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 January 1st 1993.

Selling Your Vehicle Privately

If you sell your vehicle privately, part B of the Vehicle Licensing Certificate, which you would have received when you bought the vehicle, should be completed and returned to the Vehicle Registration Unit of the Department of Environment and Local Government. It usually takes about 3-4 weeks for the registration in your name to take place. You cannot tax your vehicle in your Motor Tax Office until this has gone through. As failure to drive without paying motor tax is an offence, you should not drive until you receive confirmation that the change of registration has occurred.

Selling Your Vehicle To A Motor Dealer

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 of the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government (details below), while the Vehicle Licensing Certificate and Vehicle Registration Certificates are given to the motor dealer. It may take 3-4 weeks for the registration in your name to be processed. Again, it's an offence to drive without paying motor tax so you should not drive until you receive confirmation that the registration has occurred and you have paid motor tax to your local Motor Tax Office.

Read more about Change of Vehicle Ownership on the http://www.citizensinformation.ie/ website.

Contact for Change of Vehicle Ownership

The Vehicle Registration Unit at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Goverment deals with change of vehicle ownership. Contact them as follows:

Vehicle Registration Unit,
Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government,
Shannon,
Co. Clare.
Tel: (061) 365000
Fax: (061) 363480
LoCall: 1890 411 412 (calls charged at local rate from anywhere in the country).