Buying a used car privately in Ontario: the step-by-step checklist
The seller must give you a Used Vehicle Information Package. And once you buy, you have 6 days to register the car in your name at ServiceOntario, where you pay 13% retail sales tax.
A private sale can save you money, but nobody checks the car or the paperwork for you. This is the order to do things in, from the first message to the seller to driving home on your own plates.
In this guide
1. Before you see the car
Ask the seller for the VIN and run a free check. It confirms the year, make, model and engine, and shows open safety recalls. If the decode doesn’t match the ad, you’ve saved yourself a trip.
Then ask for the UVIP up front. A seller who is reluctant to share it is telling you something.
Tip: ask whether the seller’s name is on the ownership. Ontario warns buyers to make sure the seller’s name matches the vehicle permit.
Start with the free VIN check
Drivee decodes the VIN, lists open recalls, and shows an estimated market value and the model’s known weak points — before you drive across town.
Check a VIN — free →2. Read the UVIP
In a private sale, the seller is legally required to give you a Used Vehicle Information Package. It costs $20 from ServiceOntario, and you can order one yourself with the VIN or plate if the seller hasn’t.
Look for:
- Owner history — how many owners, and how long each kept it.
- Odometer readings — they should only go up over time.
- Brand — “Rebuilt” means it was once written off. “Salvage” or “Irreparable” means it can’t be driven as is.
- Liens — any money still owing against the car.
- Wholesale value — this sets the minimum value you’ll pay tax on.
Ontario notes that stolen vehicles often have errors in their history, such as the wrong colour or odometer reading. If anything in the UVIP doesn’t match the car in front of you, ask why.
For more on what the UVIP covers and what it leaves out, see our guide to checking a VIN in Ontario.
3. Match the VIN
Check the VIN on the car itself — usually at the base of the windshield on the driver’s side and on the driver’s door jamb label — against the ownership permit and the UVIP. All of them should be identical, character for character.
Tip: a VIN plate that looks scratched, loose or re-riveted is a reason to walk away, not to negotiate.
4. Clear any liens
If the UVIP shows a lien, a lender has a security interest in the car, and that claim can follow the car after the sale. Don’t pay the seller until the lien is dealt with. The cleanest way is to pay the lender directly from the purchase money and get written confirmation that the lien will be discharged.
For lien questions, Ontario’s Personal Property Security Registration branch can be reached at 416-325-8847 in Toronto or 1-800-267-8847 toll-free.
If the UVIP is a few weeks old, run a fresh lien search before you pay. A lien registered after the UVIP was printed won’t be on it.
5. The test drive
See the car in daylight and, if you can, arrive before the engine has been warmed up. Drive it on city streets and at highway speed.
- Listen for knocks or whines on a cold start.
- Check that the transmission shifts without slipping or a long delay.
- Brake firmly in a safe spot: the car should stop straight.
- Try every switch, window, light and the air conditioning.
- Look under the car afterwards for fresh drips.
6. Get a pre-purchase inspection
A history report tells you what was reported. An inspection tells you what’s true today. Have a mechanic who works for you check the car before you agree on a final price, and use what they find to negotiate or walk away.
Tip: a seller who won’t allow an independent inspection is the clearest red flag in a private sale.
A mechanic at the seller’s door
Drivee’s mobile mechanic meets you where the car is, anywhere in the GTA, and checks it before money changes hands: scan for codes, cold start, leaks, rust, brakes and a test drive.
Book a pre-purchase inspection →7. The safety standards certificate
A safety standards certificate (SSC) comes from an MTO-licensed Vehicle Inspection Centre. It is valid for 36 calendar days after the inspection. You need one to put plates on a used car you’ve bought, unless the car is coming from your spouse.
Some private sellers include a certificate. Others sell “as is.” You can buy and register a car without one, but you can’t plate it or drive it until it passes.
Ontario is explicit: the certificate is not a warranty of the vehicle’s condition. It covers minimum safety items on the day of inspection, not the engine’s future.
Tip: if the car is sold “as is,” budget for whatever repairs it needs to pass, and get an estimate before you agree on a price.
8. Paperwork on the day
Before you hand over money, make sure you leave with:
- a signed bill of sale with both names, your address, the date and the price (the UVIP has a section for this),
- the vehicle portion of the permit, with the Application for Transfer on the back completed and signed by the seller,
- the UVIP,
- the safety standards certificate, if the seller is providing one.
The seller keeps the licence plates and the plate portion of the permit. In Ontario, plates go with the owner, not the car.
Tip: write the real price on the bill of sale. Tax is charged on the greater of the price and the wholesale value, so a lower number on paper doesn’t get you below the wholesale value anyway. If you genuinely paid less, the route is an appraisal (below).
9. Registering at ServiceOntario, and the tax
You must register as the new owner within 6 days of the purchase. Bring:
- proof of insurance and your Ontario driver’s licence,
- the UVIP and the bill of sale,
- the permit with the completed Application for Transfer,
- the safety standards certificate, if you have one,
- the odometer reading.
Retail sales tax, not HST
On a private sale you don’t pay HST to the seller. You pay 13% retail sales tax to ServiceOntario when you register. It’s calculated on the purchase price or the wholesale value in the UVIP (based on the Canadian Red Book), whichever is greater.
- If you paid less than the Red Book value, you can have the car appraised before the transfer. You then pay tax on the higher of the price and the appraised value.
- A car 20 years old or older needs an appraisal.
- A gift from a close family member can be tax-free, using the Sworn Statement for a Family Gift of a Used Motor Vehicle.
Registration fees vary by location and vehicle class, so check the current amount with ServiceOntario.
Ontario warns buyers to be cautious of anyone asking them to register a vehicle in their name on someone else’s behalf. Whoever is registered is the owner on record.
Common questions
Do I pay HST on a private used car sale in Ontario?
No HST is paid to the seller. Instead, the buyer pays 13% retail sales tax (RST) at ServiceOntario when registering the car, on the purchase price or the wholesale value shown in the UVIP, whichever is greater.
How long do I have to transfer ownership after buying a used car in Ontario?
You must register as the new owner within 6 days of the purchase.
Can I buy a car without a safety certificate in Ontario?
Yes. You can buy and register a car without a safety standards certificate, but you cannot put plates on it or drive it until it passes a safety inspection. A certificate is valid for 36 days after the inspection.
Does the seller keep the licence plates?
Yes. In Ontario plates stay with the seller, along with the plate portion of the permit. The buyer puts their own plates on the car after registering it.
Sources
- Buy or sell a used vehicle in Ontario — ontario.ca
- Used vehicle information package — ontario.ca
- Safety standards certificate — ontario.ca
- Mandatory Vehicle Branding Program — ontario.ca
- Search for a lien — ontario.ca
Last checked: October 2026.