Singapore legislation
Regulation 25
of Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Registration and Licensing) Rules
Regulation 25
Transfer of vehicle registration
Subregulation 1
Where the owner of a registered vehicle transfers possession of the vehicle with the intention of transferring the registration of the vehicle to the name of another person (referred to in this rule as the transferee), the owner of the registered vehicle or the transferee shall, not later than 7 days from the transfer of possession, make an application to the Registrar for the registration of the vehicle to be transferred to the name of the transferee.
Subregulation 2
Any application for a transfer of the registration of a vehicle shall be made in such form and manner as the Registrar may require and shall be accompanied by —
the total of all the following fees:
the prescribed fee in Part IV of the First Schedule;
the fee payable under rule 31(1), subject to the minimum fee mentioned in that rule;
the fee payable under rule 31(4), in respect of a motor vehicle mentioned in that rule; or
the balance amount after setting off the rebate under rule 38C (where applicable) against the total fee mentioned in sub‑paragraph (a).(c)[Deleted by S 327/2017 wef 25/06/2017]
Subregulation 3
Where no application is made to the Registrar to transfer the registration of a vehicle to the name of the transferee within the time delimited by paragraph (1), the owner of the vehicle and the transferee shall each be guilty of an offence.
Subregulation 3A
The Registrar may require the owner of a registered vehicle or a transferee to furnish such additional information relating to the vehicle or the transfer as the Registrar may specify.
Subregulation 4
Where —
the owner of a registered vehicle sells the vehicle to a firm or a company which deals in secondhand motor vehicles; and
the firm or company has bought the registered vehicle for the purpose of resale,the Registrar may, upon —
the application made by the firm or company in such form or manner as the Registrar may require; and
the payment of a fee of $25,temporarily transfer the registration of the vehicle to the name of such firm or company for a period not exceeding 3 months, subject to such conditions as the Registrar may think fit to impose.
Subregulation 5
Where the firm or company referred to in paragraph (4) has not sold the vehicle to another person at the expiration of the 3‑month period referred to in that paragraph, the Registrar may —
extend the period of registration of the vehicle in the name of the firm or company for a further period of 3 months upon the payment of a fee of $30; (b)at the expiration of the 3-month period referred to in sub‑paragraph (a), extend the period of registration of the vehicle in the name of the firm or company for a further period of 3 months upon the payment of a fee of $60; (c)at the expiration of the 3-month period referred to in sub‑paragraph (b), extend the period of registration of the vehicle in the name of the firm or company for a further period of 3 months upon the payment of —
a fee of $90, if the 3-month period referred to in sub‑paragraph (b) expired on or after 25th May 2009 but before 24th February 2011; or
a fee of $60, if the 3-month period referred to in sub-paragraph (b) expires on or after 7th March 2013; and
at the expiration of the 3-month period referred to in sub-paragraph (c), if the last day of that period is on or after 7 April 2020 but before 7 July 2020, extend the period of registration of the vehicle in the name of the firm or company for a further period of 3 months,subject to such conditions as the Registrar may in his discretion impose.
Subregulation 5A
Paragraph (5)(c) shall not apply to —
any vehicle where the 3-month extension of the period of registration of the vehicle in the name of the firm or company as extended under paragraph (5)(b) had expired before 25th May 2009; or
any vehicle the registration of which is temporarily transferred to the name of such firm or company referred to under paragraph (4) on or after 25th May 2010 but before 8th June 2012.
Subregulation 6
Where —
the Registrar does not extend the period of registration of the vehicle under paragraph (5)(a), (b), (c) or (d), as the case may be;
any period of extension granted by the Registrar under any of those paragraphs has expired; and
the firm or company has not before the expiration of that period of extension transferred the registration of the vehicle to another person,then, at the expiration of that period of extension, the firm or company shall transfer the registration of the vehicle to its name and pay —
the prescribed fee in Part IV of the First Schedule;
the fee payable under rule 31(1), subject to the minimum fee referred to in that rule; and
the fee payable under rule 31(4), in respect of a motor vehicle referred to in that rule.
Subregulation 7
The Registrar may require such motor vehicle to be subjected to mechanical inspection before he approves the transfer.
Subregulation 8
Subject to rule 29, no motor vehicle which has been first registered as —
a private motor car;
a business service passenger vehicle;
a private hire car; or
a taxi,using a certificate of entitlement issued on or after 1st April 1995 under rule 3(1)(a) or (b) of the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Quota System) Rules (R 31) shall be transferred to another person unless —
a period of 3 months has elapsed from the date of its first registration; or
the transfer, if made within a period of 3 months from the date of the first registration of the vehicle, is approved by the Registrar.
Subregulation 9
The Registrar may, in his discretion, refuse to approve the transfer of a light goods vehicle (other than a goods-cum-passengers vehicle) or a small bus unless he is satisfied that —
it will, after the transfer, be registered under a person specified in rule 3C(1) or (2); and
the person referred to in sub-paragraph (a) has complied or has undertaken to the Registrar to comply with rule 45C(1), (2) or (3), as the case may be.
Subregulation 9A
Where the Registrar has approved a person’s transfer of registration under paragraph (8)(ii), the Registrar may, for a period not exceeding one year commencing from the date of that approval, refuse any other application from that person to transfer a vehicle registration to his name.
Subregulation 9B
Subject to paragraph (9C), the Registrar must not approve the transfer of the registration of a chauffeured private hire car from the name of a business to the name of an individual.
Subregulation 9C
However, subject to paragraph (9D), the Registrar may, in his discretion, approve the transfer of the registration of a chauffeured private hire car from the name of a business (called business X) to the name of an individual after a period of 3 years has elapsed after any of the following dates:
where the chauffeured private hire car has, at all times, been registered under the Act in the name of business X — the date the chauffeured private hire car was so registered;
where the vehicle has been re-registered under the Act as a chauffeured private hire car in the name of business X and its registration has not subsequently been transferred under the Act to the name of any other business — the date the chauffeured private hire car was so re-registered;
where the vehicle has been re-registered under the Act as a chauffeured private hire car in the name of any business (including business X) and its registration has subsequently been transferred under the Act (through one or more transfers to the name of any business) to the name of business X — the date the chauffeured private hire car was so re-registered;
where the registration under the Act of a chauffeured private hire car has been transferred under the Act from the name of an individual to the name of business X and its registration has not subsequently been transferred under the Act to the name of any other business — the date the registration of the chauffeured private hire car was so transferred from the name of the individual;
where the registration under the Act of a chauffeured private hire car has been transferred under the Act from the name of an individual to the name of any business (including business X) and its registration has subsequently been transferred under the Act (through one or more transfers to the name of any business) to the name of business X — the date the registration of the chauffeured private hire car was so transferred from the name of the individual.
Subregulation 9D
Paragraph (9C) only applies —
in the case of paragraph (9C)(a) — where the registration mentioned in paragraph (9C)(a) is made using a certificate of entitlement issued on or after 19 February 2025;
in the case of paragraph (9C)(b) or (c) — where an application for the re-registration mentioned in paragraph (9C)(b) or (c) was submitted on or after 19 February 2025; or
in the case of paragraph (9C)(d) or (e) — where an application for the transfer mentioned in paragraph (9C)(d) or (e) from the name of an individual was submitted on or after 19 February 2025.
Subregulation 10
Upon approval of the transfer, the Registrar shall make the necessary alterations in the register of vehicles.
Subregulation 11
The Registrar may, in his discretion and subject to such conditions as he thinks fit, waive in whole or in part any fee referred to in paragraph (4)(ii) or (5).
Subregulation 12
In paragraphs (9B) and (9C), the name of a business refers to —
the name of a company, firm, society, club, association, insurer, charitable organisation or car-sharing co-operative;
the business name of an individual registered under the Business Names Registration Act 2014;
the name of a business trust registered under the Business Trusts Act 2004;
the name of a limited partnership registered under the Limited Partnerships Act 2008; or
the name of a Town Council established under section 4 of the Town Councils Act 1988.