Italy: selling a used car to a private buyer
From the ad to the registered change of ownership: the things to do, in order, so you do not end up with fines and car tax for a car that is no longer yours.
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Time: 1 to 4 weeks
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Before the ad
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Since 2020 the Documento Unico combines the two documents; the old ones stay valid until a new one is issued.
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Online on the ACI site it costs €6; the buyer will ask for it.
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It is paid by whoever is the owner at the PRA on the payment due date: one more reason to do the change of ownership right away.
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A car with a valid inspection sells more easily.
Ad and viewings
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Stating defects up front protects you: even between private parties the seller answers for hidden defects.
The agreement
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Date and time let you prove since when the car was no longer yours, if a fine arrives.
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From €5,000 up you cannot pay in cash.
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Usually the buyer pays: by law they are the one who must request it.
The change of ownership
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Doing it together is the safest way: your signature is authenticated and the change is registered at once.
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The buyer also brings their tax code or health card.
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At the STA counters of the PRA and the Motorizzazione authentication is free; town hall, notary and agencies charge for it.
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If they do not, you can ask the PRA to record it yourself, to protect yourself.
After the sale
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If you cancel, they refund the premium paid and not used, minus taxes and the contribution to the health service.
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It stays valid for 5 years: if you buy a car again in that period, you start from your bonus-malus class.
Car sold
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Good to know
- Even between private parties the seller answers for hidden defects: the buyer must report them within 8 days of discovering them, and has a year from delivery to take action. “Seen and liked” does not protect you if you knowingly kept quiet about a defect you knew of.
- Until the PRA records the sale, the car is still yours as far as the State is concerned: that is why it pays to do the change of ownership with the buyer, at once, at the same counter.
- By law the buyer requests the change of ownership: if they do not do it within 60 days they risk a fine and the withdrawal of the registration document.
Frequently asked questions
Who has to do the change of ownership?
By law the buyer requests it, within 60 days of the authentication of the seller’s signature. But it is in your interest to do it with them: until the PRA records the sale, fines and car tax can come to you.
How much does the change of ownership cost?
It depends on the car’s power and the buyer’s province. The biggest item is the provincial transcription tax (IPT): the base is €150.81 up to 53 kW, and provinces can raise it by up to 30%. Then there are €27 of ACI fees, €10.20 of Motorizzazione fees and the stamp duty.
Can I be paid in cash?
Only below €5,000. From €5,000 up the payment must be traceable: bank transfer or bank draft. Wait for the transfer to have really arrived before handing over the car.
Next step
I’m not an accountant or a financial advisor. This is an estimate, for information only. Check with a professional before you decide.
Sources
- ACI — Change of ownership: useful information and costs (in Italian)
- ACI — Authentication of the seller’s signature (in Italian)
- ACI — Failure to record the change of ownership (in Italian)
- ACI — The Documento Unico (in Italian)
- ACI — Online PRA search (in Italian)
- IVASS — Questions on motor insurance (in Italian)
- Highway Code, art. 94 (Normattiva) (in Italian)
- Civil Code, art. 1495: defects of the thing sold (Normattiva) (in Italian)
- Cash limit: Legislative Decree 231/2007, art. 49 (Normattiva) (in Italian)
For contracts, payments and paperwork, if in doubt, ask the PRA, a car-paperwork agency or a professional.