Security interests
PPSR searches in New Zealand: registered security interests over personal property
An asset that is already secured is not an asset available to you, and the PPSR is where that is settled one way or the other.
The problem this answers
Plant, vehicles, stock and equipment look like recoverable value until a financing statement shows someone else registered an interest in them first.
The same question runs the other way in credit decisions: what is already secured against this debtor, and by whom, before more is advanced.
What the search returns
- Registered financing statements against a debtor, whether an individual or an organisation.
- The secured party on each registration.
- The collateral described, including serial numbered goods where registered.
- Registration and expiry dates, which set the priority position.
When it is used
- Recovery assessment, to see what is left once prior security is accounted for.
- Before advancing credit, to understand the existing security position over a debtor's property.
- Pre-litigation asset enquiry, alongside title and company records.
- Insurance and claims work, where an interest in an insured asset changes the picture.
What it does not establish
- A registration records a claimed interest. It does not prove the underlying agreement is valid or that the debt remains outstanding.
- Absence of a registration is not proof that nothing is owed.
- The register describes collateral. It does not value it.
The limits on the enquiry
- PPSR data is accessed under MBIE terms of use, for the purpose declared for the search.
- Every search records the user, the time and the declared authorised purpose.
The statutory position is set out in full on the compliance page.
Who may access it
- Verified account holders with a declarable authorised purpose.
How intelID consolidates the result
Security interests return alongside title, company and insolvency data, so the encumbrance position is read against the assets it attaches to.
One audit entry covers the whole enquiry.
What you pay is the monthly subscription plus the searches you run, set out on the pricing page. Every integrated source and its legal basis is listed on the data sources page.
Related reading
Questions about security interests
Can I search the PPSR by person as well as by company?
Yes. Financing statements are registered against debtors, which may be individuals or organisations, and both can be searched.
Does a registration mean the debt is still owed?
No. A registration can survive the obligation behind it. It tells you an interest was registered, by whom and over what, which is the starting point rather than the conclusion.
Is this an official PPSR search?
It is register data returned for enquiry and assessment. Where an official search certificate is required, obtain it from the register directly.
Request access to intelID
Tell us who you are and what you need to search, and we will set up your account. Verification is part of the process and usually straightforward. Most accounts are verified and issued within 2 business days.