NT written off vehicle register

The Northern Territory written-off register aims to reduce the number of stolen vehicles that could be registered with false identification.

You must notify the MVR if your vehicle is written off so it can be recorded in the NT written-off vehicle register.

This applies to all vehicles 15 years old or less (except trailers not more than 4.5 tonnes aggregate trailer mass and all plant based special purpose vehicles).

A vehicle is considered to be written off if it is assessed as a total loss.

Total loss is when the cost to salvage and repair the vehicle would be more than the fair market value of the vehicle at the time it was damaged.

A written-off vehicle falls into one of the following three categories:

• statutory write-off
• repairable write-off
• a written-off vehicle that has been stolen and cannot be recovered.

Statutory write-off

This is a vehicle that has sustained extensive damage to major vehicle components.

The vehicle must be assessed as a total loss and must meet the statutory write-off criteria as detailed in the damage assessment criteria for the classification of statutory write-offs. Go to the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council and search for 'damage assessment criteria'.

These vehicles must have their compliance plate and vehicle identification number permanently marked with a diagonal chisel line. This must be carried out by the person or organisation that has assessed the vehicle as a total loss.

If the vehicle is offered for auction or sale, it must have a label with the following message:

• 'Statutory write-off. Warning. This vehicle cannot be registered. Suitable for parts/dismantling only. The vehicle identification number (VIN) has been cancelled.'

This label is to have lettering of at least 9mm on a contrasting background, and must be clearly readable from a distance of at least 2m. The label should be at least 230mm x 170mm.

Repairable write-off

This is a vehicle or heavy trailer that is assessed as a total loss and is not a statutory write-off.

Find out how to re-register a repairable write-off.

Further information

Read the V54 written-off vehicle register information bulletin PDF (153.1 KB).