How do I change ownership of a car in South Africa, and what does it cost?

By Ryan Pillay, The Running-Costs Guy · 2 November 2026 · 8 min read · Buying a used car

Short answer, checked 2 November 2026: a change of ownership in South Africa is two jobs done by two people. The seller fills in the yellow NCO form (Notification of Change of Ownership) and lodges it at a registering authority, and the buyer registers the car in their own name on form RLV (Application for Registration and Licensing) within 21 days of the sale. For a typical small car, the buyer's fees come to roughly R756 in Gauteng or R802 in the Western Cape, plus the R72 NaTIS transaction fee and a roadworthy test if the car doesn't have a recent one.

Most problems come from each side thinking the other one handled it. Below is who does what, the documents to bring, the real fees from the provincial gazettes, and the traps that leave a seller paying fines on a car they sold months ago.

Who does what: the two forms

Here's the detail most guides miss. The government service page talks about 21 days, but regulation 53(3) of the National Road Traffic Regulations says the current title holder must complete the NCO and forward it to the registering authority "forthwith", and hand over the registration certificate. Under AARTO, failing to do that is charge code 1306, listed at R1,000 (R500 if paid early) with no demerit points (AARTO Schedule 3). Lodge it the same week you sell.

The buyer's 21 days come from regulation 8: the new title holder applies for registration on form RLV within 21 days of becoming liable. The Department of Transport is blunt about it: miss that and "you will have to pay arrears and penalties".

Financed cars: if the car still has finance on it, the bank is the title holder, not the seller. The bank has to be settled and must release the registration certificate before the car can be transferred (Western Cape Government).

What each of you must bring

Seller

• Completed NCO form, parts A and C, with the buyer's details and signature in part B. Download it from the NaTIS forms page or get one at the licensing office.
• Your ID.
• A current licence disc. Regulation 53(1) says nobody may sell, deliver or buy a vehicle that isn't registered and licensed, so renew an expired disc before you sell (our expired licence disc guide shows the late fees).
• The original registration certificate, which goes to the buyer.

Buyer

The government service page lists:

• Completed RLV form.
• Your ID (foreign citizens also need form ANR and their residence permit).
• Proof of residential address, such as a utility bill. If it isn't in your name, the account holder signs an affidavit that you live there and attaches the bill.
• The registration certificate in the seller's name.
• A roadworthy certificate if the current one is older than 60 days.
• Proof of purchase, such as a signed sale agreement or invoice.

Check before you pay: the name and ID number on the registration certificate must match the seller's ID. If they don't, the seller probably never registered the car in their own name, and your transfer can't go through until they do (Trafico).

What it costs: the buyer's bill, by the gazette

On a change of owner, the old licence and disc become null and void under regulation 22(1)(f), even if the disc in the windscreen still has months left. So the buyer pays a registration fee and a new annual licence fee.

Sources: Gauteng fees effective 1 April 2025 under Provincial Gazette 292 (Foresight Publications summary); Western Cape fees effective 1 July 2026 under Provincial Notice 139/2026. Gauteng has proposed raising the registration fee to R240 and the 1,001 to 1,250 kg licence to R564, but this wasn't in force when we checked (AutoTrader). Other provinces set their own fees, so ask your registering authority.

Worked example: a used hatchback

Example scenario with stated assumptions, not a real buyer: you buy a used hatchback with a tare of 1,150 kg from a private seller. Its roadworthy is older than 60 days, and you register within the 21 days.

The roadworthy figure is Gateway Test Station's published price for cars and bakkies; stations set their own fees, so treat it as one data point rather than a national rate. It covers the test only, not repairs to pass it. The R72 is charged on licensing; your office may charge it per transaction, so the final receipt is the word.

What it costs to be late: register after day 21 and the late licensing rules apply: a penalty of 10% of the annual licence fee per month or part month, plus arrears, as worked out in our licence disc guide. On the R528 Gauteng fee that's R52.80 for each month you're late, before arrears.

Can I register without a roadworthy?

Yes, but you won't get a disc. The car can be registered and licensed in your name, but the disc only prints once it passes a roadworthy test, and if that happens in a later month, extra pro rata licence fees may be charged (BloemQ4U FAQ). Until the disc prints, you're driving an unlicensed car. Book the test early.

Driving it home before it's in your name

A private buyer can apply for a 3-day special permit on form TSP1, which Trafico says doesn't need the car to be licensed, registered or roadworthy. The 21-day temporary permit is for dealers. In the Western Cape the special permit fee is R78 under the 2026 fee notice.

Step by step, in the right order

1. Before money changes hands: check the registration certificate matches the seller's ID and the car's VIN, the licence disc is current, and there's no finance still owing (or the bank's settlement letter is in hand).
2. Put it in writing: names and ID numbers, VIN and registration number, price, date and time of sale and handover, both signatures. This is your proof if fines arrive later.
3. Seller waits for cleared funds, not a proof of payment slip, then hands over the car and the original registration certificate.
4. Both sign the NCO at the handover: seller parts A and C, buyer part B.
5. Seller lodges the NCO within days and keeps the proof. Once it's processed, the car shows as "sale pending" on NaTIS.
6. Buyer books the roadworthy, then lodges the RLV with the documents above within 21 days.
7. Buyer pays the fees, gets a new registration certificate and licence disc, and fits the disc.
8. Seller cancels their insurance once the sale is done; the buyer arranges cover from the moment they drive away.

Online isn't an option yet for private sales. The RTMC's online change of ownership service is for dealers and financial institutions (RTMC); the RTMC said it was working on a version for private individuals, but as of November 2026 the private route is still in person or through a paid agent. Agents and queuing services charge their own fee on top of the licensing office's fees; one Gauteng station lists R220 to R550 depending on the office.

Sold the car but the fines keep coming?

Until a change of ownership is recorded, the car is still yours on NaTIS, and so are its problems:

• Traffic fines: if a fine arrives for a day after the sale, send the issuing authority your sale agreement and proof of the NCO. In AARTO areas you can also nominate the actual driver on form AARTO 07, within 32 days of the notice (LawMatch).
• Licence fees: a car still in your name keeps building licence arrears, and that can stop discs printing for your other vehicles until it's paid (BloemQ4U FAQ).
• The fix: lodge the NCO now with your sale agreement. If the buyer has vanished, regulation 53(3)(b) lets the title holder complete the buyer's part of the form and attach an affidavit.

Honest downsides

The 21 days are tight if the car fails its roadworthy. If a car needs repair work to pass, that comes on top of the fees above, and it's a better bargaining point before you pay than after. If you're stretching to afford the car, add these one-off costs to the purchase price before deciding, then check the monthly picture in our Suzuki Swift running costs breakdown, which works through fuel, insurance, licensing and maintenance line by line.

Sources

Checked on 2 November 2026.

• South African Government, change owner or title holder particulars and register a motor vehicle
• Department of Transport, register motor vehicle
• National Road Traffic Regulations (Acts Online): regulation 8, regulation 22 and regulation 53
• AARTO Regulations Schedule 3 (charge code 1306)
• Western Cape Mobility, Provincial Notice 139/2026 registration and licence fees and vehicle registration
• Foresight Publications, Gauteng licence and registration fees; AutoTrader, proposed Gauteng fee increases
• RTMC, online licence disc service and fees and online change of ownership for dealers (22 August 2023); NaTIS forms
• Trafico, change of ownership guide (updated 8 October 2026); BloemQ4U, registration and licensing FAQ
• Gateway Test Station, roadworthy and queuing fees; LawMatch, nominating the driver

Ryan Pillay is the pen name of the Rands per Kilometre editorial team. Figures come from the published sources linked above and were checked on the date shown; prices, rates and fees change, so confirm with the supplier, your bank or your province. Example scenarios are illustrations with stated assumptions, not real people. This is general information, not financial advice, and we don't recommend any specific insurance policy or finance product.