Whether you need to be a Registered Motor Vehicle Trader, and the duties that come with selling in trade.
Last updated 17 September 2026
The six-or-more benchmark
Selling vehicles in trade without being a Registered Motor Vehicle Trader is an offence (Motor Vehicle Sales Act 2003, s 10). As a benchmark, selling six or more vehicles in a year usually means you are in trade and need to be registered. Selling your own personal car as a one-off is not considered being in trade.
Am I in trade?
There is no single test — the Commerce Commission looks at the whole picture. Factors that point to being in trade include:
Habitually selling vehicles, not just your own.
Buying vehicles to resell them (including buying at auction to on-sell).
Being GST-registered for vehicle sales.
Having staff or a company structure around your selling.
Worked examples
You sell the family car you've owned for five years — not in trade.
You buy a car, tidy it up, sell it, and repeat this every couple of months — in trade.
You're GST-registered and list cars as part of your business — in trade, and you must be an RMVT to sell to the public.
You sell eight cars this year that you bought at auction — likely in trade.
Our discretion
NewRide may reclassify a listing (or require trader registration) where a seller appears to be trading without disclosing it. Presenting an in-trade sale as a private sale risks Fair Trading Act penalties — up to $200,000 for an individual and $600,000 for a company.
If you're a dealer (RMVT)
The Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 applies to your sales — including online auctions (Consumer Guarantees Amendment Act 2013) — and you can't contract out of it for consumers. An accurate, complete Consumer Information Notice (CIN) must be displayed in a prominent position on the online listing and provided to the buyer (Motor Vehicle Sales Act 2003, ss 14–15; Consumer Information Standards (Used Motor Vehicles) Regulations 2008). In-trade listings must not use “as is, where is” disclaimers or imply the Consumer Guarantees Act doesn't apply.
Energy-economy labels — everyone, not just dealers
Energy-economy information (stars, L/100km or kWh/100km for EVs, CO₂ g/km and annual running cost) must be displayed for vehicles offered on a website where the data is available — that includes private sellers (Energy Efficiency (Vehicle Energy Economy Labelling) Regulations 2007, reg 7). NewRide shows the registry-sourced label automatically when your plate lookup provides the data, so listings created via plate lookup are already covered.
Disclosures on every listing
Money owing: disclose whether there is a registered security interest on the vehicle (Personal Property Securities Act 1999, Part 5) — NewRide asks you this when you list.
Australian statutory write-offs must be disclosed using the prescribed wording: “This vehicle was imported from Australia as a statutory write off. Buyers should ensure they fully understand the history of the vehicle before purchase.”
Pricing
Prices are in NZD and, for in-trade sellers, GST-inclusive. If you show a “was/now” discount, the “was” price must be real: a genuine price you substantively sold or offered the vehicle at, for a reasonable period, with the discount actually time-limited (Fair Trading Act 1986, Commerce Commission guidance on was/now pricing).
Frequently asked questions
How many cars can I sell in a year before I'm in trade?
As a benchmark, selling six or more vehicles in a year usually means you are in trade and need to be a Registered Motor Vehicle Trader. Selling your own personal car as a one-off is not in trade. There is no single test — the Commerce Commission looks at the whole picture.
What happens if I sell in trade without being registered?
Selling vehicles in trade without being an RMVT is an offence under the Motor Vehicle Sales Act 2003. Presenting an in-trade sale as a private sale also risks Fair Trading Act penalties — up to $200,000 for an individual and $600,000 for a company.
Do private sellers need to show an energy-economy label?
Yes, where the data is available. Energy-economy information must be displayed for vehicles offered on a website, and that includes private sellers. NewRide shows the registry-sourced label automatically when your plate lookup provides the data.
What does a dealer have to include on a listing?
An accurate, complete Consumer Information Notice (CIN) displayed prominently on the listing and provided to the buyer, GST-inclusive NZD pricing, and no “as is, where is” disclaimers — the Consumer Guarantees Act applies to dealer sales and cannot be contracted out of for consumers.