Guide7 min read7 views
Updated 31 October 2026 · Written by the Wahanaya.lk team
Yes, you can sell a vehicle with two names on the CR book, but both registered owners must sign the MTA 6 transfer form and provide their NIC copies — the RMV will not register the transfer with only one owner's signature.
Yes, you can sell it, but the sale is only valid at the RMV if every person named on the Certificate of Registration (CR book) signs the transfer form. If a car, van or three-wheeler was bought jointly — by spouses, siblings, a parent and child, or business partners — both names on the CR book are legally registered owners, and both have to agree to the sale on paper, not just in conversation.
Two names usually end up on a CR book because the vehicle was bought jointly — a married couple sharing the loan, two siblings splitting the cost, or a parent added so a young driver could get insurance more easily. Whatever the reason, the RMV treats both names as equal legal owners of the vehicle. Neither name has more authority over the sale than the other, regardless of who actually paid for the vehicle or who drives it day to day.
Yes. The MTA 6 form is the official application for transfer of ownership, and it is completed in multiple identical copies that the transferor (seller) and transferee (buyer) sign, along with their NIC numbers. When the registration book has more than one name, every one of those names counts as a transferor, and the RMV needs each of them to sign. A single co-owner's signature is not enough to register the new buyer — the application can be rejected or delayed if a signature is missing.
Along with the usual transfer set, a jointly owned vehicle needs each owner's paperwork in full. Gather:
Before you get this far, it helps to confirm the vehicle's basic details are correct — check our guide on how to check chassis and engine numbers before buying, since the same checks matter when you're the one selling.
For normal (non one-day) service, the owner does not have to be physically present on transfer day as long as the MTA 6 form is already signed by everyone in advance. If you're using the faster one-day service, the RMV generally wants a letter of no objection from any transferor who can't attend, along with a copy of that person's NIC. Because requirements like this can change and local RMV offices sometimes apply them slightly differently, it's worth calling your district RMV office or asking in the Wahanaya forum before you travel to submit documents, especially if a co-owner lives in a different district or abroad.
If one named owner refuses to sign, the transfer legally cannot go through, no matter how firmly the other owner wants to sell. The RMV has no mechanism to register a sale with a missing signature from a listed owner. If co-owners can't agree, that's a dispute to resolve between themselves — through discussion, a formal agreement, or legal advice — before any buyer's money changes hands. Never accept a deposit or let a buyer take the vehicle until every registered owner has actually signed the transfer documents.
The fee structure doesn't change just because there are two names on the CR book — you don't pay double. You'll still face a Class Transfer Fee that depends on the vehicle category, a flat DMT service charge added to every transfer, and stamp duty calculated as roughly 1% of the declared sale value, paid to the relevant Provincial Council. Missing the 14-day window to submit documents after the sale typically adds a late fee. Because these figures are revised from time to time, check the current amounts directly with your RMV office, or use our price check tool to make sure your declared sale value is realistic before you head to the counter.
If you're listing the vehicle before all this paperwork is sorted, you can still prepare your ad on Wahanaya — just be upfront in the listing or with serious buyers that the CR book has two owners, so there are no surprises later. For general safety when meeting buyers and handling payment, see our safety tips. And if you're not sure what a fair asking price looks like for your vehicle category, browse similar listings under /vehicles or check financing math for buyers using our leasing calculator.
Joint ownership gets more complicated when a co-owner has passed away, is uncontactable, or the two names belong to divorced spouses who no longer agree on anything. These situations usually need a visit to the RMV with supporting documents, or legal advice, rather than a standard transfer. If your case doesn't fit the usual pattern, post the details in the Wahanaya forum — other sellers who've been through the same RMV process can often tell you what actually worked for them at their specific district office.
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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