Re-registration of a car in Ukraine: rules and documents

Both the previous and the new owner have the right to re-register a vehicle. The procedure for re-registering a car comes down to a sequence of actions at the service center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs within the framework of current legislation. Since 22.08.2018, the Cabinet of Ministers abolished the need to deregister the car at the MREO during re-registration, which significantly simplified the process.

The standard re-registration procedure includes the following stages:

  1. Drafting a sales contract.
  2. Transferring a copy of the signed contract to the employee of the car dealership where the car is purchased.
  3. Verification of the car by VIN code.
  4. Production of new license plates and technical passport.
  5. Visit to a notary:
    • obtaining a certificate from the Ministry of Internal Affairs confirming the car is not in the stolen database;
    • payment of state duty;
    • payment for notary services;
    • signing the sales contract.

To re-register a car in Ukraine, the following list of documents is required:

  1. Passports and identification codes of both parties to the transaction.
  2. Vehicle registration certificate.
  3. A document confirming ownership:
    • inheritance certificate;
    • gift agreement;
    • previous sales contract.
  4. A handwritten application.
  5. Appraisal report of the car's value and safety certificate.
  6. Payment receipt.

The operator will inform about the need to provide other documents. Starting from 2020, notarization of the transaction is no longer mandatory. Registration of the contract is now carried out directly at the state service center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs — it is fast and convenient. The entire procedure fits into one day (with a favorable outcome — 3-6 hours).

This option is optimal for direct re-registration. If the transaction is indirect, it is wiser to use the services of a notary. A lawyer, preparing the package of documents, will check the information about the car being sold, which will protect the new owner from possible troubles.

Service center

For prompt and correct service at the MIA service center, you should book in advance in the electronic queue via the terminal at the entrance. To do this, enter the vehicle number in the appropriate field, after which a receipt with the queue number is issued.

When your turn comes, the number of the operator's window that will accept documents will appear on the display. You won't be able to miss your turn — the number is duplicated visually on the screen.

The operator will request originals and copies of documents from the seller and buyer and begin the registration procedure. In 2020, car appraisal is possible directly at the service center: the operator visits a car sales website and checks the average market price of a similar car.

The specialist takes a screenshot, prints it, and files it in the package of documents. The stated amount does not affect the state duty if the seller is conducting a sale for the first time this year. For repeated sales, a tax of 6.5% is charged on each transaction.

The operator transfers the collected package to experts, where the applicant is also sent. At the inspection site, the car is examined and an expert opinion is drawn up. After the inspection, the expert sends the owner back to the operator and allows the removal of license plates for further processing of the transaction.

You must have additional copies of passports and tax identification numbers of both participants — they are attached to the sales contract. Signing of the contract and payment take place on the spot. You also need to pay for MIA services at the bank branch located in any service center.

The payment receipt remains with the operator. For yourself, you can make a copy or ask the cashier for a duplicate. After that, new license plates and a registration certificate are issued. The sales contract drawn up at the center serves as the title document.

Important! The exhaustive list of documents for re-registering a car in Ukraine is posted on the website of any regional service center.

How to re-register a car to yourself without the owner?

Sometimes circumstances arise when urgent re-registration of a car is required, but the owner is absent (abroad, deceased, working on a rotational basis, etc.). The procedure for re-registering a car to yourself in Ukraine without the owner's presence has its own nuances.

If the owner has died

According to clause 2.1 of the Ukrainian Traffic Rules, if you have registration documents and an old-style technical passport, you are allowed to use the car without the owner for no longer than one year. Re-registration must be carried out in a timely manner to avoid large fines.

If the car is used under a power of attorney, you need to contact the relatives of the deceased and agree on its extension. To do this, the heirs must enter into inheritance rights and obtain the appropriate certificate from a notary. Or confirm their rights in court, after which resolve the issue with the car. Relatives can sell the vehicle under a contract or issue a general power of attorney — it all depends on the circumstances.

When selling a car in Ukraine after the owner's death, re-registration in any case goes through the MIA service center according to the standard scheme with the submission of the above-mentioned package of documents. The new owner must:

  • contact any center, submit an application and provide documents;
  • undergo verification of license plates;
  • pay the state duty at the bank;
  • receive the registration certificate and technical passport.

The heirs have the right to demand from the interested person (buyer or authorized person) compensation for court costs and payment for notary services.

Re-registration by power of attorney

To re-register a car from a husband to a wife or from parents to a son by power of attorney, according to the rules in effect in 2020, it is also necessary to contact the MIA service center. The basis is Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 243 dated 03.04.2013, which approves the list of required documents.

The law allows issuing a power of attorney to several relatives at once. The document is certified by a notary and created in several copies — the original remains with each family member. The general power of attorney is submitted to the Service Center as one of the main documents confirming ownership.

Relatives with a power of attorney have the right to independently deregister the car during indirect re-registration and transfer ownership to another person. For direct re-registration, deregistration is not required — a visit to the service center is sufficient.

A general power of attorney allows transferring the car to a stranger who is not a relative. If the owner dies, the right of ownership passes to the heir. Then, within a year, re-registration will have to be carried out again. The owner can revoke the power of attorney at any time (Article 249 of the Civil Code). Therefore, if the driver is not the owner, it is wiser to save up funds and buy out the car, becoming its full owner.

Important! During re-registration, the presence of the car is mandatory. License plates may be retained when changing the owner.

Re-registration of a car for disabled persons

A car issued by the state to a disabled person, after 10 years of use, becomes the lifelong property of the owner or their legal representative. This rule is enshrined in Resolution of the CMU No. 1149 dated 30.12.2015.

An authorized person or legal representative of a person with a disability can assist in re-registration. To do this, a notarized power of attorney is issued to perform registration actions on behalf of the disabled person. The authorized person contacts the MIA service center with the full package of documents and the car itself for expert assessment.

The transfer of ownership of the car to a disabled person after 10 years of use is carried out by social security authorities. An employee may contact the local administration to obtain permission and deliver the documents personally to the place of residence or send them by registered mail with notification.