Transfer of Ownership of a Vehicle : A Step-by-Step Guide

Buying a second-hand bike is quite common in today’s age. A second-hand bike is more affordable and it also fulfils your conveyance needs. That is why the used vehicle market is growing as sellers sell off their existing bikes to buy newer models or to invest in a car and buyers looking for affordable options buy them. While buying and selling used bikes has become easy in today’s times, you should know the process of transferring the ownership of the bike. As long as the used bike is not transferred from the name of the seller to the buyer, the purchase process is not complete. Thus, it becomes necessary to understand how the ownership is transferred if you sell or buy a used bike.

A transfer of ownership not only completes the process of buying a second-hand two-wheeler, but it is also essential to avoidany future problems and difficulties concerning registration of the vehicle, insurance policies for the vehicle, etc. Moreover, the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 also mandates the transfer of ownership if the bike is bought and sold second hand. So, let’s understand the process of Bike Ownership Transfer in detail.

Process of Bike Ownership Transfer

For the purpose of Bike Ownership Transfer, you should take the following steps –

• If you are the buyer you are required to submit an application form for transferring the ownership of the two-wheeler. This form should be submitted to the same RTO office where the two-wheeler or bike that you are buying was previously registered
• You are, then, required to submit two forms at the Directorate of Transport office. These forms are Form 29 and Form 30. Form 29 is a No Objection Certificate which should be signed by the seller stating that the seller has no objection in transferring the ownership to the buyer. Form 30 is the report or intimation of transfer of ownership. This form should be filled by you, the buyer as well as the seller and it would contain the signatures of both parties. Along with these forms, you would also have to submit certain documents like tax paid receipts, insurance, RC, proof of address of the seller, a photograph of passport size, etc. All these documents should be submitted in original
• Once all the necessary verification process has been done by the RTO, the ownership documents and the insurance documents of the two-wheeler would be transferred to the buyer within 14 days
• If the buyer and seller of the bike live in the same State, the buyer would have two weeks’ time to submit the forms and documents for transfer to the concerned RTO. On the other hand, if the buyer and the seller live in different States, the forms and documents for the transfer of the vehicle should be submitted within 45 days
• If the seller of the two-wheeler dies, the buyer should inform the RTO about the death of the seller. The death certificate should be submitted along with the forms and documents of transfer of ownership. The buyer can, then, apply for Bike Ownership Transfer within 3 months of the death of the seller.

Documentation required for Bike Ownership Transfer

To complete the process of transfer of ownership of the bike, the following documents would have to be submitted –

1. Certificate of Registration:
   This is a compulsory document for the transfer of ownership to be effected. The seller should give the certificate of registration to the buyer of the bike. This document confirms and endorses the fact that the bike or the two-wheeler belongs to the seller.
2. Pollution Certificate or PUC:
   Once again, a mandatory document which states that the two-wheeler has followed all the rules relevant to pollution control and is PUC certified.
3. Certificate of Insurance:
   An insurance cover on the bike is necessary as per the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Due to this rule, the bike, which is being bought, would have an insurance cover on it and the policy would be in the name of the seller. This insurance policy would also have to be transferred in the name of the buyer and for the transfer to take place the certificate of insurance would be required. At the time of buying the bike, the insurer would have to be informed of the sale of the bike so that the insurance cover can be transferred in the name of the buyer.

Other documents required for Bike Ownership Transfer

The above-mentioned documents are the three important documents which would be required in all cases of buying a second-hand bike. Besides these three mandatory documents, there are other documents too which are required to be submitted when you are buying or selling a second-hand bike. These documents depend on how the bike is being bought or sold second hand. So, let’s have a look at the documents required in different instances of bike ownership transfers –

1. In case of standard purchase and sale of a second-hand bike:
If you are buying or selling a second-hand bike under normal circumstances, the following additional documents would be required to be submitted –

1. Form number 29, which is the No Objection Certificate and which has been filled and signed by the seller of the bike
2. If the two-wheeler is being bought or sold within the same State, a No Objection Certificate from the RTO would be required. If, however, the two-wheeler or bike is being transported from a different State, then you would have to provide the No Objection Certificate or NOC of the entry tax for that State. However, in the case of transporting from another State, the bike should not be more than 30 months old.
3. Original RC book of the bike
4. Receipts of road tax paid on the bike
5. Passport-sized photographs of the seller
6. If the seller had bought the two-wheeler through a two-wheeler loan and the loan has not been repaid fully at the time of sale of the bike, then a No Objection Certificate or NOC from the lender would also be required. The bank or the financial institution from where the loan was availed should issue a No Objection Certificate on the transfer of the bike. This certificate is also needed to be furnished to the RTO at the time of transfer

2. In the case of Death of the Owner:
If the owner of the bike dies, the buyer would have to submit the below-mentioned documents for transferring the ownership of the bike in his/her name –

1. Form number 30, which is the notice of transfer, has to be filled appropriately with the accurate details of the bike. The chassis inscription of the bike should also be attached with the form when it is submitted.
2. Form number 31 which is the form for transfer of ownership of a vehicle in case of death of the seller
3. Form named TCA which is the intimation of transfer by the buyer and TCR which is the intimation of transfer by the seller,
4. Since the seller has died, the death certificate of the seller would be required to be submitted to the RTO
5. Other important documents like the succession certificate, affidavit from the preceding owner of the vehicle and the No Objection Certificate from the financial institution or the financer (if the bike was financed) are also needed.
6. All the documents pertaining to the vehicle together with the fee for registration. As per Rule 81 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989, the fee will be charged as appropriate.

3. In case of the auction of the bike:
If a bike is being bought at an auction, the following documents would be required –

1. Form number 32 which is the application for transfer of ownership of the bike when the bike is bought at a public auction
2. PAN card of the buyer of the bike. If, however, the buyer does not have a PAN Card, Form 60 should be filled and submitted
3. Vehicle’s Chassis and Engine pencil print
4. Proof of date of birth of the buyer
5. Proof of address of the buyer
6. An undertaking by the buyer
7. Passport size photographs of the buyer of the bike
8. Tax clearance certificate
9. A certificate which certifies that the vehicle or the bike is sold to the new owner in an auction which is being directed by the Central Government or the State Government
10. A certificate which confirms that the auction has been directed by the Central Government or the State Government

Two-wheeler ownership transfer fees

To get the ownership transferred in your name, you would have to pay a transfer fee to the RTO. This transfer fee is equal to INR 30.

So, if you are buying a second-hand bike, do know the process for the transfer of the bike and the documents which would be needed for such transfer. Only when the process is followed and you submit all the relevant documents would you be able to become the owner of the second-hand two-wheeler that you buy. So, remember the process, arrange for all the relevant documents and buy that second hand bike which you need.