Online Service Simplifies Vehicle Ownership Transfers in Ireland

An Online Change of Vehicle Ownership service was launched late last year. 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. 

The new service offers greater peace of mind to buyers by allowing them to confirm key vehicle details before finalising the purchase. The buyer can view the make, model, colour, VIN number, number of previous owners, NCT expiry date, tax expiry date, date of registration in Ireland and import status before they proceed with a purchase. It also highlights if the current NCT status of the vehicle indicates a ‘Fail Dangerous’.

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 view the vehicle details and 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