Transferring registration when buying a vehicle

If the vehicle has special or personalised number plates and you would like to keep them, you'll have to pay a number plate transfer fee and ongoing annual fee. Find out the fees for number plates.

If you don't want to keep the personalised number plates, you'll need to transfer the registration in person at a service centre, and hand in the plates. There is a one-off fee for a new set of general plates.

If you have an eTag, contact your tag provider to add your new number plate and vehicle details.

A vehicle's compulsory third party (CTP) insurance – sometimes referred to as a 'green slip' – automatically transfers to the new operator when vehicle registration transfers.

You don't need to do anything with the CTP insurance until the vehicle's registration is due for renewal.

You must transfer registration within 14 days of purchase to avoid a late fee and fines.

Online

You can transfer the registration online if all of these apply to you:

1. the previous operator has submitted a Notice of Disposal
2. you hold a NSW driver licence
3. you are transferring a vehicle registered in NSW.

You must visit a service centre to transfer the registration if:

• you do not want to keep existing personalised number plates and are replacing them with standard plates
• you've bought the vehicle on behalf of an organisation or business
• the vehicle weighs more than 4.5 tonnes Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM)
• the previous operator has not submitted the notice of disposal
• you're entitled to a stamp duty exemption.

In person

You need to provide these documents to transfer your vehicle in person at a service centre:

• completed Application for Transfer of Registration form
• proof of identity
• proof of your entitlement to register the vehicle
• your pensioner details (if applicable)
• payment for transfer fee, stamp duty (unless you're exempt) and motor vehicle tax (you only pay this if you bought the vehicle from a pensioner who received a tax concession and you're not entitled to the concession).

Registering in an organisation's name

Complete the 'Representative’s Authority' section on the Application for Transfer of Registration.

Sending a representative

If you send someone else to transfer the vehicle registration into your name, you’ll need to complete the 'Representative’s Authority' section on the Application for Transfer of Registration. Your representative must provide their own proof of identity.

If you’re not already recorded in our systems, for example, you have not registered a vehicle before, you must attend in person.