Change of owner of a vehicle

Instructions for the seller:

1. Log in to My e-Services and print out two copies of the pre-filled deed of transfer. Fill in them with the buyer. Keep one of the deeds to yourself.
2. Submit a notification of transfer in My e-Services in connection with or after the sale. To submit the notification, you will need the buyer’s personal identity code or business ID. By submitting the notification, you ensure that your liability for the vehicle ends on the correct date of transfer.
3. After submitting the notification of transfer, you can no longer change any of the vehicle’s registration details, print out a registration certificate or create a digital certificate.

If you wish, you can also transfer the ownership of your vehicle with a digital certificate. To do so, log in to My e-Services and create a digital certificate for the vehicle. When creating the digital certificate, you can also print out a pre-filled deed of transfers. You can also cancel the digital certificate. Give the digital certificate to the buyer. However, we recommend that you also submit a notification of transfer in connection with or after the sale.

If you are selling the vehicle to be registered abroad, the buyer will need both parts of the registration certificate (Part I, Part II).

Instructions for the buyer:

1. Check the vehicle's registration information before buying it. Only buy a vehicle from the owner entered in the register. This avoids problems related to ownership, motor vehicle liability insurance and vehicle tax. You can require the seller to register the vehicle in their own name before concluding the sale.

2. Fill in and sign the deeds of transfer with the seller. Check the seller's identity in connection with the sale. Please note that the seller needs your personal identity code or business ID to submit a notification of transfer. Keep one of the deeds of transfer to yourself.

3. Ask the seller to submit an electronic notification of transfer after the sale. After this, you can report the change of ownership of the vehicle in My e-Services. You do not need a digital certificate.

4. You can also add other owners and holders for the vehicle in the e-service.

If the seller does not submit a notification of transfer, you can report the transfer of ownership of the vehicle with a digital certificate or with the notification part of the registration certificate (part II). For further information visit the Traficom website and its page 'Buying a used vehicle'.

Service requirements

General

• The service requires sign in. The person making the notification must be at least 15 years old.

Notification of transfer

• The notification of transfer is made using the My e-Services and is to include the buyer's name and Finnish personal identity number or business ID.

Digital Certificate

• A digital certificate can be created or cancelled only by the owner recorded in the vehicle register.

Change of ownership

• The vehicle has a valid motor vehicle liability insurance unless it has been decommissioned from traffic use.
• The vehicle has a notification of transfer made by the seller using the buyer's personal identity number or business ID or a valid digital certificate.
• If the owner is a minor who does not have the right to drive the vehicle in question, the information of the holder who is using the vehicle must be provided. The holder must be of an age that entitles them to drive the vehicle in question.
• If the owner or holder is an individual, they must have a Finnish personal identity code.
• If the owner or holder is a business, this business must have a valid business ID.

The service cannot be used if:

• Registration number missing: The vehicle does not have a valid registration number.
• The right to change registration details has been restricted: The vehicle is subject to a registration alteration prohibition issued by an authority, or it contains registration pendency data.
• The vehicle has been issued with a transfer restriction. The transfer restriction is marked for a vehicle that has been imported as removal goods and has been granted a car tax reduction.
• The vehicle is in special use, i.e. a rescue vehicle, a hearse or a veterinary vehicle.
• The vehicle has been deregistered or finally deregistered, decommissioned for registration in the military vehicle register or decommissioned for registration abroad or on the Åland Islands.
• The vehicle has been stolen: The police have marked the vehicle as stolen.
• The vehicle is registered for diplomatic use.

If the new owner has not registered the vehicle in their name, and you cannot verify the name and address of the new owner, you may notify of the transfer of the vehicle to an unknown party. The notification is subject to a fee. Further information on Traficom's web-site "Seller: Submit a notification of transfer for a vehicle".

Please note that if the vehicle has been stolen, abandoned or lost, you may not notify that it has been transferred to an unknown party.