Guide9 min read16 views
Updated 30 October 2026 · Written by the Wahanaya.lk team
Yes, but only through a DMT "double transfer" that moves the vehicle straight from the last registered owner to your buyer — you need that owner's signature and a no-objection letter, or you must register it in your own name first.
Yes, you can, but the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) will not let your buyer register a vehicle that's still legally owned by someone else without going through what's called a "double transfer." This moves the registration straight from the last registered owner to your new buyer in one application, instead of registering it in your name first and then transferring it again. It takes more paperwork than a normal sale, and it only works if you can get the original registered owner to sign.
A double transfer is what you ask the DMT for when the person selling the car is not the person named in the CR book. This happens when someone bought a vehicle on "open papers" years ago and never got around to registering it in their own name, and now wants to sell it on. Instead of doing two separate transfers — original owner to you, then you to your buyer — the DMT can process it in one step, moving the registration directly from the name in the book to your buyer's name. You still need the cooperation of the person whose name is currently on the CR book, because their signature and ID copy go into the application.
You'll need the same core set used for any ownership transfer, plus one extra item. According to MotorGuide.lk and discussion on the AutoLanka forum, a typical set includes:
Because requirements can vary slightly by district Motor Traffic office, it's worth asking your local office or calling 1919 to confirm exactly what they want before you travel there.
Yes, in almost all cases where the seller and the registered owner are different people. This letter, certified by a Justice of the Peace, states that the registered owner has no objection to the vehicle being transferred to the new buyer. Without it, the DMT has no record linking the person in front of them to the vehicle, so the transfer cannot go through. If there's more than one name in the registration book, all of those people typically need to sign.
DMT charges for registering a transfer are listed by vehicle class, and as of October 2026 ordinary transfers for cars, dual-purpose vehicles and similar classes have run around Rs. 5,000, with lower fees for some other vehicle categories. A one-day service is available at the DMT's Narahenpita and Werahera offices in Colombo for an extra charge, while a normal transfer through a district Motor Traffic office can take a few weeks to come back by post. Because a double transfer is effectively catching up on a registration that should have happened earlier, treat these figures as a starting point only, and confirm the current charges and any penalty for lateness directly with the DMT before you commit to a sale.
Selling without doing the paperwork at all — simply handing the car and an unsigned or undated transfer form to your buyer — leaves you, the last registered owner, legally exposed. Any traffic fine, accident, or offence involving the vehicle can still be traced back to your name until the transfer is actually registered. Reports summarising the Motor Traffic Act describe a daily fine starting at around Rs. 100 from the 15th day after a sale, rising much higher the longer it drags on, though you should confirm the exact current figures with DMT rather than relying on older figures circulating online. With the DMT's enforcement push from 1 December 2026 and its move toward mandatory online transfers, open papers are becoming riskier, not safer, as a shortcut.
Two changes matter most right now. First, since 5 January 2026 both the buyer and the new owner generally need a TIN as well as an NIC for the transfer to go through in the DMT's system (motorbikes, three-wheelers, hand tractors, tractors and tractor trailers are exempted). Second, the DMT has said it will strictly enforce transfer deadlines and paperwork from 1 December 2026, as part of a wider digital overhaul of vehicle registration that the government has targeted for substantial completion by the end of 2026. If you're planning to sell a vehicle that's still in someone else's name, it's sensible to sort out the TIN and locate the registered owner well before that enforcement date, rather than after.
Before you get this far, it's worth checking what similar vehicles are selling for on /price-check so you know whether the extra paperwork effort is worth it, and browsing /vehicles to see how comparable cars are listed. If the vehicle is still under a lease or loan, check what your finance company needs by looking at the lease terms, and use the /leasing calculator if you're weighing whether to settle it early before selling.
This is one of the more serious problems you can run into as a seller. Without the registered owner's signature and ID copy, the DMT generally cannot process a straightforward double transfer. Don't ignore it or hope a buyer won't notice — be upfront about the situation in your listing and when answering buyer questions, since hiding it can look like a scam even if you're acting in good faith. Speak to your district Motor Traffic office about what evidence they'll accept, and consider asking a lawyer about alternatives if the registered owner has died, moved abroad, or simply can't be found. You can also post your situation on the /forum to hear how other sellers in similar situations have handled it.
Whatever stage your paperwork is at, be clear about it in your ad and don't let a buyer rush you into handing over the vehicle before the transfer documents are signed and lodged. Review the general precautions on /safety-tips before you meet anyone, and once your documents are in order, you can list the vehicle on /post-ad. Being upfront about a double transfer in your ad will also save you time, since it filters out buyers who aren't willing to wait the extra few weeks it can take.
When a buyer pays through a lease or bank loan, their finance company sends an approved valuer to inspect your car and registers itself as absolute owner on the CR book before you get paid, so expect extra paperwork and a short delay versus a cash sale.
Wahanaya.lk team8 min read
The safest payment is a bank transfer or bank draft you verify yourself by checking your own banking app or calling your bank — never a screenshot the buyer sends you. Don't hand over the CR book, keys or signed MTA 6 form until the money has actually settled in your account.
Wahanaya.lk team7 min read
Yes — the DMT's ownership-transfer system checks that your vehicle's VET (emission test) certificate and revenue licence are both in date before it lets the transfer go through, so renew an expired VET before you sell, unless your vehicle is exempt.
Wahanaya.lk team7 min read
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