Car Ownership Transfer: Do You Need to Change License Plates?

“Practice makes perfect,” Mr. Ba said with a smile, patting my shoulder as we completed the ownership transfer of his old truck to me. The joy of owning my first vehicle hadn’t even settled in when I suddenly remembered: “Mr. Ba, do I need to change the license plates when transferring ownership?”

My question seemed to strike a chord with many others considering buying or selling a used vehicle. This article will answer in detail the question of whether you need to change license plates when transferring ownership and provide you with complete information about the regulations for changing vehicle license plates upon ownership transfer.

Understanding the Question: Do You Need to Change License Plates Upon Ownership Transfer?

This seemingly simple question holds several layers of meaning:

• Legally: Understanding the regulations regarding license plate changes when transferring vehicle ownership helps you avoid legal complications later.
• Psychologically: Many people want to keep their old license plates for feng shui reasons or simply because they are familiar with them.
• Economically: Changing license plates can incur costs, and you need to be aware of this to prepare accordingly.

A vintage truck on the road.

Answer: When is it Necessary to Change Vehicle License Plates?

Good news for you: NOT every ownership transfer requires a license plate change. According to current regulations, changing vehicle license plates upon ownership transfer is only mandatory in specific cases.

Cases Where License Plate Change is Mandatory:

1. Vehicles registered before January 1, 2022: When transferring registration to provinces or centrally-run cities other than the current registration location.
2. Vehicles registered from January 1, 2022:
   • When transferring vehicle ownership from one province or city to another province or city.
   • When the buyer or recipient of the vehicle does not have permanent or temporary residency registration of 1 year or more in the province or city where the vehicle is currently registered.

Cases Where You Can Keep the Same License Plates:

1. Ownership transfer within the same province or city: You are allowed to keep the same license plates.
2. Vehicles registered from January 1, 2022, transferred to another province, but the buyer has permanent or temporary residency of 1 year or more in that province.

Legal Basis and Verification

The information above is based on the Law on Road Traffic of 2008 and Decree 139/2018/ND-CP detailing the implementation of several articles of the Law on Road Traffic.

According to traffic expert John Smith (USA), author of “Understanding Traffic Laws”: “The regulation on changing vehicle license plates upon ownership transfer aims to manage vehicles effectively, while also facilitating administrative procedures for citizens.”

Common Scenarios

• Mr. Minh in Hanoi wants to sell his truck to Ms. Lan in Hai Phong. Mr. Minh’s truck was registered before 2022 => License plate change is mandatory.
• Ms. Hoa in Ho Chi Minh City wants to give her truck, registered after 2022, to her younger sister living in Hanoi => License plate change is mandatory.
• Mr. Tuan in Da Nang sells his truck, registered after 2022, to Mr. Nam, who has permanent residency in Da Nang => License plate can be kept.

A car license plate.

How to Handle the Issue and Advice

To ensure a smooth vehicle purchase and ownership transfer, you need to:

1. Thoroughly check vehicle documents: Ensure the vehicle is legally owned and not under dispute.
2. Understand the regulations: Determine if your case requires a license plate change.
3. Prepare all necessary documents: Household registration book, ID card/Citizen ID, vehicle registration papers, etc.