A serial-number search looks up the PPSR by the unique identifier of a piece of property rather than by its owner. The most common identifier is a vehicle VIN, but chassis numbers, aircraft serials, and certain watercraft hull numbers also work.
What it returns
If a security interest has been registered against the asset, the search returns the secured party, the registration date, the description, and any expiry. If clear, you get a certificate confirming no registrations.
Why it matters
Equipment dealers use it to confirm a trade-in is unencumbered. Asset finance brokers use it to confirm the specific asset being financed isn't double-encumbered. Auctioneers use it for lot-level clearance before sale.
Org-only scope
Serial-number searches sit inside Hoist Assets' org-only scope. They do not require an individual-grantor search because the lookup is against the asset identifier. Whether a serial-number source check can run depends on approved access and source availability. See org-only scope (disambiguation).
Related terms
- PPSR - The Australian national register where security interests in personal property are recorded.
- NPII - Disambiguation: AFSA's National Personal Insolvency Index (bankruptcy register), distinct from Hoist Assets's deprecated internal 'NPII' shorthand for org-only PPSR searches (now renamed to 'org-only').
How Hoist Assets uses this
Run serial-number checks through the Hoist API, CLI, or MCP surfaces when account access and source availability allow it. See /docs for current endpoints.