Change of vehicle ownership

If you sell your vehicle or trade it in for a new model in Ireland, you must register the change of ownership. This is done in one of two ways and depends on whether the vehicle was first registered before or after 1 January 1993.

You may register a change of ownership at your local Motor Taxation Office if your vehicle was first registered on or before 1 January 1993. If it was first registered after this date, the change of ownership must be registered directly with the Vehicle Registration Unit of the Department of Transport.

Where your vehicle was first registered after April 2004 a new form of Vehicle Registration Certificate would have been issued. This replaced both the Vehicle Registration Certificate and the Vehicle Licensing Certificate issued for cars registered before April 2004.

Selling a vehicle registered before 1 January 1993

If you sell your vehicle privately, you will need to complete a Change of Ownership form (RF 200), which is available from your local Motor Taxation Office. The completed form and the Log Book should then be brought or sent to your local Motor Taxation Office where the change of ownership details will be registered.

If you sell your vehicle to a motor dealer, you need to complete a RF 200 form and bring or send it to your local Motor Taxation Office. The Log Book does not accompany this, as you have to give the Log Book to the motor dealer at the time of selling.

Selling a vehicle registered on or after 1 January 1993

If you sell your vehicle privately, part B of the Vehicle Licensing Certificate, (Vehicle Registration Certificate for post-April 2004 vehicles) which you would have received when you bought the vehicle, should be completed and returned to the Vehicle Registration Unit of the Department of Transport. The new details will be registered and the certificate will be sent to the new owner. The Vehicle Registration Certificate, which you also get when you buy a pre-April 2004 vehicle, should be given to the new owner at the time of the sale.

If you sell your vehicle to a motor dealer, you have to complete a form RF 105, which is available from the motor dealer. The completed form should be returned to the Vehicle Registration Unit, while the Vehicle Licensing Certificate and Vehicle Registration Certificates (Vehicle Registration Certificate for post-April 2004 vehicles) are given to the motor dealer.

When selling a vehicle to a motor dealer in either transaction, a valid garage code must be supplied on behalf of the motor dealer. Failure to supply this code will result in the change of ownership being rejected - by either your Motor Tax Office or the Vehicle Registration Office of the Department of Transport. The motor dealer can only obtain a valid garage code from the Department in Co. Clare by fulfilling strict criteria. (See "Where to apply" for contact information.

Buying a vehicle registered before 1 January 1993

If you buy a vehicle that was first registered before this date, you must complete part B of the RF 200 form and detach and retain part C, which is completed by the seller. The new details will be registered in the Log Book, which will then be returned to the new owner.

Buying a vehicle registered after 1 January 1993

If you privately buy a vehicle that was first registered after this date, the seller must fill in your details on part B of the Vehicle Licensing Certificate (Vehicle Registration Certificate for post-April 2004 vehicles) and return it to the Vehicle Registration Unit of the Department of Transport. The new details will be registered and the amended certificate will be sent to you. The seller will give the Vehicle Registration Certificate for a pre-April 2004 vehicle to you when you buy the vehicle.