Buying or selling a vehicle

• Tips for sellers
• Tips for buyers

There's more to buying or selling a vehicle than exchanging the keys and money.

Here are some easy steps you should follow to ensure you don't get caught with other people's unpaid licence fees and fines.

Tips for sellers

Do:

• ensure that all outstanding licence fees are paid. If you sell an unlicensed vehicle, you remain liable for the licensing fees
• notify Land Transport New Zealand of the sale/disposal of the vehicle by lodging an MR 13A form within 7 days of the date of sale
• confirm your details (as the seller) on the MR 13A form
• record the buyer's full name and address details on the MR 13A form
• send the MR 13A form by FREEPOST to Land Transport New Zealand's Transport Registry Centre.

Don't:

• rely on the buyer to lodge the form
• hand over the vehicle until the buyer can prove that they have changed the ownership into their name.

For your own protection, you should wait for the buyer to bring you a change of ownership card, issued by a Land Transport New Zealand agent, before you hand the vehicle over. (This card proves that the buyer has, in fact, changed the ownership.)

The change of ownership card looks like this:

Change of ownership card

• Read Factsheet 41 Buying and selling for more information.
• Also see our Don't get stung! web page.

Tips for buyers

Do:

• notify Land Transport New Zealand of the purchase of the vehicle by lodging an MR 13B form within 7 days of the purchase date. (You should lodge the form, with the appropriate fee, at a Land Transport New Zealand agent)
• remember to confirm your details (as the buyer) on the MR 13B form
• remember to take valid identification to the agent
• remember to ask the agent for a change of ownership label, so you can show the seller that the ownership has been transferred.

Protect yourself by asking the following:

• Is there any money owed on the vehicle? You can search the Personal Property Securities Register if you become a registered user. Searches cost $3 and can be done by the vehicle’s VIN (vehicle identification number, found on an aluminium plate on or near the engine block), or the vehicle's chassis number or registration plates.
• Has the vehicle had an independent vehicle inspection?
• Has the odometer been tampered with?
• Are there any outstanding road user charges payable?
• Does the vehicle have a current RUC licence?
• Are any outstanding licence fees payable?
• Does the vehicle have a current licence?

Last updated: 2 August 2005