A notification of transfer entry in the transport register indicates that the owner recorded in the transport register has sold the vehicle and reported the sale to Traficom, but the buyer has not registered the vehicle in their name.
A vehicle may also have more than one notification of transfer if it has been sold several times without appropriate registration (External link) of the change of ownership.
You can view the buyer’s information at Traficom’s vehicle registration and information services.
Should I buy a vehicle if it has a notification of transfer entry?
Traficom recommends that you buy a vehicle only from the owner marked in the register.
If the vehicle has a notification of transfer entry (i.e. the vehicle is sold by a person who has not registered it in their name), you can request the seller to register it in their name before agreeing on the sale.
Buying from persons other than the registered owner involves the following risks:
The vehicle may be uninsured
The owner’s motor vehicle liability insurance entered in the register is valid for 7 days for the benefit of the buyer if the vehicle is insured and in traffic use. If you purchase a vehicle from a non-registered owner, 7 days may have passed, and the vehicle is no longer insured (External link). In that case, you must insure the vehicle and register it in your name already on the date of purchase to avoid the payment for the absence of insurance (External link).
You may have to pay vehicle tax and other costs for the period when the vehicle was not in your ownership
If you register the change of ownership with a digital certificate received from the seller, the transfer date indicated in the notification of transfer is recorded as the date of transfer. In practice, this means that from the date of transfer reported by the registered owner, you will be responsible for all obligations concerning the vehicle (e.g. vehicle tax, payment for the absence of motor vehicle liability insurance, parking fines, camera surveillance fines and any additional tax).
Entering the actual transfer date in the register requires statements and a more expensive registration fee
If you wish to mark the actual transfer date as the starting date of your ownership, the registration must be completed at an inspection station that offers registration services. In that case, certificates of transfer that indicate the transfer of ownership from the registered owner to you in addition to digital certificate or Part II of the registration certificate must be presented in connection with the registration. In addition, a more expensive intermediate owner registration fee will be charged for the registration .