What is the PPSR and why does it matter for compliance?

The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is a government register that records security interests in personal property — vehicles, equipment, stock, and other moveable assets. It is maintained by the Companies Office and is one of the most frequently searched data sources in New Zealand.

Who uses it?

Car dealers, finance companies, asset recovery firms, insurers, and anyone who needs to check whether goods are subject to a security interest (like a loan or lease). Thousands of searches are run daily.

The privacy angle

When you search the PPSR by a person's name, you are accessing personal information from a government source. That triggers IPP3A: you need to take reasonable steps to ensure the individual knows about the search.

When you search by registration number and the result includes personal information about the registered owner or secured parties, the same obligation applies.

The gap

The PPSR itself does not notify individuals when their records are searched. That responsibility falls on the agency running the search. Most businesses do not have systems in place to handle this notification or to record the consent pathway.

Integration with DEIS

DEIS connects to the PPSR so that every search is logged with the IPP3A pathway selected by the user. If notification is required, DEIS handles it. The result is a complete, exportable evidence trail for every PPSR lookup your business performs.