Everything you need to know about the ownership certificate
Artice By: Stuart Johnston | Published: 25 August 2021, 08:20
Officially, a car's ownership document is known as the "Certificate of Registration in Respect of Motor Vehicle." Here's everything that you need to know about this important document.
It is a green document, bearing the legend "RC1" in the top right-hand corner of the document, issued by the National Traffic Information System (Natis). The document is watermarked, and proof of ownership of the vehicle.
This is a national document, the same type of which is issued by Natis in all our provinces.
This is the most important document that you have in respect of owning your car. It is a title deed, and once the car has been registered in your name, it lists you as the owner, with your relevant personal particulars.
When buying a car
When you buy a car, the most important documentation you need to obtain from the seller is the registration certificate. You will need to submit this form, along with change of ownership forms and copies of your Identity Document, to the Natis licencing authority. A new registration form in your name will then be issued. And this must be kept in a very safe place, that is nevertheless accessible to you.
When selling a car
When selling the car, once the deal has been concluded and money has changed hands, this is the document that you will then provide to the buyer. The buyer hands this document to the licencing authority, along with the change of ownership papers, and a new registration form will be issued bearing the new owner's particulars.
The document is essentially the car's ID document
However, there are many identifying numbers and legends on the registration certificate that will be carried over onto the new registration certificate. These will be explained in detail below.
A point to remember when buying a vehicle financed by a bank
It is important to note that when you buy a vehicle that is financed by a bank or other money-lending institution, you will not retain the Certificate of Registration until all outstanding money has been settled on the vehicle.
The finance house will retain the registration document, made out in your name, in a file detailing your particulars. The registration certificate, in this case, will list you as the owner, but not the titleholder. The titleholder, in this case, will be the financial institution that granted you the loan in the first place.
Acquiring the Registration Certificate
Once you have paid off your car, you should contact the financial institution, informing them that your car is now officially paid up, and requesting that they release the registration certificate to you. They will do so, and also give you documentation stating that you have made the final instalment payment. You will then need to visit your local traffic authority with these documents and have a new registration form issued, listing you as both the owner and the titleholder.
If you buy a car without roadworthy, you should still register it in your name, within 21 days of buying it.
If you buy a non-roadworthy car, which you intend to fix up, you should register it in your name, within 21 days of buying it. You will receive a registration certificate for the car in your name. But you will only be able to licence the car for road use, once you have obtained a roadworthy certificate.
All the data is recorded on the Natis computerised system
All this data is recorded on the National Traffic Information System's central computer.
The following is a step-by-step explanation of what is listed on a typical Certificate of Ownership form, and what the various legends and numerals mean. We list the items as they appear on the form, from top to bottom
Registering Authority: This refers to where the car is registered, such as Johannesburg, Cape Town, or some other South African city, town or region.
Register number: This is a number that often causes confusion. It refers to the Natis system number, where the car's details are logged. This is in essence the Natis I.D. number of the car. A typical example of this number would be TSR 465A (this is a fictitious number) which is not to be found anywhere on the car itself. It has nothing to do with the license number.
VIN number: This is one of the most important numbers on the form, and on the car. It is the Vehicle Identification Number, stamped into the car's body or chassis (usually on the sheet metal under the bonnet, or affixed to the body via a plate. A VIN number will enable you to research a car's history thoroughly, from the day it was originally built. It even details items such as original paint and upholstery colour, in some cases.
Engine number: The engine number will be stamped onto the engine block (main structure) of the engine. In the case of cars where a replacement engine has been fitted, this new number is legally supposed to be recorded with Natis. If this hasn't occurred, and the engine number differs from the one on the registration form, you will need to get some proof of where the engine came from, and you may have to get a police clearance (check with your local traffic authority) to ensure that the engine is not on some stolen property list.
Make: The vehicle manufacturer's name, such as "Volkswagen" or "Toyota"
Series name: The model name, such as "Golf". If the licensing people are unfamiliar with this model name, they might print "unknown" in this field.
Vehicle category: This refers to the size and type of road-legal vehicle. There are 7 different vehicle categories
- A - Motor Cycle
- B - Light passenger vehicle that carries less than 12 passengers
- C - Heavy passenger vehicle that carries more than 12 passengers
- K - Light load vehicle where the GVM is less than 3500KG, a small bakkie
- L - Heavy load vehicle where the GVM is greater than 3500 KG, a truck or similar
- U - Special vehicle, a tractor or similar industrial vehicle
- M - Heavy load vehicle where the GVM is greater than 3500 KG and the vehicle draws a trailer
Driven: Most are self-propelled, but there are four types of so-called driven vehicles, as follows.
- Self-propelled, most engine-driven vehicles
- Trailer
- Semi-trailer
- Trailer drawn by tractor
Tare: The tare weight of the vehicle refers to the un-laden weight of the car or bakkie or truck. The cost of your vehicle's license is determined by the tare weight.
Date of liability for first licensing: This should refer to when the vehicle was first licensed, and normally corresponds to the year of manufacture. But sometimes this is not the case and refers to when the vehicle was first logged on the Natis system.
Vehicle Status: There are 4 different vehicle statuses,
- New - Code 1
- Used - Code 2
- Rebuild - Code 3
- Scrapped- Code 4. Normally the registration certificate will simply state "new" or "used".
Date liable for registration: This is the date that you took ownership of the car. If you have delayed registering the car in your name after taking ownership, you will be liable for late penalty fees. This date is usually determined by the date on the settlement letter, on the notification of change of ownership or the receipt from the seller.
Last license: This section will list the last 3 license numbers (the ones on the number plates) that were recorded on the system for the vehicle. This form may or not record the latest license number if the vehicle was issued with a new number at the time you bought the car. It depends on whether you licensed the vehicle at the same time as you bought the car.
Title Holder: This is important to note! The titleholder is the legal owner of the vehicle. In the case of a financed vehicle, the finance house (lender) is the legal owner or title holder, until you have paid off the car.
Type of identification. This refers to the Title holder's identity. This can be a business registration certificate, a traffic register certificate or an RSA identity document.
Identification number This refers to I.D. number of the title holder. In the case of a company, this would be a company registration number. If your car is all paid up, then you are the title holder as well as the owner, and your I.D. number will appear here.
Country of issue. Where the identity document (furnished by the titleholder) was issued.
Name: The name of the title holder.
Owner: If you have paid cash for the car, or have bought it using finance, you are listed, in both cases, as the owner of the car. The owner is responsible for traffic violations, insurance and licensing of the vehicle. The owner cannot sell the vehicle or deregister it (scrap it) unless authorized by the Title Holder.
Type of identification: This applies to the owner.
Identification number: Applies to the owner.
Country of issue Applies to the owner.
Name: The owner's name.
Control number: This is an internal Natis number, which identifies the specific document, as to when and where it was issued. Along with the watermark on the registration certificate's paper, it is an anti-fraud device. When you submit a certificate of registration for any transaction, this control number is checked. If you need to apply for a duplicate registration form because of mislaying the original (after submitting your proof of personal identity as the registered owner) , a new control number will be issued.
Issue number: This is an internal Natis code to record the transaction for this document.
Date of issue: This refers to the date the registration certificate was printed or issued.
Registering authority: This refers to where you had the car registered, such as Johannesburg or Cape Town.
Receipt number: This lists the receipt for the cost of registering the car.
Transaction: The type of transaction referred to here is "Vehicle Registration".
Total amount received: The amount in Rands and cents.
Date: The date here refers to the day when the money was paid for the registration.
Received by: The name of the teller that you dealt with will appear here.
Method of payment: The description "multiple adding" will appear here if you registered and licensed a vehicle at the same time and paid for both at the same time. A single transaction would show "single transaction".
The last item to appear on the document is the exact date and time the document was printed. Again this is helpful in determining that the document is genuine and correct in detail. The document is also bar-coded at this point.
Provided by Vaal Triangle Insurance
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