Apply for a motor dealer licence

You must have a current licence to work as a motor dealer. To get a licence, you will need to submit an application for an individual's licence.

Authorised activities

If you trade in used motor vehicles at all as part of a business operation, you must:

• have a motor dealer licence
• work for a licensed motor dealer as a registered salesperson.

A motor vehicle includes a:

• vehicle that moves on wheels and is propelled by a motor that forms part of the vehicle
• caravan (a trailer used for dwelling, or camping, or as a business premises).

A motor vehicle does not include a:

• trailer (unless it is a caravan)
• motorised scooter, golf buggy or wheelchair
• tractor or farm machinery.

You must have a licence to:

• work as an independent operator, including as a contractor
• be in charge of a place of business
• do any motor dealing work while serving as a director of a motor dealer corporation.

The motor dealer licence allows you to:

• sell a used vehicle (including its parts)
• obtain a used vehicle (including vehicle parts) to sell, either as a complete unit or in parts
• sell a used vehicle on behalf of another person (on consignment)
• sell a leased vehicle to the lessee under the terms of the lease
• negotiate on a person’s behalf for that person to buy or sell a used motor vehicle.

A used motor vehicle generally means a:

• motor vehicle that has been licensed or registered at any time
• new motor vehicle registered for demonstration or sales promotion
• used imported vehicle.

You may not act as a motor dealer until you get your licence. It is an offence to operate as a motor dealer while unlicensed.

The only exception to this rule is if:

• you are offering a vehicle for sale as a private individual (not as a business operator or employee)
• the sale is not a part of a business operation (for instance, selling for the purpose of earning profit).

You may not auction any vehicles or other goods without a chattel auctioneer licence.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a motor dealer licence, you must:

• be 18 or older
• pass the required training courses.

Suitability

You are not suitable to hold a motor dealer licence if you:

• are an insolvent under administration
• are currently disqualified from holding a licence or registration
• have been convicted of a serious offence in the past 5 years
• are subject to a court issued control order because of involvement in serious criminal activity.

We also consider if you:

• have a criminal history
• have been an executive officer of a corporation (which was previously licensed) that has gone insolvent
• were the subject of a successful claim fund action
• have had your licence or registration certification cancelled or been suspended from holding one
• have been previously disqualified from holding a licence or registration certificate
• are disqualified from being a company director
• have previously been an insolvent under administration
• are incapable of satisfactorily doing the job of a licensee
• are unsuitable because of your character or the character of your business associates
• are allowed to work in Australia.

Serious offences

You are considered unsuitable if you have been found guilty of a serious offence in the past 5 years. A serious offence is anything punishable by 3 or more years in prison.

• violent offences (including threats to use violence)
• fraud and dishonesty
• drug trafficking
• extortion
• arson
• unlawful stalking, intimidation, harassment or abuse
• offences of a sexual nature
• new offences under Queensland’s Criminal Code of
  • recruiting a person to participate in a criminal organisation
  • consorting

  Receivership or liquidation

  You must tell us if you have ever been an executive officer of a corporation that:

  • was previously licensed
  • has gone into receivership or liquidation.

  You must also tell us:

  • what circumstances caused it to happen
  • whether you took all reasonable steps to avoid these circumstances
  • what assets you had available to distribute
  • how much money (if any) you paid in dividends
  • whether you broke any laws relating to these circumstances
  • whether you are disqualified from being a company director or other officer.

  You must also include a report from the receiver or liquidator that gives us:

  • a detailed list of your creditors
  • the amount of money you still owe to each creditor.

  Non-citizens

  If you are not an Australian citizen or permanent resident, you need to:

  • give us a certified copy of your passport
  • have a visa that allows you to work in Australia.

  Lodgement

  When you lodge the form, you will need to attach formal identification. These documents must be original (if you lodge the form in person) or certified copies.

  Your identification must be a certified copy of any of the following documents:

  • Birth certificate or extract
  • Driver licence
  • Passport
  • Citizenship certificate

  You will need to pay the required fees when you lodge your application.

  You will also need to attach proof of qualifications.

  Places of business

  You may have multiple places of business. You must register all of your business addresses when you apply for a licence. You must have a licensed person in charge at each place of business.

  An individual cannot be in charge of more than 1 place at any given time unless the places of business are on adjacent blocks of land (not separated by a public road).

  Criminal history check

  To confirm your suitability, we will submit your application for a criminal history check. This will be thorough and may be time consuming.

  If you were born in New Zealand or have a New Zealand passport, you need to get a copy of your criminal history or a letter indicating you have no criminal history from New Zealand. For more information, visit the New Zealand Ministry of Justice website.

  You don’t have to pay any fees to get a New Zealand criminal history check. We can only accept original documents dated within one month of the date you send them to us. Please note it takes 20 working days to process a request for a New Zealand criminal history check.

  Processing time

  The processing time is 4–6 weeks. This can take longer if your application is not complete. This might be because of:

  • missing information
  • unpaid fees.

  We will contact you if you submitted an incomplete application. You will need to complete the application before we can proceed. Otherwise, we may withdraw your application.

  Refunds

  Depending on your circumstances, you may be entitled to a partial refund if:

  • you withdraw your application
  • we refuse your application.

  You may also get a refund on the fee for your criminal history check if it hasn’t been started yet.

  Training

  You must pass these training subjects from a recognised provider to apply for a licence. The only exception is if you’ve held an equivalent licence within the past 2 years.

  You must complete either of the lists of modules below, taken from:

  • Automotive Retail, Service and Repair Training Package—AUR modules

  Anything earlier than this is obsolete (e.g. AUR99, or AUR05, or AUR12 modules). We will not recognise these packages as recent enough training to qualify for this licence.

  AUR modules

  You will need to pass all modules from either of the following tables.

  Course code	Name of course
  AURSCA007	Determine used motor vehicle stock requirements
  AURSCA003	Apply sales procedures in an automotive workplace
  AURSCA005	Sell automotive products and services
  AURSLA001	Comply with legal requirements when selling automotive products and services
  AURSCA010	Appraise and purchase used motor vehicles for sale
  AURAMA005 or AURACA003	Manage complex customer issues in an automotive workplace or Build customer relations in an automotive workplace
  AURASA002	Follow safe working practices in an automotive workplace
  AURAFA003 or AURAQA001	Communicate effectively in an automotive workplace or Contribute to quality work outcomes in an automotive workplace
  AURACA001	Respond to customer needs and enquires in an automotive workplace

  AURAMA005
  or
  AURACA103

  AURAFA103
  or
  AURAQA001

  Student visa holders

  It is an offence under the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 for a registered training organisation to provide training to an international student on a student visa, unless the training organisation holds registration on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions for Overseas Students (CRICOS).

  Therefore, if you are in Australia on a student visa, you must make sure that the training organisation where you complete your training holds CRICOS registration.

  Please note, training for each specified unit of competency must be completed through the CRICOS registered training provider. We will not accept a training certificate issued by a CRICOS registered training provider as a result of a credit transfer.

  Last updated: 26 November 2021
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