GuidesReviewed 29 July 2026

PPSR search and verification at the start of an appointment

Insolvency practitioners & lawyers

Grantor search
by ACN / ABN
Perfection
what you verify
Early
at the appointment
AFSA
runs the register

One of the first things to do on an appointment is search the PPSR against the company as grantor. It maps every registered security interest over the company's personal property — who claims what, and whether each interest is perfected.

That picture is the basis for working out priorities and for testing each secured party's claim against what's actually registered.

A grantor search at day one maps who holds security — before any claim is taken at face value.

What the search shows — and doesn't

  • Every registration against the grantor: the secured parties, the collateral classes, and the registration dates.
  • Whether each interest is current and how it's perfected.
  • It does not show amounts owing — that's verified separately against the agreements.

How to verify a secured party's claim

  1. Run the grantor search

    Search the company's ACN/ABN on the PPSR and take the certificate as the baseline (ppsr.gov.au).

  2. Match each registration to an agreement

    For each claimed interest, obtain the security agreement and check the registration against it — grantor identifier, collateral description, and dates.

  3. Test perfection and timing

    Establish whether the interest is properly perfected and was registered in time, since defects and late registration can affect whether it holds (ppsr.gov.au — external administration of a grantor).

  4. Record the verified position

    Set out which interests are verified, which are defective or unperfected, and how they rank — the basis for the decisions that follow.

Sources: Personal Property Securities Register (ppsr.gov.au) — searching the register and external administration of a grantor. The PPSR is operated by the Australian Financial Security Authority (AFSA).

Frequently asked questions

A grantor search on the company's ACN/ABN maps every registered security interest over its personal property — who claims what, and whether each interest is perfected. It's the starting point for working out priorities.

Compare the registration against the security agreement and the collateral: is the grantor identifier correct, is the collateral description right, was it registered in time, and is it otherwise perfected. Defects can change whether the interest holds.

It returns registrations against the grantor — the secured parties, collateral classes, registration dates and whether interests are current. It doesn't show amounts owed; that's verified separately.

Yes — the service will run and interpret the searches and verify registrations against the agreements, so you have a clear PPSR picture. Verification and resolution will be Verexia's part; the appointment decisions remain yours.

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