What Documents Are Needed to Sell a Car?
2 Answers
The documents required for selling a car mainly include the vehicle license, vehicle registration certificate, vehicle invoice, original ID card of the owner, original ID card of the buyer and related certificates. In addition, the vehicle needs to be present. Among them, new cars require the original purchase invoice issued by the 4S store, while used cars require the used car transaction invoice issued by the used car trading market. After preparing the documents, the vehicle can be inspected, and the traffic violation records of the vehicle can be checked. Situations where transfer of ownership is prohibited: 1. Vehicles without compulsory traffic insurance cannot be transferred; 2. Vehicles that have been modified, altered, or changed in load weight or passenger capacity without approval; 3. The applicant cannot act as an agent for the original owner to complete the transfer procedures; 4. Cases where traffic violations or accidents have not been settled, or the public security authorities have doubts about the vehicle; 5. Vehicles that have not undergone regular inspections or have failed inspections; 6. Smuggled, customs-supervised, or stolen vehicles cannot be transferred; 7. Vehicles notified by the People's Court to be frozen or under mortgage that has not expired.
When I was selling my car, the most troublesome part was handling the paperwork. Fortunately, I had done my homework in advance. The first step was to gather all the vehicle documents, including the vehicle license, vehicle registration certificate, and the original purchase invoice—none of these could be missing. Next, I had to settle any traffic violation records, otherwise the DMV wouldn’t process the transfer. Then, I found a buyer to sign the agreement—I recommend using the standard contract template from the Administration for Industry and Commerce to clearly specify the price and delivery time. Finally, I took the buyer to the DMV to fill out the transfer registration application form, and after the vehicle inspection, we obtained a new vehicle license. The whole process took two days. Remember to remove the ETC device in advance, and either cancel or transfer the insurance, otherwise there might be disputes later. Additionally, if the vehicle’s annual inspection is about to expire, it’s best to handle it beforehand, or the buyer might try to negotiate a lower price.
