What paperwork do you need when selling a car?

If you’re selling your vehicle or trading it in for a new model, it is essential that you register the change of ownership. How you go about this depends on the age of the car you’re getting rid of – basically, if it was registered before January 1, 1993, there’s one process and if it was registered on or after January 1, 1993, there’s another – but there are a couple of bits of paperwork you need to be well aware of.

If your car is from pre-1993, then you need to fill in form RF200 and send parts A and B of it to your local Motor Taxation Office, along with the vehicle’s Registration Book if you’ve sold it to a private buyer; if not, hand the Registration Book to the dealer you have sold the car to and just send in form RF200. Part C of RF200 should be detached and retained by the new owner, whether this is a dealer or a private individual.

For any cars post-1992, the change of ownership must be registered with the Driver and Vehicle Computer Services Division (DVCSD) of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. This requires a different form, but only if you’re selling to a dealer – in which case, you need form RF105, which should be available at the dealership. This needs to be completed and sent to the DVCSD.

If you’re selling a post-1992 car to a private individual form RF105 is not necessary. For any cars registered between 1 January, 1993, and 1 April, 2004, you will need the Vehicle Registration Certificate (VRC) and the Vehicle Licensing Certificate (VLC). Complete the ‘New Owner Details’ section of the Vehicle Licensing Certificate and return it to the DVCSD, and give the Vehicle Registration Certificate to the new owner to keep. In the instance of selling a car above to a dealer, you don’t send anything but form RF105 to the DVCSD; both the Vehicle Registration Certificate and the Vehicle Licensing Certificate are given to the dealer.

For post-April 2004 cars, a new type of Vehicle Registration Certificate replaced the old VRC and VLC. Again, the ‘New Owner Details’ of the post-April 2004 VRC must be filled in and sent to the DVCSD if you’ve sold to a private seller, or to the motor dealer for a trade sale.