How to transfer vehicle ownership in Uganda
In brief
When a motor vehicle is sold, the change of ownership must be registered. Under the Traffic and Road Safety Act, Cap. 361, within three months after the sale or other disposition of a registered motor vehicle the person disposing of it must notify the licensing officer, in the prescribed form and with the prescribed fee, of the sale, the new owner's name and address, the mileage, and other particulars (s.31). The purchaser also has a duty to notify the licensing officer of the change. The officer enters the change of ownership in the register.
1. Governing law
Motor vehicles are registered under the Traffic and Road Safety Act, Cap. 361 (application for registration, s.12; registration, s.13), and transfers of ownership are dealt with by s.31. Within three months after the sale or other disposition of any kind of a registered motor vehicle, trailer or engineering plant, the person selling or disposing of it must notify the licensing officer, in the prescribed form accompanied by the prescribed fee, of the sale or disposition, the name and address of the new owner, the mileage recorded, and other prescribed particulars (s.31(1)). A person who purchases a motor vehicle and does not notify the licensing officer of the change commits an offence (s.31(1a)). On being notified, the licensing officer registers the change of ownership by making an entry in the appropriate register. In practice the transfer is processed through the URSB/URA motor-vehicle registration system, and a sale agreement, the registration book and identification of the parties are needed. The seller remains exposed until the change is registered, so completing it promptly protects both parties. Statutory text verified against the consolidated Laws of Uganda as at 31 December 2023. Sourced from the Uganda Legal Information Institute (ulii.org).
2. Key statutes & rules
- Traffic and Road Safety Act, Cap. 361 — s.12 (application for registration of motor vehicles); s.13 (registration of motor vehicles); s.31(1) (within three months of sale the seller notifies the licensing officer of the change of ownership, in the prescribed form with the prescribed fee, giving the new owner and mileage); s.31(1a) (a purchaser who fails to notify the change commits an offence); the licensing officer enters the change in the register.
3. Practical guidance
Sign a written sale agreement and hand over the registration book and the vehicle.
Within three months of the sale, the seller notifies the licensing officer of the change of ownership in the prescribed form, with the fee, giving the buyer's details and the mileage (s.31(1)).
The buyer should also ensure the change is notified — a purchaser who does not notify commits an offence (s.31(1a)).
Process the transfer through the URSB/URA motor-vehicle system; confirm the entry of the new owner in the register.
Keep proof of the transfer — until the change is registered the seller may remain liable for the vehicle.
This note is a practitioner orientation, not legal advice, and does not create an advocate–client relationship. Ugandan law changes and chapter and section numbers were revised in the 2023 Laws of Uganda. Verify every statute, rule and authority against the current primary source — and the specific facts of your matter — before filing or relying on it.