Between two private people, how to transfer car ownership in Malaysia comes down to three steps, in this order: clear anything owed on the car, get it inspected (the MV15 inspection, at Puspakom or another appointed centre), then complete the transfer with JPJ, the Road Transport Department, either online through JPJ's portal or a partner such as MyEG, or at a JPJ counter. Seller and buyer both have to be verified. As at November 2026, it can be done in a day if the paperwork is right.
Before anything: is the car free to sell?
- Check for outstanding summonses and restrictions. Unpaid JPJ or police summonses can get the owner blacklisted, and a blacklist blocks the transfer. MyJPJ shows JPJ summonses; police ones are on MyBayar PDRM. Checking traffic summonses online covers both.
- Check for a loan. If the car is on hire purchase, the bank or finance company is the legal owner until the last instalment, so the seller can't transfer it until the loan is settled or the financier gives clearance. Ask the financier for a settlement letter showing the amount to pay off.
- Check the details. The engine and chassis numbers on the registration certificate should match the car. The buyer can check owner and road tax status through JPJ or MyEG before paying.
Never agree to "take over the payments" and leave the car in the seller's name. That arrangement, sambung bayar, is illegal under the Hire-Purchase Act 1967 and leaves the buyer with no claim to the car. The risks of sambung bayar explains why.
The inspection
The ownership-transfer inspection is called MV15 (it used to be B5). It checks that the car is what the papers say it is: identity, engine and chassis numbers against JPJ's records, and a visual check for serious structural problems such as major rust or cut-and-join work.
- Puspakom does it, and since 2025 the Transport Ministry has appointed other companies too. Carro, for example, opened MV15 centres in Glenmarie, Kajang, Klang and Wangsa Melawati in June 2026. The fee is government-controlled.
- Book through the official MyPUSPAKOM portal rather than an agent. Bring the booking slip, your MyKad and the registration certificate, and bring the car clean, with no illegal modifications or over-dark front tint.
- Since 1 July 2026, an MV15 report is valid for 120 days.
MV15 is an identity check, not a condition report. A buyer who wants to know about the car's condition should pay for a separate inspection. Puspakom inspections explained lists the types.
The transfer itself
- Agree the price, take payment, and write a simple sales agreement with a receipt. Keep copies of both MyKads.
- Complete the transfer with JPJ, online or at a counter (below).
- The buyer insures the car in their own name and renews road tax when it's due. Road tax is digital now; there's no slip to hand over.
Online, the seller starts the transfer on JPJ's public portal or with a partner such as MyEG or eAuto, the buyer confirms it, and JPJ finalises it. JPJ suspended the online service for a day in May 2026 after unauthorised transactions and restored it straight after, so if it's down, use a counter.
At a JPJ counter, both parties go for biometric thumbprint verification; JPJ's guidance for transfers between individuals is that both sides verify within 7 days. An individual transfer can be finished the same day when the documents are complete. A company transfer takes 5 to 7 working days.
The JPJ fee for the transfer is set by JPJ; check it on the portal or at the counter.
When the owner has died
Relatives who drive the car don't automatically have the right to sell or transfer it. JPJ treats it as a non-voluntary transfer, and the person signing has to be legally appointed. You'll need:
- the death certificate;
- the registration certificate (apply to JPJ for a copy if it's lost);
- an estate document naming the person in charge, such as a Grant of Probate, Letter of Administration, a small estate distribution order, an AmanahRaya distribution instruction, a High Court order or a certified Faraid order;
- that person's identification.
The appointed person signs JPJ's K7 form. The car still needs the inspection, any loan has to be settled or cleared by the financier, and there must be no blacklist or other restriction on it. Contact the finance company early; settling an estate takes time, and the car shouldn't be advertised before the papers are ready.
If something gets in the way
The transfer was rejected. Why?
The common causes are an outstanding summons, a blacklist, an unsettled loan, an expired inspection report, or details that don't match JPJ's records. Fix the cause and submit again.
Can a company transfer a car to a director?
Yes, but company transfers need extra verification and take longer, 5 to 7 working days at a counter.
What about a car on Grandpride's Lease to Own?
You own the car completely at the end of the contract term. How and when ownership is transferred into your name, and who pays the JPJ costs, is CHECK: at the end of a Lease to Own term, how is the car transferred to the customer, how long it takes, and who pays the transfer and inspection costs. The contract structure itself is CHECK: lawyer to confirm how the lease-to-own contract is structured. Lease to Own has the terms, from 12 to 36 months with a down payment.
And on a subscription?
Nothing to transfer. Grandpride owns and registers every subscription car, and you return it or swap it at the end. If you never want to deal with JPJ paperwork, a car subscription is the way to drive a car without owning one; buying a used luxury car is the other side of that decision.
