Tieudungthongthai
According to Circular 24/2023 of the Ministry of Public Security, vehicle license plates for both cars and motorcycles are issued and managed based on the owner's identification code, also known as the designated license plate. License plates with 5 digits will default to designated license plates, while those who own license plates with 3 or 4 digits can continue to use them as usual. If there is a need, they can switch to a 5-digit license plate to manage it according to their personal identification code.
Therefore, for used cars that are not registered under the current owner's name but have a 5-digit license plate, the license plate defaults to the designated license plate of the person whose name appears on the vehicle registration certificate, not the user of the vehicle. At this point, the owner is identified as the previous owner (the person whose name is on the vehicle registration), not the buyer of the vehicle.
So when buying or selling a vehicle, individuals need to complete the ownership transfer process to be issued a designated license plate and manage it based on their identification code.
Accordingly, individuals who are using a vehicle that is not registered under their name should go to the relevant vehicle registration authority to initiate the process of retrieving and transferring the ownership to themselves. In cases where the authority responsible for managing the registration documents is also the place where the vehicle was previously registered, there may be no need to go through the retrieval procedure.
Regarding the procedure, individuals currently using a vehicle must submit their documents and complete the process at the agency responsible for managing the vehicle registration records. Users are required to submit a vehicle registration declaration, which should clearly state the purchase and sale history and their commitment to legal responsibility for the vehicle's origin. Additionally, they must provide ownership transfer documents from the previous owner and the last seller (if applicable), and pay the necessary registration fees.
If there are no ownership transfer documents, the police will issue an appointment letter allowing the user to continue using the vehicle for 30 days. Simultaneously, the police will send a notification to the vehicle owner, the registering authority for that vehicle, and publicly post information about the application for registration. This process helps track stolen vehicles and maintains registration data.
In cases where the user has ownership transfer documents from both the previous owner and the last seller, the vehicle registration authority will issue a penalty decision for the failure to complete the retrieval procedure within two working days. After the penalty is imposed, the authorities will proceed with the registration process as required by the regulations.
After 30 days, if there are no disputes or appeals, the vehicle registration authority will issue a penalty decision for the failure to complete the retrieval procedure and proceed with the ownership transfer.
However, there is one case where ownership transfer is accompanied by the license plate, which is for automobiles with auction-winning license plates. In this case, the vehicle owner does not need to return the auction-winning license plate but must submit a copy of the ownership transfer document and present the original for verification.