Motor vehicle dealer licences

Introduction

You must have a valid motor vehicle dealer licence to run a dealership in the Northern Territory.

You can get an annual licence as an individual, partnership or corporation. Any managers working for your car yard must also apply for approval.

Licences are not transferable. If you sell your business the new owner must apply for their own licence.

Who needs a licence

You need a motor vehicle dealer licence if you buy, sell, offer for sale or exchange motor vehicles as a business.

You do not need a licence if you are a motor wrecker, finance provider, or exempt trader under the law.

You should read the Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading Act 1990.

Penalties

You may be fined up to 500 penalty units for each of the following:

  • dealing without a licence
  • operating from unlicensed premises
  • breaching the terms of your licence.

Your vehicles and sales proceeds may also be forfeited or confiscated.

For help

Contact a Territory Business Centre for help with your application.

Apply as an individual

To work as a motor vehicle dealer in the Northern Territory, you must hold a valid licence.

To be eligible to apply you must be over 18 years old.

You will need a manager to run the motor dealership. They must apply for approval as a manager before starting work.

You must submit your renewal application at least 28 days prior to the licence expiry.

Before you apply

As part of your application, you will need to prepare the following documents and information before applying:

  • Australian criminal history name check results issued within the last 3 months
  • two written referee statements, stating that you are a fit and proper person to be a licensed motor vehicle dealer
  • current photo identification.
  • a current Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) business name extract, showing the proprietor of the business name, issued within the last 30 days
  • a current business plan for a motor vehicle dealer licence as an individual
  • financial position and performance statements for you, certified by a registered accountant for the previous financial year and the financial year in which the application is being made. This includes:
    • a bank statement
    • a certified statement from a registered accountant of your financial performance and financial position.
  • proof of ownership of the nominated business address, or a copy of the lease of the premises and a letter of consent/approval from the owner authorising you to run a motor vehicle dealership
  • proof that premise is appropriately zoned for a motor vehicle dealer business. Contact the Development Consent Authority for help.

How to apply

You can apply online via Licensing NT or by completing the forms below:

Application for a new motor vehicle dealer licence as an individual PDF (209.7 KB)
Application for a new motor vehicle dealer licence as an individual DOCX (78.7 KB)

Business plan for a motor vehicle dealer as an individual PDF (220.9 KB)
Business plan for a motor vehicle dealer as an individual DOCX (80.5 KB)

Lodgement

Submit your forms to a Territory Business Centre along with the relevant application fee.

Applications must be lodged with all supporting documents. An incomplete application will cause delays with the processing and issuing of the licence.

Fees can be paid by credit card, cash, EFTPOS or cheque payable to the Receiver of Territory Monies.

For more information, contact the Territory Business Centre:

Apply as a corporation or firm (partnership)

To work as a motor vehicle dealer in the Northern Territory, you must hold a valid licence.

To be eligible to apply you must be over 18 years old.

You will need a manager to run the motor dealership. They must apply for approval as a manager before starting work.

Before you apply

As part of your application, you will need to prepare the following documents and information before applying:

  • Australian criminal history name check results issued within the last 3 months for each for each officer of the corporation/firm, including the proposed approved manager
  • two written referee statements stating that the person is a fit and proper person to be a licensed motor vehicle dealer, to be provided for each officer of the corporation/firm
  • current photo identification
  • a current Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) current company extract, showing the proprietor of the business name, issued within the last 30 days
  • a current Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) business name extract, showing the proprietor of the business name, issued within the last 30 days
  • a current business plan for a motor vehicle dealer licence as a corporation/firm
  • financial position and performance statements for the corporation/firm, certified by a registered accountant for the previous financial year, and the financial year in which the application is being made. This includes:
    • a bank statement for the corporation/firm
    • a certified statement from a registered accountant of the financial position for each individual/director
    • a certified statement from a registered accountant of the financial performance and financial position of the corporation/firm.
  • proof of ownership of the nominated business address, or a copy of the lease of the premises and a letter of consent/approval from the owner authorising the corporation/firm to run a motor vehicle dealership
  • proof that premise is appropriately zoned for a motor vehicle dealer business. Contact the Development Consent Authority for help.

How to apply

You can apply online via Licensing NT or by completing the forms below:

Application for a new motor vehicle dealer licence as a company or firm (partnership) PDF (224.9 KB)
Application for a new motor vehicle dealer licence as a company or firm (partnership) DOCX (84.5 KB)

Business plan for a motor vehicle dealer as a corporation or firm (partnership) PDF (222.6 KB)
Business plan for a motor vehicle dealer as a corporation or firm (partnership) DOCX (82.4 KB)

Lodgement

Submit your forms to a Territory Business Centre along with the relevant application fee.

Applications must be lodged with all supporting documents. An incomplete application will cause delays with the processing and issuing of the licence.

Fees can be paid by credit card, cash, EFTPOS or cheque payable to the Receiver of Territory Monies.

For more information, contact the Territory Business Centre:

Keep your licence current

To keep your motor vehicle dealer licence current, you must pay an annual fee and submit an annual statement by 31 October each year.

For individuals

To submit your annual statement and pay the fee, go to Licensing Online or follow the steps below.

Step 1. Fill in the annual return by a licensed motor vehicle dealer as an individual.

Step 2. Pay the fee.
Step 3. Submit your form to the Territory Business Centre in person or by mail.

For corporations and firms

To submit your annual statement and pay the fee, go to Licensing Online or follow the steps below.

Step 1. Fill in the annual return by a licensed motor vehicle dealer as a corporation or firm.

Step 2. Pay the fee.
Step 3. Submit your form to the Territory Business Centre in person or by mail.

Change a motor vehicle dealer licence

If you hold a current motor vehicle dealer licence in the Northern Territory (NT), you must notify Occupational and Industry Licensing if any of the following changes:

  • your address details
  • principal place of business
  • other places of business
  • contact details
  • director/partner/officer.

Before you apply

Read below to find out what you need to provide with your application.

Change of place of business, address or contact details

  • either: 
    • a current Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) company extract (in the case of a company)
    • business name extract, showing the proprietor of the business name (in case of a partnership or individual) and
  • proof of ownership of the nominated business address, or a copy of the lease of premises and a letter of consent/approval from the owner to run a motor vehicle dealership
  • proof that the premise is appropriately zoned for a motor vehicle dealer business,  contact the Development Consent Authority for help.

Change director or partner of officer

  • current criminal history results 
  • two written referee statements stating you are a fit and proper person
  • current photo ID as per application requirements
  • a current Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)
    • business name extract  in case of a partnership or
    • company extract  in case of a company.

How to apply

You can apply online using Licensing Online or choose your form below:

Lodgement

Submit your forms to a Territory Business Centre along with the relevant application fee.

Applications must be lodged with all supporting documents. An incomplete application will cause delays in processing and issuing the licence.

Fees can be paid by credit card, cash, EFTPOS or cheque payable to the Receiver of Territory Monies.

For further information contact the Territory Business Centre on 1800 193 111 or email TerritoryBusinessCentre@nt.gov.au.

Apply for approval as a manager

If you are a motor vehicle dealer, it is your responsibility to appoint a manager.

You must get approval for each manager you recruit, and for each car yard you operate.

Proposed manager

To be eligible to apply, the manager of your car yard must be:

  • at least 18 years old
  • likely to be a fair and honest business manager
  • free of criminal records or charges for fraud, dishonesty or physical violence within the last decade.

They must also not be bankrupt or have salary assigned to creditors.

Before you apply

You must prepare and submit the following documents for the person in the application:

  • criminal history results:
  • two written referee statements, stating that the individual is a fit and proper person to manage a licensed motor vehicle dealer
  • current photo identification.

How to apply

You can apply online using Licensing Online or choose a form below:

Approval to manage a licensed motor vehicle dealer form PDF (167.1 KB)
Approval to manage a licensed motor vehicle dealer form DOCX (72.0 KB)

Lodgement

Submit your forms to a Territory Business Centre along with the relevant application fee.

Applications must be lodged with all supporting documents. An incomplete application will cause delays with the processing and issuing of the licence.

Fees can be paid by credit card, cash, EFTPOS or cheque payable to the Receiver of Territory Monies.

For further information contact the Territory Business Centre on 1800 193 111 or email TerritoryBusinessCentre@nt.gov.au.

Fees

Application fees are not refundable. You can pay by credit card or EFTPOS at a Territory Business Centre, or post cheques payable to the Receiver of Territory Monies.

Licence fees are exempt from GST.

You must pay an additional granting fee for each additional car yard that you run or use as storage.

DescriptionFee
Application fee for a licence by a person or a corporation $596
Granting fee for a licence – including one car yard $342
Granting fee for each additional car yard $171
Annual fee for a dealer who is a person or a corporation – including one car yard $342
Annual fee for each additional car yard $171
Variation of a licence $171
Replacement of licence $81
Extracts from Commissioner’s register – per extract/examination $14
Extracts from Commissioner’s register – yearly subscription $119
Dealers dealing register – per register $96
Application for approval of manager $81
Certification of manager $29
Variation of Commissioner’s approval of manager $14
Variation to certification $29
Penalty for default $685

Licensed motor vehicle dealer forms

Vehicles sold by motor vehicle dealers that are not registered in the Northern Territory (NT) must meet an approved standard. This is a condition of the sale.

Read more about registration in the Motor Vehicles Act 1949.

Further information

If you need help completing these forms call Occupational and Industry Licensing on 1800 193 111.