Purchasing a car, particularly for the first time can be daunting, so the team here at AutoTrader has complied a series of articles taking you through the process. In today's piece, we answer the questions pertaining to the registration of a car and licensing of a vehicle after purchase.
The dealership usually takes care of that anyway.
If you bought from a dealership, the chances are that they’ve already set the wheels in motion to transfer the car to your name. This isn’t just because they’re really helpful people, but also because they want to create a legal distance between themselves and your new wheels – keeping the car on their name could create many difficulties on the traffic infringement- and third party or public liability claims fronts.
You’re paying for that service in any case – remember the big furore about On The Road Fees? A substantial chunk of your money already went towards the dealership to cover administrative fees and licensing, so there isn’t much more for you to do than make sure that your details on the licensing forms are correct.
Buying privately is a different matter, though
If you didn’t find your new wheels at a dealership, the procedure changes somewhat. Remember, it’s always your responsibility to ensure that your car is registered in your name. If you bought from a dealership, they’d have taken care of this for you, but because you’re buying from a private seller, this becomes your job
The only obligation on the seller’s part is to supply you with the car’s registration document and to notify the authorities of the change of ownership. The latter task is performed by submitting a Notification of Change of Ownership (NCO) form (which you both have to sign) to their registration authority.
So much paperwork
There’s a lot of pen-pushing happening in this process. Once the seller has submitted the NCO form, you have 21 days to submit your own forms to your licensing authority. It’s quite a list, consisting of the car’s current Certificate of Registration, an Application for Registration and Licensing of a motor Vehicle (RLV) form, a valid roadworthiness certificate (CoR), a certified copy of your ID, and your proof of address.
These 21 days is the leeway allowed by the law, and during that time, you’ll have to arrange a roadworthiness test and get the vehicle’s title transferred to your name. Once the 21 days have passed, your vehicle will technically be unregistered, so it’s best to take care of this matter as quickly as possible.
About that Certificate of Roadworthiness (CoR)
Seeing as you’re buying privately, there’s no dealership to take care of your CoR test, and legally, the onus falls on you, the buyer. However, you could ask the seller to have the car tested prior to handing over the car (mostly applicable to a car with few or no obvious defects), thus furnishing you with the Registration Certificate as well as a valid CoR when you collect the vehicle.
In fact, it’s a great idea to make the inclusion of a valid CoR a condition of sale (if the car would probably pass easily enough anyway) – that way, it removes a significant hassle from your hands, and will ensure that your new purchase has passed at least one fairly comprehensive safety- and quality check. A CoR remains valid for two months from the date of issue, so be sure to check the dates when you receive the car’s documents from the seller.
What if the car won’t pass the CoR right away?
Let’s say the car needs some repairs before it would pass a CoR, and the seller won’t accept responsibility for these repairs or to obtain the CoR. This is a frequent occurrence in the realm of neglected, classic or collectible cars, many of which have languished and deteriorated through age and disuse. First of all, you’ll need an agreement with the seller that they won’t submit their NCO form right away, especially if it will take more than 21 days to get the car to a roadworthy condition.
Draw up a simple agreement to describe the terms of this sale, noting that the NCO should be delayed, but that the car was sold and handed over to you, along with the car’s registration certificate, but with a pending registration process. Also state clearly that the seller will not be held liable for any traffic infringements, future licensing costs, or any additional costs incurred. That way, you have proof that you bought the car legally, and the seller is safeguarded against future damages. Hand one copy of this agreement to the seller, and keep the other with the documents you already received.
Points to remember
- The seller has to complete and submit the NCO form at their local licensing authority, and you both need to sign it.
- You have 21 days to submit your own documentation after submission of the NCO.
- That documentation has to include a certified copy of your ID, proof of residence, CoR and RLV form.
- A CoR is valid for 2 months from date of issue, and obtaining it is the buyer’s responsibility.
Keyword: Do you have to register and license a car as soon as you buy it?