Can you change vehicle ownership ONLINE?

Unfortunately, you cannot purely change vehicle ownership online. Buying and/or selling a vehicle may involve a handshake and an exchange of money but there’s also a ton of detailed paperwork this is required by the authorities.

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And it all needs to be done so you don’t face an unpleasant surprise months down the line when the car is no longer in your possession. According to Gov.za website, you have 21 days to notify authorities when you change vehicle ownership, ie. buy or sell a car.

CHANGE VEHICLE OWNERSHIP ONLINE

These are the documents (with links) you will need:

• A Notice of Change of Particulars of person or organisation (NCP) form. Download it HERE.
• The new owner must register the car in their name with the Notification of change ownership form. Download it HERE.
• If you are the person selling the vehicle you will need to complete the NCO form first and then submit it to the traffic department. The NCP must be complete by the new owner.

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• There is a registration fee for the new owner. But only if the registration takes place within 21 days.
• The new owner must also pay the relevant license fee. This depends on the tare of the vehicle and we’ve explained the whole breakdown of fees HERE.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED?

Both the buyer and seller will need a copy of their identity (ID) document if South African citizens. Foreign citizens must bring an original and certified copy of their ID and/or a temporary residence permit.

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Both the buyer and seller must supply a proof of residential address e.g. utility account with your name on it. If you stay in an informal settlement, a letter with an official date stamp from the ward councilor confirming your residential address will suffice.

DONE DEAL?

• Not quite. Once the seller has completed the NCO form and submitted it, the seller must hand over the registration certificate to the new owner.
• The buyer must complete the Application for Registration and Licensing of Motor Vehicle form (RLV) for submission. Download it HERE.
• The new owner/buyer must then submit the vehicle registration certificate to authorities. And also provide a mass measuring certificate if the vehicle’s tare (weight) was changed. Download it HERE.
  
• Even after the sale of the vehicle, the seller remains responsible for license fees and any fines obtained until it is registered in the new owners’ name. Make sure this is done to avoid any nasty surprises months down the line.

TIME AND COST

While you cannot change vehicle ownership online, applications are processed on the same day and you can contact your local licensing authority for the fees and cost involved:

• Johannesburg.
• Tshwane.
• City of Cape Town.
• Nelson Mandela Bay.
• Eastern Cape municipalities.
• Free State municipalities.
• Gauteng municipalities.
• KwaZulu-Natal municipalities.
• Limpopo municipalities.
• Mpumalanga municipalities.
• North West municipalities.
• Northern Cape municipalities.
• Western Cape municipalities.

What do you think of the fact that you cannot change vehicle ownership online in SA? Be sure to share your thoughts with our audience in the comments section below. And don’t forget to follow us @TheSANews on Twitter and The South African on Facebook for the latest updates.

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