How to Fill the MTA 6 Form When Selling a Car in Sri Lanka

What Is the MTA 6 Form?

The MTA 6 is the Department of Motor Traffic's (DMT) official "Statement of Change of Possession of a Motor Vehicle" — the paper that actually moves legal ownership from seller to buyer. If you sell a car, van, three-wheeler or motorcycle in Sri Lanka, this is the form both of you sign before the sale is recognised at the DMT. It's paired with MTA 8, the buyer's application to register the vehicle in their name, and both are available free on dmt.gov.lk under Forms, or at any DMT office or Divisional Secretariat that handles motor traffic work.

Key facts

• The form is called MTA 6; it has four identical sheets, and all four must be filled in and signed.
• You must also complete Form C (the Commissioner's copy) in two copies.
• Fill everything by hand in English capital letters, one letter per box — no typing, no Sinhala, no erasing mistakes.
• The seller, the buyer and a witness (with a valid NIC) all sign and give their NIC numbers.
• The DMT has told the public to stop using "open papers" (undated transfer forms) — sign and date the MTA 6 at the time of sale.
• The buyer has 14 days from the sale agreement date to lodge the transfer at the DMT.
• A private car or dual-purpose vehicle has a statutory transfer fee of roughly Rs. 5,000, plus a DMT service charge and 1% stamp duty on the declared sale price — confirm the exact figures at your DMT office, as these can change.
• DMT is also expanding its online eService for ownership transfer — check dmt.gov.lk for what's available in your district before you go in person.

Who fills in which part of the MTA 6 form?

Both the seller and the buyer fill in parts of the MTA 6, but the responsibilities are split. As the seller (transferor), you write your name exactly as it appears on the Certificate of Registration (CR book), your address, and the date of the transfer. The buyer (transferee) fills in their own name and address in the matching boxes. The vehicle's registered number goes on every sheet. Because there are four identical sheets, you'll repeat this four times — do it carefully rather than copying quickly, since any sheet with crossed-out or inconsistent entries can be rejected.

How do you fill the MTA 6 form step by step?

Start by getting the form from dmt.gov.lk or a DMT counter, then work through it with the buyer present so you don't have to chase signatures later.

1. Write the date of the transfer — this should be the actual day you and the buyer are signing, not a future or blank date. Avoid leaving it undated; that's the "open papers" practice DMT has specifically asked sellers to stop.
2. Enter the transferor's (your) details — full name as on the CR book, address, and NIC number.
3. Enter the transferee's (buyer's) details — their full name, address, and NIC number.
4. Enter the vehicle number on every one of the four sheets.
5. Sign as the seller, and have the buyer sign as the buyer, both next to your respective NIC numbers.
6. Get a witness — anyone with a valid NIC who isn't the buyer or seller — to sign, and write their address and NIC number.
7. Fill in the two copies of Form C, which records the new owner's name, mailing address, the vehicle's registered usage (private, commercial, etc.), and the relevant Regional Registry Office and district.
8. Attach the CR book, current revenue licence, and any other documents the DMT counter asks for, then submit everything together.

If you want a general sense of what else to gather before this step, our documents checklist for selling a car and safety tips cover the wider sale process; this guide focuses specifically on the transfer form itself.

What other documents go with the MTA 6?

The MTA 6 alone isn't enough — the DMT counter will also want the original CR book, the vehicle's current revenue licence, and proof of identity (NIC) for both parties. If the vehicle still has a leasing or bank mortgage noted on the CR book, you'll need a release or settlement letter from the finance company before the transfer can go through. If either party's address has changed from what's on record, bring supporting proof, since mismatches are one of the most common reasons DMT counters send people back to redo paperwork.

What happens if you don't submit the MTA 6 and just hand over "open papers"?

Legally, the vehicle can remain tied to your name — and your liabilities — until the MTA 6 transfer is actually registered at the DMT. The DMT's Commissioner General has publicly urged the public to stop selling vehicles on open papers and to sign and lodge the MTA 6 instead, warning that undated transfer documents have been linked to fraud and vehicles changing hands repeatedly with no clear paper trail (Newswire, October 2026). Reports in October 2026 also pointed to the DMT tightening enforcement of transfer rules, so treat "I'll transfer it later" as a real risk, not just paperwork you can put off. If a fine, traffic offence, or accident involves the vehicle after the sale but before you've transferred it, you may still be asked questions as the registered owner.

How much does it cost to transfer a vehicle after you sell it?

As of November 2026, the DMT's published fee schedule puts the statutory transfer fee for a private motor car or dual-purpose vehicle at around Rs. 5,000, with an additional flat DMT service charge of roughly Rs. 1,000 and a stamp duty of 1% of the declared sale value, payable to the buyer's Provincial Council. Fees differ by vehicle class — three-wheelers, motorcycles, lorries and buses are charged differently — so check the current schedule at your DMT office or on dmt.gov.lk before you pay, since these amounts are revised periodically. Filing late also costs you: the Motor Traffic Act gives 14 days from the sale agreement to lodge the transfer, and filing after that can add a penalty roughly equal to the statutory class fee, effectively doubling it.

Can you do the transfer online instead of filling paper MTA 6 sheets?

DMT has been expanding an online eService that lets you handle parts of vehicle registration and transfer through a browser, and official messaging in 2026 has pushed hard against informal "open papers" sales in favour of properly documented transfers. How much of the MTA 6 process is replaced by the online system varies by district and is still changing, so don't assume you can skip the paper form entirely — call or check with your local DMT office first. Either way, the underlying requirement is the same: a signed, dated, verifiable transfer rather than an undated form sitting in someone's glovebox.

Common mistakes to avoid when filling the MTA 6

Don't leave the date blank — that's exactly the open-papers practice the DMT is cracking down on. Don't let the buyer or seller sign without their NIC number next to it, and don't skip the witness signature. Don't mix capital and lowercase letters or write outside the boxes, since counters can reject illegible sheets and send you back to refill all four copies. Finally, don't delay — the 14-day window starts from your sale agreement date, not from whenever you get around to visiting the DMT.

Where to go next

If you're preparing to sell, you can post your ad on Wahanaya, check what similar vehicles are going for with price check, or browse current listings under /vehicles. Buyers financing the purchase can estimate repayments with the leasing calculator. And if you're unsure about any part of the transfer process — a mortgaged vehicle, a name mismatch, or what your local DMT office is currently asking for — ask in the Wahanaya forum, where other sellers share what worked for them.

Sources

• How Do I Fill Out the Documents for a Vehicle Transfer? - MotorGuide.lk
• The Mandatory Online System for Vehicle Ownership Transfers in 2026 - MotorGuide.lk
• Forms - Department of Motor Traffic
• Motor Traffic Department warns public against selling vehicles under open papers - Newswire.lk
• Sri Lanka Vehicle Ownership Transfer Fee Calculator (2026) - induwara.lk