Is vehicle renaming the same as vehicle transfer?
2 Answers
They are not the same thing. Here are the relevant explanations: 1. Vehicle transfer: Every vehicle has a fixed registration, just like a person. The vehicle registration mainly records the vehicle owner and address, as well as some related vehicle parameters. Transferring a vehicle proves that the vehicle belongs to the current owner and has no accidents or violations. When there are issues with the vehicle, such as accidents, failure to participate in annual inspections, stolen vehicles, or smuggled vehicles, the transfer cannot be processed through normal procedures. 2. Required documents: Original owner's ID card, new owner's ID card, original/copy of the vehicle license, purchase tax certificate, vehicle and vessel tax payment certificate, vehicle registration certificate, vehicle criminal inspection report, and insurance policy/card/invoice. All of these must be provided in original copies.
When chatting about cars with friends, I often get asked similar questions. Renaming and transferring ownership of a car are basically the same thing in our daily lives, both referring to the process of changing hands. I remember last time I dealt with a used car, the buyer mentioned renaming the car, which actually meant the transfer procedures, including submitting the original and new owner's ID cards, vehicle license, vehicle registration certificate at the DMV, as well as steps like vehicle inspection and tax payment. The whole process requires both parties to be present to ensure the car has no traffic violations or accident records, otherwise it can't be processed. I think people often confuse the terms because 'renaming' sounds like just changing the name, but in practice, it covers all the details of the transfer, like updating the owner information on the new vehicle license. So, when buying a used car, it's more accurate to say 'transfer ownership' directly, which avoids being misled by intermediaries. The key is to check the vehicle's status in advance and not to be tempted by cheap deals that might hide problems.
