How to sell a car privately in Ontario, step by step
To sell privately in Ontario you must give the buyer a Used Vehicle Information Package (UVIP). At the sale, you also give a signed bill of sale (the UVIP has a section for it), the vehicle portion of your ownership permit with the Application for Transfer on the back completed and signed, and a safety standards certificate if required. Keep your plates and the plate portion of the permit: in Ontario, plates stay with the owner. The buyer then registers the car within 6 days.
Step by step
Order the UVIP
Ontario.ca says the seller is legally required under the Highway Traffic Act to give the buyer a UVIP. Order it online (mailed within about 5 business days, plus delivery) or get it at a ServiceOntario centre. Many buyers will ask to see it before they commit.
Clear any money owing
The UVIP shows registered liens. If you still owe money on the car, arrange with the lender how it will be paid off at the sale, and get proof the lien is discharged. Buyers can also search for liens themselves.
Decide on the safety certificate
Ontario lists a safety standards certificate among the seller's documents "if required". You can agree to sell without one, but the buyer will need a valid certificate from a licensed inspection station before they can put plates on the car. Say clearly in the ad and on the bill of sale whether the car is sold certified or not.
Prepare the car and the ad
Include the VIN in the ad so serious buyers can run their own checks. Have service records ready.
Show the car safely
Meet in daylight, ideally at your home address (which matches your ownership) or a public place. Before a test drive, look at the buyer's driver's licence and ride along.
Get paid before you sign
Confirm the money is real before you hand over anything. See scams to avoid when selling.
Complete the paperwork together
Fill in the bill of sale (names, date, price, signed by both of you), then complete and sign the Application for Transfer on the back of the vehicle portion of your permit and give it to the buyer with the UVIP.
Remove your plates
Plates move with you, not the car. Take them off, and keep the plate portion of the permit. You can put them on your next car or return them to ServiceOntario.
What the buyer does next
The buyer registers the car at a ServiceOntario centre within 6 days of the sale, with the UVIP, the bill of sale, your signed permit portion, proof of insurance and, to get plates, a safety certificate. The buyer pays the retail sales tax at that point, not you. Our Ontario used-car tax guide explains how it's calculated.
Know what buyers will see
Serious buyers will run your VIN. Check your own car's open recalls for free first, so you can get them fixed (recall repairs are free at the dealer) or mention them up front.
The price on the bill of sale
Write the real price. The UVIP shows the vehicle's wholesale value, and Ontario generally calculates the buyer's tax on the higher of the price paid and that value, so writing a lower number usually doesn't reduce the tax and can create problems for both of you.
Help the buyer trust you
- Put the VIN in the ad and offer the UVIP up front.
- Have service records and receipts organized.
- Allow a pre-purchase inspection at a shop of the buyer's choice. Serious buyers will ask.
- Be honest about known problems and write any "as is" terms on the bill of sale.
Questions
Do I have to give the buyer a UVIP in Ontario?
Yes. Ontario.ca says the seller is legally required under the Highway Traffic Act to provide the Used Vehicle Information Package to the buyer of a used vehicle.
Do I need a safety certificate to sell my car in Ontario?
Not always. You can sell without one if the buyer agrees, but the buyer must get a safety standards certificate before the car can be plated. Make it clear in the ad and the bill of sale.
What do I do with my plates after selling?
Keep them. Ontario plates stay with the owner, not the vehicle. Keep the plate portion of the permit, then use them on your next car or return them to ServiceOntario.
Sources
- Buy or sell a used vehicle in Ontario (Ontario.ca)
- Used vehicle information package (Ontario.ca)
- Register and insure a vehicle in Ontario: plates stay with the owner (Ontario.ca)
- Register a vehicle: documents the buyer needs (Ontario.ca)
- MTO handbook: buying or selling a used vehicle, plate portion and 6-day registration (Ontario.ca)
- Safety standards certificate (Ontario.ca)
- Search for a lien on Access Now (Ontario.ca)
General information, not legal advice. Rules change, so check the official source before you rely on a detail.