Buying a used car privately in Ontario: UVIP, safety, tax and transfer

Buying from a private seller in Ontario can save you thousands compared with a dealer, but the paperwork is on you. Here is the process from first look to new plates.

1. Ask for the Used Vehicle Information Package (UVIP)

Under Ontario's Highway Traffic Act, a private seller must give the buyer a Used Vehicle Information Package. It costs $20 from ServiceOntario (online or in person), and you can buy one yourself if the seller hasn't.

The UVIP shows:

• The vehicle description and VIN
• Every Ontario registered owner and the odometer readings on record
• Liens registered against the vehicle in Ontario
• The vehicle's status (for example, if it was ever branded salvage or irreparable)
• The wholesale value ServiceOntario uses to calculate your tax

Read it before you hand over any money. If a lien is listed, the seller must have it discharged — otherwise a lender may be able to repossess the car from you.

2. Inspect the car and check the VIN

• Confirm the VIN on the dashboard and door jamb matches the vehicle permit and the UVIP.
• Run it through our VIN decoder and check for open recalls.
• Pay for an independent pre-purchase inspection. It usually costs far less than the repairs it uncovers.

3. Understand the Safety Standards Certificate

To register a used car with plates in Ontario, it needs a Safety Standards Certificate from a licensed Motor Vehicle Inspection Station. Many private sales are "as-is", which means the buyer has to get the car certified — and pay for any repairs needed to pass. Budget for this, or negotiate for the seller to provide a current certificate.

Ontario ended mandatory Drive Clean emissions testing for passenger vehicles in 2019, so you no longer need an emissions test to register a typical used car.

4. Do the paperwork with the seller

• Bill of sale with both names and addresses, the VIN, make, model and year, the date, the price and both signatures.
• Vehicle portion of the ownership permit, with the "transfer by seller" section completed and signed by the seller.
• The seller keeps their licence plates — you'll need your own.

5. Transfer the vehicle within 6 days

Go to a ServiceOntario centre within six days of the purchase with:

• The bill of sale
• The UVIP
• The signed vehicle portion of the permit
• A Safety Standards Certificate (if you're putting plates on it)
• Proof of insurance for the vehicle
• Your driver's licence

The ownership transfer can't be done through online plate renewal.

6. Pay the 13% retail sales tax

In a private sale you pay 13% retail sales tax (RST) to ServiceOntario when you register — not to the seller. The tax is charged on the greater of the price you paid or the wholesale value shown in the UVIP. That value depends on make, model and year, not on condition or mileage.

You paid	UVIP wholesale value	Taxed on	RST (13%)
$12,000	$10,000	$12,000	$1,560
$8,000	$10,000	$10,000	$1,300

If the car is worth less than the wholesale value because of its condition, you can get an appraisal from a licensed appraiser; you're then taxed on the greater of your price and the appraised value. Some transfers between close family members can be tax-exempt with a sworn statement. Check the current rules on the Ontario retail sales tax page before you go.

7. Before you drive away

• Arrange insurance before you drive the car.
• If you don't have plates yet, you can't legally drive it home — get the transfer and plates done first, or arrange a tow.
• Keep copies of everything, including the UVIP and bill of sale.

Ready to look? Browse used cars for sale in Ontario, and use the car loan calculator to budget the 13% tax.