Transfer Car Ownership | Car Ownership in Singapore | DirectAsia

Things You Need to Know About Transferring Your Car Ownership

Reading time: 6 mins

Introduction

There comes a time when you might have to sell your car or give it to a relative or friend as a gift. If you are looking for a quick guide on how to transfer your car to its new owner and how to do it successfully, then this article is what you need.

Transferring your vehicle is straightforward and easy; you can even do it all from your phone. It is that simple, but it’s important to know a few things before transferring ownership of your car in Singapore. Read on.
 

Things You Should Know Before Transferring Your Car in Singapore

Transferring your car in Singapore might be a simple process, but the LTA (Land Transport Authority) has some requirements that both parties must meet before you can legally transfer your car’s ownership.

• The car must not be under any financial or legal obligations like taxes, fines, outstanding fees, and fines.
• Ensure the car has passed vehicle inspection stipulated by the LTA at any of their inspection centres.
• If the car is between 4 and 6 months old, the new owner will pay a levy. This is applicable when the COE (Certificate of Entitlement) was lower than the COE at the time of the transfer.
• If the car registered under categories A or B under the COE Categories, the vehicle must be at least 3-months old before you can transfer it.
• Once you have started the transfer process, both parties have seven days to complete it.
• The transfer can be done through SingPass, CorpPass, or with the LTA.

If you meet the criteria for transferring your car, here are the steps on how to transfer ownership of your vehicle.
 

Step 1: Find the New Owner

You can decide to give it to someone, find a buyer yourself, or work with a car dealer to sell your car. We’d discuss the latter two briefly.

Selling the car yourself eliminates the need for a middleman; this means you get a better deal. You can use platforms like OneShift.com, Carro.sg, Scars.sg or SgCarMart.com.

However, going this route has some downsides. You will spend a lot of time meeting up with potential buyers that would inspect the vehicle, take the car out for a test drive. There might be price haggling that might get on your nerves.

Selling your car through a dealer has a lot of perks. For one: if you want to get rid of the car quickly—dealers might have buyers requesting the model you are offering. Secondly, if there are pending payments on the car, the dealer can pay them and deduct it from the sale of the car.

To sell your car through a motor dealer, you must transfer ownership to the vendor under the Temporary Transfer of Vehicle Scheme.

Ensure that the dealer you decide to work with has a CASETRUST-SVTA certification. (Learn more about the CASETRUST-SVTA here.)

The downside to using a motor vendor is the commission they charge for selling your car.
 

Step 2: Pay Up All Outstanding Fees

The LTA makes it compulsory to pay all outstanding debts, fine, before they initiate the transfer process. If you would prefer to sell your car through a motor vendor, the dealer can pay the loans in the interim.

Step 3: Begin the Transfer Process

Starting the transfer process is simple. You can either do it with a 2FA login at SingPass, CorpPass or visit the LTA Customer Service Centre. The former is a convenient option. If the vehicle is a diplomatic one, a Light Goods Vehicle (LGV) or the vehicle's owner is deceased, you’ll have to visit the LTA Customer Service Centre.

If you’d still like to retain your vehicle number, keep it before you start the transfer. Learn more about retaining your vehicle number here.
 

Quick Steps on How To Transfer Your Car’s Ownership Yourself On OneMotoring

• Ensure that the next owner has their vehicle insurance ready. Visit: https://onemotoring.lta.gov.sg/ and log in with your SingPass or CorpPass 2FA login ID. 
• Click on ‘Digital Services’, scroll down a little, under the ‘Popular Digital Services’ click on ‘Transfer Vehicle’.
• You’ll require the vehicle’s registration number. Ask the next owner for their NRIC, FIN, or their company’s registration number and phone number.
• After you have followed the on-screen instructions, the next owner should receive an SMS alerting them of the transfer. There is a 5-day confirmation window period during which they have to confirm the transfer.
• To confirm the transfer, the new car owner will also visit https://onemotoring.lta.gov.sg/, log in with their SingPass or CorpPass log in, and pay the $25 fee to confirm the transfer.
• The former and new owner will both receive an SMS that they have successfully transferred the vehicle ownership.
• Set a date to meet with the new owner to deliver the car and its keys to them.

And voila! You have successfully transferred your car! It is that simple.
 

For Buyers We Will Cover the Steps To Look Out For Before Taking Over A Car

If you are a purchaser, here are things you need to know about owning a second-hand car in Singapore.
 

Need Guidance?

The Consumer Association of Singapore (CASE) put together a SAFE checklist that guides buyers interested in second-hand cars.
 

On Taxes and Rebates

If the vehicle you are taking over is eligible for rebates from taxes paid, these rebates are transferred with the car's ownership. Sometimes, the seller might require some compensation, but this is entirely up to both parties if agreed.
 

On Inspection Of The Engine And Chassis Number

Be sure to confirm the engine and chassis number match the LTA records. You can do this by visiting an LTA-Authorised Inspection Centre (AIC) or using the Enquire Transfer Fees digital service on their website. If the recorded LTA does not tally with the engine and chassis number, the vehicle cannot be used and will not be eligible for PARF or COE rebates.
 

On Insurance

The new owner must buy car insurance when they have taken over the car. It is mandatory as a motorist in Singapore. If you have any questions related to car insurance, connect with our experts at DirectAsia on 6665 5555 or email us at customerservice@directasia.com . We’ll be happy to answer your queries. DirectAsia is an award-winning insurer with a customer satisfaction rating of more than 90%.
 

On Verification

Visit your OneMotoring dashboard to confirm the car is legally yours, i.e., you have registered as the owner. The LTA will send you a letter and an SMS to confirm the transfer.