security interest registered over it. This is especially important before buying second-hand vehicles, equipment or a business, as it ensures you are not inheriting someone else’s debt.
Searches can be carried out using a serial number (for assets like cars or boats) or by searching the debtor’s details.
The search produces a PPSR certificate that records the results.
While searches are quick and inexpensive, interpreting the certificate can be tricky.
Our PPSR lawyers conduct searches, explain the results in plain English and advise you on any risks before you complete the transaction.
Registration determines your priority over other creditors if the debtor defaults or becomes insolvent.
Without a PPSR registration, you may be treated as an unsecured creditor and lose your right to repossess goods or recover money. For example, if you supply stock under a retention of title clause but don’t register, liquidators may sell that stock and distribute the proceeds to other creditors.
Similarly, lenders who fail to register can lose their ability to enforce security.
PPSR registration is also critical in leases, loans, and commercial contracts.
Our PPSR lawyers ensure your registrations are valid and enforceable so your interests are properly protected.
Any security interest in personal property can be registered on the PPSR. This includes assets such as motor vehicles, boats, plant and machinery, stock-in-trade, intellectual property, financial instruments and rights under leases or bailments.
Registration can cover specific items or all present and after-acquired property of a debtor.
Deciding what to register and how to describe it requires care — too broad and the registration may be challenged; too narrow and you may lose rights in some assets.
Mistakes can result in losing your priority against other creditors.
Our PPSR lawyers advise on what can and should be registered for your circumstances, ensuring accuracy and enforceability.
The government charges a small fee for PPSR registrations, usually ranging from a few dollars depending on the duration of the registration.
For example, a 7-year registration costs less than a longer-term or indefinite one.
However, the real cost comes if a registration is done incorrectly. An invalid registration may mean you lose your rights entirely in an insolvency, which can be a costly mistake.
We provide upfront advice on both the government fees and the professional costs involved, and we prepare registrations correctly the first time to save you money in the long run.
Our PPSR lawyers also offer fixed-fee packages for common PPSR services.
PPSR rules are complex, and mistakes can cost you ownership rights, money or both. Legal advice ensures your registrations are valid, enforceable and provide the protection you need.
We cut through the complexity of the PPSR and explain in plain English what it means for your business or transaction.
We prepare and lodge registrations correctly the first time, avoiding common errors that can make them unenforceable.
We ensure your interests are properly recorded so you rank ahead of unsecured creditors and competing claims.
With accurate registrations and clear advice, you can buy, sell, lend, or lease with confidence your rights are safeguarded.
We’re here to protect your priority
Whether you are supplying goods, lending money or buying assets, our PPSR lawyers make sure your interests are properly registered and enforceable under the law.
When enforceability and priority are on the line, you need lawyers who are precise, commercial and proactive.
We specialise in PPSR law and know how to structure, lodge, and enforce registrations that hold up under pressure.
We align PPSR advice with your broader business goals, making sure registrations protect both assets and cash flow.
Small mistakes can have huge consequences. We identify risks, review registrations and prevent costly errors before they occur.
From initial registrations and searches through to disputes and enforcement, we provide clear steps at every stage.
