See all Motoring AdviceA new Online Change of Vehicle Ownership service has been launched in Ireland. This e-government service allows private (non-trade) vehicle owners to transfer vehicle registration to another private owner, entirely online.
Up until now, this process could only be done by post or by visiting a motor tax office, and process the ownership change when taxing the vehicle.
This online service complements other initiatives of the Department of Transport such as the plan to remove the need for paper discs in vehicle windscreens and the highly effective and simple Motor Tax Online website. All these initiatives lead towards the goal of having a completely digital Life Events portal for all transport related citizen services in the future.
How does it work?
The Online Change of Vehicle Ownership service can be accessed at https://www.vehicleservices.gov.ie/cvo/ or through www.motortax.ie
- The seller begins the process by entering their vehicle registration and vehicle registration certificate number.
- Once this matches the record on the National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF), proving that the seller is the recorded vehicle owner, a one-time transfer PIN is emailed to the seller’s email address as recorded on the NVDF.
• The seller then shares this transfer PIN with the buyer.
• The buyer enters the transfer PIN and logs in through their verified MyGovId to complete the transaction. - The buyer is presented with a declaration confirming that they are taking ownership of the vehicle and their legal obligations.
- Ownership of the vehicle is transferred to the buyer and a new Vehicle Registration Certificate (VRC) will be posted to the new owner’s address.
• The date of sale recorded will be the date the transaction was processed online
Speaking about the service, Minister of State with special responsibility for International and Road Transport and Logistics, Lawless said: "It is now possible to transfer vehicle ownership online, in real-time, when the vehicle is physically changing hands. The new service benefits both the seller and the buyer at the point of sale. The seller can be satisfied that the vehicle is no longer recorded in their name and that they have no further legal obligations with regard to it, while the buyer has confirmation that they are now the recorded owner of the vehicle on the National Driver and Vehicle File.”
“As these private change of ownership notifications were previously processed through manual data entry on the NVDF, there are obvious advantages to offering the service online. The new service will put the notification of the ownership change entirely in the hands of the seller and buyer of the vehicle, and save them time and money. The sharing of real-time data on the status of the transaction will result in a better customer experience for both parties.”