From 15/8/2023: What are responsibilities of vehicle owners when selling, donating, exchanging, inheriting, contributing capital, or transferring a vehicle in Vietnam?

From 15/8/2023: What are responsibilities of vehicle owners when selling, donating, exchanging, inheriting, contributing capital, or transferring a vehicle in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Clause 4 Article 6 of the Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA stipulating responsibilities of vehicle owners as follows:

Vehicle registration authority

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4. When selling, donating, exchanging, inheriting, contributing capital, or transferring a vehicle (hereinafter referred to as “vehicle title transfer):

a) The vehicle owner shall retain the vehicle registration certificate and license plate (not transfer the registration certificate and license plate to the transferee) and submit them to the vehicle registration authority for revocation procedures; in case of vehicle title transfer together with the license plate purchased at auction, the vehicle owner shall submit the registration certificate to the vehicle registration authority for revocation procedures;

b) Within 30 days from the date of carrying out procedures for vehicle title transfer, the vehicle owner shall carry out procedures for revocation; within the aforesaid duration, if the vehicle owner fails to carry out procedures for revocation or transfer the vehicle registration certificate and license plate to the transferee to carry out revocation procedures, before processing the procedures, the vehicle registration authority shall issue a decision to impose administrative penalties on the vehicle owner.

After vehicle title transfer, if the vehicle owner fails to carry out procedures for revocation, it/he/she shall be responsible to the law for violations related to that vehicle;

c) After the vehicle owner completes revocation procedures, the transferee shall carry out procedures for registration of title transfer according to regulations.

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As regulations above, when selling, donating, exchanging, inheriting, contributing capital, or transferring a vehicle, the vehicle owner shall:

- Retain the vehicle registration certificate and license plate, and submit them to the vehicle registration authority for revocation procedures;

- Carry out procedures for revocation within 30 days from the date of carrying out procedures for vehicle title transfer.

Is it compulsory to replace current license plates with identification license plates in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Article 39 of the Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA stipulating transition clauses as follows:

Transition clauses

1. If vehicles have been issued with 5-digit license plates before the effective date of this Circular but procedures for revocation of these license plates have not been carried out, such license plates shall be identified as identification license plates of vehicle owners.

2. With regard to vehicles issued with 5-digit license plates, if vehicle owners have carried out procedures for revocation of these license plates before the effective date of this Circular, such license plates shall be transferred to the license plate storage for issuance of license plates according to regulations.

3. Vehicles issued with 5-digit license plates that have symbols “LD”, “DA”, “MD”, “R” may continue to operate on roads, even when these license plates are replaced or re-issued, unless vehicle owners wish to carry out procedures for replacement of license plates according to regulations of this Circular.

4. Vehicles issued with 3-digit license plates or 4-digit license plates may continue to operate on roads. However, in cases where vehicle owners wish to replace these license plates by identification license plates or vehicle owners carry out procedures for replacement or re-issuance of vehicle registration certificates and license plates or registration of title transfer, vehicle transfer according to regulations of this Circular, such 3-digit license plates or 4-digit license plates shall be revoked and replaced by identification license plates according to regulations.

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As regulations above, from 15/8/2023, identification license plates in Vietnam shall be carried out as follows:

- If vehicles have been issued with 5-digit license plates before 15/8/2023 but procedures for revocation of these license plates have not been carried out, such license plates shall be identified as identification license plates of vehicle owners.

- With regard to vehicles issued with 5-digit license plates, if vehicle owners have carried out procedures for revocation of these license plates before 15/8/2023, such license plates shall be transferred to the license plate storage for issuance of license plates according to regulations.

- Vehicles issued with 5-digit license plates that have symbols “LD”, “DA”, “MD”, “R” may continue to operate on roads, even when these license plates are replaced or re-issued.

- Vehicles issued with 3-digit license plates or 4-digit license plates may continue to operate on roads, unless vehicle owners wish to carry out procedures for replacement of identification license plates.

Is it necessary to change license plates when relocating places of residence in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Clause 8 Article 3 of the Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA stipulating rules for vehicle registration as follows:

Rules for vehicle registration

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8. If a vehicle owner that is an organization relocates its headquarter, or a vehicle owner that is an individual changes his/her place of residence to another province or central-affiliated city (hereinafter referred to as “province”), the identification license plate shall be retained (it is not required to replace the license plate)

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As regulations above, from 15/8/2023, if a vehicle owner relocates his/her place of residence in Vietnam but he/she has been issued with the identification license plate, that identification license plate shall be retained.

Note: the Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA takes effect from 15/8/2023.

Best regards!