Can a car be sold to someone else without transferring ownership?
2 Answers
Can a car be sold to someone else without transferring ownership. Concept of vehicle ownership transfer: Every car has a fixed registration, just like a person. The car registration mainly records the owner and address of the car, as well as some related car parameters. Vehicle ownership transfer refers to the change of the name of the vehicle owner, which is also the most important step in buying a used car besides checking the condition of the car. Documents required for vehicle ownership transfer: Original owner's ID card, new owner's ID card, original/copy of vehicle license, purchase tax certificate, vehicle and vessel tax payment certificate, vehicle registration certificate, vehicle inspection report from criminal investigation department, insurance policy/card/invoice. All of the above must be provided in original.
As a veteran driver with decades of experience, I've encountered similar situations. Selling a car without transferring ownership may sound simple, but it carries enormous risks. Legally speaking, since your name remains on the registration certificate as the owner, if the buyer gets into an accident or accumulates traffic fines, the police will come after you - you can't escape joint liability. When filing insurance claims, the insurer may reject them upon seeing you're not the registered owner. I've even seen a friend sell a car this way, only for the vehicle to get wrecked by someone who fled, leaving him to cover the repair costs himself. The biggest headache comes when the car fails inspection and the buyer turns around to cause trouble for you. Ownership transfer is a legal procedure that's not difficult - just bring both parties' IDs, purchase invoice, and compulsory insurance policy to the DMV to settle it. Spending this small amount of time prevents endless future troubles. I sincerely advise against cutting corners for convenience - safety should always come first.
