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Registration Transfer

• Seller and Purchaser Obligations
• Required Documents
• Bill of Sale Information
• Applicable Fees
• When to Obtain a Sworn Affidavit
• When to Obtain Insurance
• Where to Obtain a Motor Vehicle Safety Inspection Certificate
• Acceptable Payment Types
• Processing
• Transfer of Vehicle Registration Upon Death

Seller and Purchaser Obligations

The seller is required to notify the Motor Registration Division within 10 days of the sale of a motor vehicle. A Notice of Sale is provided on the reverse of the vehicle registration permit for this purpose. Failure to submit a Notice of Sale within 10 days is an offence and could result in a fine. If the vehicle remains in your name, you may receive the traffic fines that were issued to the new owner. Should an accident occur, you could be financially responsible if the new owner has not obtained insurance. Remember to protect yourself and submit a Notice of Sale. Never depend on the purchaser to transfer ownership.

The purchaser is required to transfer ownership of the motor vehicle within 10 days. Failure to do so is an offence and could result in a fine. You may operate the motor vehicle within this time, if you have valid public liability insurance on the vehicle.

The seller's vehicle registration permit, bill of sale and your Public Liability Insurance Card has to be kept in the vehicle while the vehicle is being operated, and must be produced to a traffic officer upon request.

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Required Documents

You will require

• the seller's vehicle registration permit. The seller must be the registered owner of the vehicle
• a bill of sale and/or a sworn affidavit
• a completed and signed insurance declaration (found on the reverse of the seller's vehicle registration permit)
• a motor vehicle safety inspection certificate

Note: The following vehicles do not require an inspection at the time of transfer:

• motorcycles, public buses, school buses, commercial vehicles (exceeding 4500 kg), taxis or disabled passenger vehicles.

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Bill of Sale Information

The bill of sale must contain

• date of sale
• buyer's name and driver's licence number
• year, make and model of the vehicle
• plate number and serial number
• purchase price
• name and signature of the seller
• The seller's HST registration number, if tax was collected by the seller

Note: A bill of sale is provided on the reverse side of the current vehicle registration permit or you may use a separate document

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Applicable Fees

The following fees will have to paid at the time of transfer

• transfer fee
• provincial sales tax on the purchase price or the Red Book value of vehicle
• all outstanding fines appearing on your record

Note: If you purchased the vehicle within 45 days of the vehicle registration expiry date, you should also consider paying the annual renewal fee, since the renewal notice has already been mailed to the previous owner.

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When to Obtain a Sworn Affidavit

A sworn affidavit from the buyer and seller is required when the purchase price of the vehicle is below the wholesale Red Book value.

Note: If you purchase the vehicle from a business and the HST registration number is shown on the bill of sale, an affidavit will not be required.

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When to Obtain Insurance

You are required to obtain public liability insurance coverage before the vehicle can be transferred or driven on a highway.

Transfers can be made without insurance or an inspection certificate, if the plates are expired or returned to the Motor Registration Division

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Where to Obtain a Motor Vehicle Safety Inspection Certificate

Most service stations and automotive centres are registered as Official Inspection Stations and are able to issue the inspection certificate required for the transfer of your vehicle. A vehicle branded as salvage will require a three-stage inspection upon being rebuilt. A current list of Official Inspection Stations, which are authorized to perform inspections on salvage vehicles, may be obtained from the Motor Registration Division.

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Acceptable Payment Types

You can pay by one of the following

• Cheque or money order made payable to the Newfoundland Exchequer; or
• Visa or MasterCard. Please include card number, expiry date by month and year, Authorization to deduct fees from credit card and signature of card holder.
• If you pay in person you may also pay by debit card.

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Processing

You may have your transfer of ownership processed in person, at any Regional Motor Registration Office, or by mail.

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Transfer of Vehicle Registration Upon Death

Transfer of Vehicle Registration upon a Death Application (1.9 MB)

Documentation Required:

When the registered owner of a vehicle dies, the vehicle becomes part of their estate. The following documents must be completed and filed with the Division:

Transfer upon Death Application and Affidavit

Applicable sections of the Transfer of Vehicle Registration upon a Death Application (1.9 MB) and Affidavit must be completed and sworn to before an Application can be accepted for processing. In all cases sections 1, 2 and 7 of the Application must be completed. Please read all portions of the Application carefully before signing.

Death Certificate is defined as: Original or certified copy of Funeral Director's Death Certificate or Government issued Death Certificate.

Note: Section 2 - list only the vehicles that are to be transferred at time of application

Transfer Application/Insurance Verification (Section 8)

May be completed separately and included with Application and other required documents; or

Please complete transfer application section 8 of the Application, if more than one vehicle is being transferred and the insurance information is not the same, a separate Insurance Verification will have to be completed for each vehicle.

Where There Is a Will and the Will has been Probated

Section 3(a) of the Transfer of Vehicle Registration upon a Death Application (1.9 MB) must also be completed. The Executor/Executrix will sign for the estate as the "seller" identifying the vehicle owner.

Where There Is a Will and It Has Not Been Probated

Where the vehicle is identified in the Will as a specific request or a vehicle has not been identified in the Will as a specific bequest AND the entire estate is left to a single individual or to various individuals, Section 3(b) of the Application must also be completed.

Where There Is Not a Will but Letters of Administration Granted

Sections 4 and 7 of the Transfer of Vehicle Registration upon a Death Application (1.9 MB) must also be completed. The Administrator of the estate will sign for the estate.

Where There is Not a Will and No Letters of Administration Granted

Where there is no Will, the estate becomes subject to the terms of the Family Law Act and the Intestate Succession Act. Sections 4 and 7 of the Transfer of Vehicle Registration Upon a Death Application must also be completed. Please complete and sign the application for the estate.

Transfer of Vehicles to Common Law Spouses

In addition to the Transfer of Vehicle Registration upon a Death Application (1.9 MB) (section 6) being completed, one of the following documents must be submitted:.

1. Cohabitation Agreement signed by both parties which sets out that the vehicle is to be distributed to the applicant in the event the parties cease to co-habitate by reason of separation/death;
2. Copy of Will and Letters of Probate. Bill of Sale from Executor of the Estate to common law spouse;
3. Copy of Will without Letters of Probate with the vehicle left to the applicant or entire estate left to the applicant and/or others. Bill of Sale from Executor of Estate to common law spouse.
4. Newfoundland Supreme Court Trial Division decision specific to those parties that a constructive trust exists entitling the common law spouse to the vehicle.

Transfer Fee

The fee for transfer of registered ownership of a vehicle upon the death of a registrant, where the vehicle is transferred as the result of a bequest and is not sold as part of the assets of the estate is $0.

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