What documents should a car owner have?

List of documents for purchasing a used car

Choosing an iron horse is only the beginning of the journey, then it’s a matter of purchasing. In order to avoid getting into an unpleasant situation, let’s figure out what documents are needed when buying a car second-hand.

Content

Documents provided by the buyer

Often, all that is required from the buyer is a personal passport or passport details and a driver’s license. Make copies of your documents in advance, which you will leave with the seller after the transaction is concluded. However, if the seller is not interested, you can do without it.

Mandatory documents provided by the seller

Below is a list of documents that the seller must provide to the buyer before completing the purchase and sale transaction of a used car:

Vehicle passport. You must be provided with the original. If not, you have the right to demand an explanation from the owner of the car, because it may turn out that the car cannot be sold because it is pledged to the bank. When inspecting the PTS, pay attention to the degree of its filling. At least one field must be free to record the new owner of the car. Also check that you have the required stamps.
Vehicle registration certificate. However, you need it if the seller has it in order to re-register it with the traffic police. If the certificate is missing, then when registering the car, a new certificate will be issued with your data.
Personal passport of the car owner.

The listed documents are required to be included in the purchase and sale agreement.

Additional documents provided by the seller

When purchasing a used car, the buyer has the right to ask the seller for documentation, which has the status of additional, but desirable. These include:

driver's license;
insurance policy;
service book;
photocopy of personal passport;
operating instructions for the vehicle and its built-in systems.

It is likely that not all documents will be available. However, the provision of a larger package by the seller is the key to a fair and successful transaction. They will calm your vigilance and serve as proof of the seller’s honesty.

Documents for completing a transaction

Before completing the paperwork, be sure to check the vehicle's history. This can be done using the Autocode online service. By VIN or license plate number you can find out here:

actual car mileage;
participation in an accident;
presence of traffic police restrictions;
the presence of pledges, arrests, loans;
OSAGO data;
technical inspections;
customs history;
history of fines.

You checked the car and made sure that everything was in order with the documents provided by the former owner. We proceed to the transaction and draw up the purchase and sale documents.

These include:

Contract of sale. The first one necessary to complete a transaction. Fill out in two copies: one remains with you, the other with the seller. You can read about how to correctly fill out a car purchase and sale agreement on our website: How to fill out a car purchase and sale agreement.
Suppose the seller insists on carrying out the transaction on the basis of drawing up a power of attorney. This should be taken with caution. The purchase of a used car should only be carried out under a sales contract. The danger of another method lies in the fact that an unscrupulous seller can easily revoke this power of attorney, as a result of which you run the risk of being left without a car and without money.
The act of acceptance and transfer. It is recommended to make it a separate document in order to increase its legal force. The act reflects the actual condition of the used car.
A financial receipt is your guarantee in case of fraud or “gray” schemes. It is preferable to draw up such documents whenever transferring large amounts.

The executed purchase and sale agreement must be certified by a notary. Otherwise, your car rights will be illegal.

Documents required when purchasing a used car at a dealership

Some specialized car dealerships offer used cars and also reduce the risk when buying a used car. In addition to the above documentation, the car dealership is required to provide the following:

Service book, which indicates that the car has been repaired.
Documents confirming the fact of purchase of the car. This includes checks and certificates of down payment.

At the end of the procedure, you will receive the car keys and PTS, where your data and signature must be entered.

Documents required when buying a car on credit

If purchasing a car is not possible with the accumulated funds, contact the bank for help to obtain a loan. There is a standard list of required documentation, but each bank has its own requirements. Something may not be required at all, but somewhere they will ask for more than what is listed below:

personal passport and other documents confirming the identity of the buyer;
employment history;
certificate of income for the last few months;
an application filled out on a bank form for a loan;
information about the car seller;
information about the buyer's existing loans.
purchase and sale agreement for the purchased car.

In addition, you may be asked for information about education, marital status, property owned, etc.

Documents required for purchasing a car on lease

Buying on lease is a case when a used car is paid for with a deferment on the remaining amount. The difficulty is that when purchasing a car this way, you need to make a one-time payment that is larger than subsequent payments. It is better to entrust the execution of such an agreement to specialists who are knowledgeable in this matter. The package of documents is the same as what is required to be provided to the bank when applying for a car loan.

Documents required to purchase a car using maternity capital

The State Duma is discussing the issue of using maternity capital to buy a car. Options for extending the law are being considered, but, unfortunately, there is still no consensus.

We told you what documents are needed to buy a car second-hand. After purchasing a car, the sale and purchase transaction is completed, registration and insurance, now of your car.

What documents should a driver carry with him on a car?

Of course, every motorist knows that there is a certain package of documents that a citizen is obliged to present to traffic police officers for verification and to constantly carry with him in the car.

However, frequent changes in legislation lead to the fact that many, even experienced, drivers are not always aware of this “required minimum”. So, let’s try to figure out what documents exist for cars and which ones you should carry with you.

Documents for the car

Vehicle registration certificate

In fact, a car registration certificate is one of the key documents confirming the ownership of a car and the fact that the vehicle is registered with the traffic police after its purchase.

This document indicates all significant parameters, including the registration number of the car, VIN of the body (the engine number, in accordance with recent changes in legislation, is not indicated), data on the chassis of the car, as well as information about the owner, including his full name, as well as the address of residence according to registration.

The vehicle registration certificate, made in the form of a laminated plastic card, is one of the documents that must be kept by the motorist at all times and presented to the traffic police inspector upon request.

PTS (vehicle passport)

There are often cases when motorists confuse the PTS and the registration certificate due to the fact that the latter is issued after presenting the vehicle’s passport. At the same time, the wording in the law that PTS refers to mandatory documents for a car also raises questions.

In practice, the PTS, in essence, acts as confirmation of the technical serviceability of the car and its approval for public roads. This document provides a complete list of technical characteristics of the vehicle, as well as information about the owner, which is extremely important when carrying out any operations with the car - registration or purchase and sale.

However, the law does not require the driver to carry a PTS with him - he can safely leave it at home, and the inspector can get all the necessary information from the registration certificate.

However, it should be remembered that PTS may be required when checking the legality of importing a car into the territory of the Russian Federation in the event of customs control. Also, a vehicle passport is required in case of theft (as proof of ownership) and in the event of an emergency (copies of the vehicle title are provided to insurance companies).

In addition, thanks to a vehicle passport, you can restore other documents for the car in case of damage or loss. Actually, these facts once again confirm that PTS should be stored carefully and in a safe place.

Compulsory motor third party liability insurance policy (MTPL)

With the entry into force of new amendments to the legislation, the MTPL policy, in fact, began to combine two documents at once - the policy itself, as well as a coupon for passing a state technical inspection.

As is known, such coupons have been completely abolished, and before receiving a policy, the car owner is required to present to the insurer a diagnostic card confirming that the car is approved for road traffic, which is issued by certified centers for carrying out instrumental diagnostics. In this case, no one requires you to carry the card with you - just a policy is enough, which serves as confirmation that the car is not only insured, but also technically sound.

With all this, the OSAGO policy, of course, also has its direct function. It serves as confirmation that the vehicle is insured under the compulsory motor third party liability insurance program. This document refers to the necessary package that should always be with the driver, and its absence entails the application of administrative sanctions by the traffic police inspector.

Speaking about the “motor citizen”, it is necessary to note an extremely important factor: many novice motorists, if they have a CASCO policy, believe that it “replaces” the MTPL policy. In reality, this is not the case, and you do not need to take the CASCO policy with you. At the same time, the “automobile” policy allows you to compensate for damage in an accident to the second participant, and CASCO insurance only covers damage caused to the car of the person insured under this program. In fact, this means that these types of insurance are in no way interchangeable, and the presence of CASCO insurance does not eliminate the need for compulsory motor liability insurance.

Documents to confirm ownership of a car

In addition to the title, a motorist often needs a number of other documents that would confirm the legality of the purchase and use of the vehicle. This may be a customs declaration, as well as a car purchase and sale agreement, which are necessary when buying a used car or importing it yourself from another state.

If you are interested in learning how to draw up a contract for the sale and purchase of a car between individuals, you can read this article. You can also download a sample car purchase and sale agreement there.

If a car is purchased from a dealer, customs clearance is carried out in advance without the participation of the new owner at the moment when the selling company imports the vehicle into the territory of the Russian Federation. It goes without saying that these documents, if available, will only be required when reselling the car or traveling abroad.

To travel abroad

Very often, car enthusiasts wonder what documents for a car are needed to travel abroad. In practice, the list remains almost the same as within the country, but a new important item is added to it - an international insurance policy, known as a “green card”.

You can purchase it from almost any insurance company, as well as at border checkpoints. In fact, a “green card” is a kind of compulsory motor liability insurance policy that is valid when traveling abroad (a standard “motor citizen” card is valid exclusively on the territory of the Russian Federation).

In addition to the “green card,” the driver should have a foreign passport with him (when traveling to the Republic of Belarus, an ordinary civilian one is sufficient), as well as a customs declaration confirming the legality of importing the car into the territory of the Russian Federation.

The last document, as already noted, is required only if the car was imported into Russia by a private person and not by a dealer. By the way, it is important to remember that the “green card” does not replace the MTPL policy, which in any case will be required by the motorist in order to easily reach the border.

Car documents that you need to carry with you when driving a car

Based on everything that has been said previously, it follows that the motorist must carry with him and present to the inspector the following package of documents:

Vehicle registration certificate;
Automobile liability insurance policy;
“Green card” when traveling abroad.

In fact, you do not need to carry the remaining documents for the car with you, and they are used only in certain cases. It goes without saying that, along with them, the driver should always have a driving license with him.

You can also take your general passport with you, but you are not required to present it to the traffic police inspector, and its absence cannot serve as a basis for any claims on his part. So in practice, the list of documents for a car is not so long.

This “Iron Argument” device was invented to protect car documents from corrupt practices:

Which documents for the car are transferred when it is sold to the buyer, and which documents remain with the previous owner?

In order for the car purchase and sale agreement to be considered fully executed, the seller must transfer to the buyer not only the vehicle itself, but also some documents.

Which papers are transferred to the new owner, and which remain with the seller even after the sale of the vehicle?

What papers are given to the new owner?

They can be divided into two groups:

Mandatory

These are the papers that the new owner cannot do without. He will not be able to register the car and will not be able to fully use the car.

Vehicle passport

PTS is the main document for a car containing information about the make, model of the vehicle, state registration. registration plate, numbers of components and assemblies, data on registration and deregistration of the vehicle. In the PTS in the MREO, data about the owner is entered, information about the registration of the vehicle is indicated.

According to the Traffic Rules of the Russian Federation, you do not need to carry a PTS with you and present it to traffic police officers on the road. But it must be in the hands of the owner.

Car purchase and sale agreement

A document indicating that the parties have agreed to transfer the vehicle from the seller to the buyer in exchange for cash. The document contains the terms of such transfer. In particular:

Usually the contract is supplemented by an act of transfer. But in the text of the agreement it can be written that the car was transferred to the buyer, the parties have no claims. In this case, the act need not be drawn up. Registration with the traffic police will take place without problems.

It is necessary to prepare three identical texts of the contract. One is for the seller, the second is for the buyer. The third one is taken away by traffic police officers. Just in case. If the contract is drawn up by a notary, then 4 copies are made. The last one goes to the archives of the specified official.

Additional

Let's look at some additional documents that are transferred during the transaction. A number of the following documents are recommended for transmission.

Vehicle acceptance certificate

This document can be called additional conditionally. According to Art. 454 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, under a sales contract, the parties undertake to exchange goods for money . The contract is considered concluded from the moment agreement is reached on its essential terms.

The transfer itself is carried out according to the act. As noted, you can do without it. But then the fact of transfer of the vehicle and money must be reflected in the contract. If this is not done, you need to draw up an act that will contain the following information:

Information about the parties.
Vehicle data.
Cost of the vehicle.
Identified deficiencies, if any.
Information about the transfer of the car to the buyer and money to the seller.
Information about the presence or absence of complaints.

Download the vehicle acceptance certificate form
Download a sample car acceptance certificate

Thus, the act of acceptance and transfer is also a rather important document . In particular, if we talk about fixing the defects of the car, then the seller is protected by the act from possible claims of the seller.

For example, if you stipulate that there is a crack in the rear window of a car, then it will be considered that the buyer knows about it. Accordingly, he will not be able to make claims in this regard.

Car registration certificate

This document can also hardly be called optional. If the seller has it in his hands, then it must be transferred to the buyer. But you can register a car in the name of the new owner without an STS without any problems . Moreover, the buyer will be issued a new similar document at the MREO.

The problem, if the seller does not have a STS, is different. It will be difficult for the buyer to check the car for:

It is recommended to do this before purchasing to avoid problems.

Diagnostic card

The buyer needs it for two reasons:

Having a diagnostic card in hand, you can apply for an MTPL policy.
You can check if everything is in order with the technical condition of the car.

An interesting case from practice: the seller, before selling the car, “rewinded” the mileage. This is a favorite way for scammers to increase the sale price. The lower the mileage of the car, the more expensive the vehicle can be sold, citing the fact that the car has hardly been driven. But the following was missed: the diagnostic card, which was drawn up long before the sale, indicated the actual mileage. The potential buyer noticed the discrepancy and refused to purchase.

Service book

The buyer may need the document if a relatively new car is purchased – “under warranty”. Having the book in hand, you can undergo maintenance at an official dealer.

However, this document will not hurt a buyer purchasing an old car. A service book is a “chronicle” that can tell a lot about a car:

how often it was serviced;
what kind of repairs were carried out, etc.

OSAGO policy

The buyer will need the old MTPL policy only if the car is “sold” under a general power of attorney. That is, when the owner of the vehicle does not change.

If OSAGO is without restrictions, then the policy can be transferred to the buyer . But he will be able to use it only until the car is registered with the MREO. By this time, you need to draw up a new document, where the buyer or his representative will be the insured.

If a policy is issued, the new owner is required to issue a new MTPL policy. The seller can keep the old document and even return the money for the unused period.

Read about insurance when selling a car here.

What does the former owner have left?

In all cases, the seller retains one copy of the purchase and sale agreement and the transfer deed, if available. In addition, he can keep the MTPL policy. It is recommended to make a copy of the PTS and STS for yourself - just in case.

Thus, when completing a car purchase and sale transaction, you can get by with a minimum of documents: several copies of the DCP, PTS. But, naturally, such an agreement will have higher risks than one in which all documents for the sale are used.

If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl+Enter .

What documents are needed to buy a car second-hand based on an advertisement?

The procedure for purchasing a car second hand/according to an advertisement is regulated by:

“Civil Code of the Russian Federation (Part Two)” dated January 26, 1996 N 14-FZ (as amended on May 23, 2018);
Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia dated 08/07/2013 N 605 (as amended on 09/06/2017) “On approval of the Administrative Regulations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the provision of public services for the registration of motor vehicles and trailers for them” (registered with the Ministry of Justice of Russia on 09/27/2013 N 30048 );
Federal Law of July 1, 2011 N 170-FZ (as amended on April 23, 2018) “On technical inspection of vehicles and on amendments to certain legislative acts of the Russian Federation.”

The transaction should be concluded under a purchase and sale agreement (hereinafter referred to as the SPA).

The following documents will be required to complete the DCP:

Identity document (for buyer and seller).
PTS (required for entering vehicle identification data into the DCP).
Certificate confirming the registration of the vehicle.
Diagnostic card. Be sure to check its expiration date. If the card is valid, then based on it, you can issue an MTPL policy at any insurance company. If the diagnostic card has expired, then first you will need to undergo a technical inspection, and only after that purchase insurance. After insurance (receipt of the MTPL policy), you can register the car with the traffic police.

How to draw up a policy?

In ab. 2 clause 15.5. Order No. 605 states that the purchase and sale agreement submitted to receive government services for vehicle registration must contain the following conditions :

Date and place of its compilation.
Subject and conditions of the transaction (decision of the government body).
Cost of the vehicle (if available).
For an individual: last name, first name, patronymic (if available), residential address, passport details. For a legal entity: TIN, full name, legal address, signatures of the parties (if the presence of signatures is provided for in the document form).
Identification data of the vehicle, as well as the series, number, date of issue of the vehicle passport and (or) registration document and (or) registration plate (if any), unless otherwise provided by the legislation of the Russian Federation.

Based on the meaning of paragraphs. 15.5. Clause 15 of Order No. 605, the DCP must be drawn up in writing. According to Part 4 of Art. 434 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, a written agreement is concluded by drawing up and signing only one document. The number of copies can be any. Typically, the agreement is concluded in 3 copies for the seller, for the buyer and for the traffic police.

What other documents accompany the transaction?

1) In addition, it is necessary to confirm the transaction with an act of acceptance and transfer of the car . This is an additional guarantee of the security of the transaction. The document certifies the make, equipment, technical condition, mileage (if the car is used), license plates, defects of the car and confirms the very fact of transfer of the vehicle to the buyer, the presence/absence of claims to the quality of the car. The law does not contain the concept of “deed of acceptance and transfer”, so the requirements for this document have developed based on practice.

The transfer and acceptance certificate must contain the following details:

title “Deed of Acceptance and Transfer”;
date and place of drawing up the act;
link to the purchase and sale agreement (car);
passport data of the parties (for organizations - details);
a detailed description of the car, all technical features and disadvantages, including make, date of manufacture, mileage, numbers, color and equipment;
general agreement that there are no complaints;
signatures of the parties to the transaction.

2) The transaction must be supported by a payment document confirming the fact of payment for the vehicle by the buyer.

Thus, after signing the contract, the buyer (new owner) must have the following documents in his hands:

PrEP.
Car acceptance certificate.
Payment document confirming payment for the vehicle.
PTS.
STS.
Diagnostic card. It is important to check its expiration date.

Documents for the car

There are a number of documents that are issued for each specific car. Some of them are mandatory, others are not.

What documents are needed for a car?

Mandatory documents include a vehicle passport (PTS) and a vehicle registration certificate (COR or STS).

A single copy of the vehicle title accompanies the vehicle throughout its entire service life.

It is issued by the manufacturer (if the car was manufactured in the Russian Federation), traffic police departments (if the PTS is lost or requires replacement), the customs service (after customs clearance of imported cars) or the enterprise that converts cars. The vehicle's SOP is issued by the traffic police upon registration to the new owner; it must be on the road to be presented to the inspector.

Documents for registering a car (Documents for registering a car with the traffic police, documents for re-registering a car)

To register a car with the traffic police, you need to provide a package of necessary documents. In particular cases, different documents may be required, but the standard list looks like this:

1. Application for vehicle registration. The form of this application is strictly regulated; it can be found and downloaded on the official website of the State Traffic Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.

2. Documents regarding the purchase of the car. For a used car, this is, first of all, an agreement (preferably with an acceptance certificate), a copy of the power of attorney if the car was purchased through an authorized seller. Also, for new and used cars, a certificate-invoice is still sometimes used. For a new foreign-made car, you will need a copy of the cargo customs declaration certified by the seller.

3. Identification documents of the owner (passport, birth certificates until the age of 14), and for organizations also an extract from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities and a document confirming the authority of the applicant: power of attorney, charter, etc.

4. A receipt confirming payment of the state fee for issuing a registration certificate and license plates.

5. Vehicle passport and MTPL insurance policy.

Also, when re-registering a car to a new owner, the car itself must be presented to the traffic police along with the documents.

Documents for purchasing a car

You don’t need to prepare a lot of documents to buy a car. For an individual, a passport or even a driver’s license is sufficient. The main thing is to verify the buyer’s identity and be able to fill out the contract with passport data. When purchasing a car from a dealership, you may be required to provide a tax identification code. To complete a transaction, a legal entity often needs an extract (to confirm registration in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities), a charter and/or a power of attorney to confirm the powers of the signatory on behalf of the legal entity-buyer. This is quite enough to buy a new or used car from a private person or from a dealership.

Documents for selling a car

Selling a car will require a similar set of documents. In addition to it, documents for the car itself will be required.

When concluding a contract, the buyer must be given the vehicle's passport along with the car.

Because, without having a title in hand, it will be very problematic for the buyer to register the car with the traffic police. In addition, the buyer can ask for a service book for the car. It is not a mandatory document for selling a car, but it is very useful for knowing the entire service history of the car. The transaction itself will require the execution of a purchase and sale agreement and the signing of an acceptance certificate for the car, which can be combined in one document.

Documents for a truck

A truck is registered in the same manner as a passenger car. An exception is an application with a mark from the district military registration and enlistment office for cargo, cargo-passenger and passenger off-road vehicles. Such vehicles are subject to the Regulations on Military Transport Duty. And, although the State Traffic Inspectorate must submit such information independently, traffic police departments still require the presentation of such an application for registration.

Advice from Sravni.ru: along with the title, you need to pick up the registration certificate, service book, and operating manual for the car from the seller.