Buying and selling a used vehicle: registration

You must apply to transfer the ownership of a second-hand vehicle within 14 days of the date of the sale.

Before you apply

You must do all of the following:

• fill in an R11 form Application to register a vehicle form PDF (1.2 MB) signed by both you and the former owner (seller)
• provide evidence of your identity and NT residency
• provide proof of ownership.

Provide proof of ownership

You can use any of the following documents as proof of ownership:

• the most recent registration certificate, in the name of, and signed by the seller
• a 13A certificate of registration issued at a remote NT Police Station signed by the seller
• a bill of sale from a recognised auction house or a licensed motor vehicle dealer
• a copy of a will or probate, written advice from a solicitor, or letter from the Public Trustee, indicating that the vehicle is bequeathed to you
• documents from a court of law allocating ownership of a vehicle
• a letter, receipt, or notice of disposal from the seller, clearly identifying themselves, the vehicle, and the buyer - must include the registration number, VIN or chassis number, engine number, date of sale and purchase price of the vehicle
• a statutory declaration if your vehicle is homemade and has not been previously registered
• a death certificate in cases where a vehicle is registered in joint names and one of the parties dies.

How to apply

Submit your completed application by email, mail or person to an MVR office.

Email

Email your completed application to transfer purchased vehicle and supporting documents to mvr@nt.gov.au.

MVR will contact you about payment. You can pay the transfer of ownership fee and stamp duty (if applicable) by Visa or Mastercard.

Mail

You can send your application and supporting documents to:

Motor Vehicle Registry
GPO Box 530
Darwin NT 0801

You can pay your fee with a cheque or money order, or you can ring the MVR to pay by using a Visa or MasterCard once the form and documents are received.

In person

You can submit your application and supporting documents at a MVR office and pay your fee by using Visa, MasterCard, BasicsCard, cash, cheque or EFTPOS.

To find out more contact the MVR.