Index
Why what you do after selling is as important as the sale itself
Notify the DGT of the sale (compulsory)
Cancel the car insurance
Verify that the change of ownership has been completed
Cancel services linked to the vehicle
Keep the documentation of the sale
Tax procedures: what to declare and what not
Complete checklist after selling
Frequently asked questions
You have agreed on the price, signed the contract, received payment by bank transfer and handed over the keys. The sale is done. But the process is not finished. There are a series of subsequent steps that, if not completed, can cause you serious problems: fines that arrive in your name months later, insurance charges that you no longer need, legal liabilities for accidents involving a car that is no longer yours.
Most of these procedures are resolved in less than an hour. But if you ignore or postpone them, the consequences can drag on for months or years.
In this article, we detail exactly what to do after selling your car, in what order and by what deadlines.
Why what you do after selling is as important as the sale itself
The reason is simple: until the DGT registers that the car is no longer yours, you are still listed as the owner for all purposes. This means that any traffic fine, accident, claim or liability generated by the vehicle falls on you.
A real and common example: you sell your car in March. You do not notify the DGT of the sale. In June, the buyer runs a speed camera and the fine arrives at your home. In October, the town hall claims the road tax for the following year because you were still listed as the owner as of January 1st. And in the worst-case scenario, if the car is involved in a serious accident, the initial liabilities point towards you.
All this is avoided with a free procedure that takes five minutes. But it must be done.
If you want to avoid most of these subsequent procedures, selling to a professional dealership simplifies the process enormously. See how to sell your car quickly and at the best price.
Notify the DGT of the sale (compulsory)
This is the most important and urgent step. You have a period of 10 calendar days from the date of the sale to notify the DGT that you have sold the vehicle. This is not a recommendation: it is a legal obligation.
How to do it online
The fastest way is through the DGT electronic headquarters (sede.dgt.gob.es). You need a digital certificate, electronic DNI or Cl@ve. The process is as follows:
Access the electronic office, search for the procedure "Notification of sale of vehicle", enter the vehicle details (license plate), the buyer's details (name and ID) and the date of the sale. Confirm and download the receipt.
The procedure is free and is completed in minutes. Keep the receipt: it is your proof that you notified the sale within the deadline.
How to do it in person
If you do not have electronic access, you can do it at a traffic headquarters. You need an appointment (requested on the DGT website or by phone), your DNI, the vehicle's registration certificate and a copy of the purchase agreement.
The in-person procedure is also free, but requires travelling and waiting for the appointment. The online route is more efficient if you have the means.
What happens if you do not notify in time
If you do not notify the sale within 10 days, you will still be listed as the owner of the vehicle in the DGT. This means that you will receive any fines the car generates, you will be claimed for the road tax of the following year, and in case of an accident, the initial liabilities will fall on you.
In addition, the DGT can impose a penalty on you for not complying with the obligation to notify. Although in practice these penalties are not common, the risk of carrying other people's fines is more than enough reason not to skip this step.
The notification of sale is one of the compulsory procedures of the process. Check the complete guide on procedures to sell a car in Spain.
Cancel the car insurance
Once the car is sold, you no longer need the insurance policy. If you do not cancel it, the insurance company will continue to charge you the premiums.
How the cancellation works
Contact your insurer and report that you have sold the vehicle. Depending on the company and the conditions of your policy, two situations may arise.
Cancellation with proportional refund. The insurer cancels the policy and returns the proportional part of the premium corresponding to the unused period. If you paid for a full year and sell at six months, they will return approximately half.
Transfer of the policy to another vehicle. If you are going to buy another car, many insurers allow you to transfer the policy to the new vehicle without penalty. This is usually more advantageous than cancelling and taking out a new one, because you keep your loyalty status and no-claims bonuses.
Documentation they will ask for
The insurer will normally ask you for a copy of the purchase agreement or proof of the notification of sale to the DGT. Some companies accept communication by phone or email; others require a specific form.
Recommended timeframe
Do it as soon as possible after the sale. While the policy is active, you are still paying. Some insurers have clauses that limit the refund if the cancellation is requested late.
Verify that the change of ownership has been completed
The change of ownership is the responsibility of the buyer. They have 30 days to process it at the DGT. But just because it is their responsibility does not mean you should ignore it.
A few days after the sale, check the DGT electronic headquarters to see if the vehicle is no longer in your name. If the transfer has been completed, you will see that the owner has changed. If not, the car will still appear in your name (although your notification of sale protects you from liability).
If the buyer does not process the transfer. Contact them to remind them. If they do not respond or are delayed, your notification of sale to the DGT is what protects you. It is your proof that the car is no longer yours from the date you indicated.
In sales between private individuals, this follow-up is important. In sales to professional dealerships, the change of ownership is automatically managed by the buyer as part of their standard operations.
Cancel services linked to the vehicle
It is easy to forget about the services and subscriptions you had associated with the car. Go through this list and cancel whatever applies.
Automatic tolls. If you had Via-T, Telepeaje or any toll device linked to the car, notify the provider to cancel it. If you don't do it, the tolls the new owner passes through will be charged to your account.
Parking apps. EasyPark, Parclick, Telpark or any app where you had the car registered. Remove the vehicle from your profile.
Roadside assistance. If you had an assistance service contracted independently (not linked to the insurance), cancel it.
Car connectivity service. Many modern cars have connected services (manufacturer's app, GPS location, remote opening). Unlink your account from the vehicle so that the new owner does not have access to your information and you do not receive notifications from the car.
Road tax (IVTM). You have already paid the IVTM for the current year (or you must pay it if the sale is after January 1st). The buyer will pay from the following year. There is no additional step, but it is useful to have it clear to avoid confusion.
Keep the documentation of the sale
Keep all documentation related to the sale for at least five years. It is your backup against any future claims.
Documents you must keep:
Signed copy of the purchase agreement, proof of bank transfer (payment), proof of notification of sale to the DGT, copy of the insurance cancellation and any relevant communication with the buyer (emails, messages).
The purchase agreement is the most important document. If you have not signed it yet, check our car purchase agreement guide.
If the sale involved the cancellation of financing or the removal of a retention of title, also keep the cancellation letter from the finance company and the simple note from the Personal Property Registry.
If the sale involved the cancellation of financing, keep the cancellation letter. More information in our guide on retention of title on a car.
These documents may be necessary if the tax agency requests information about the transaction, if the buyer claims for any reason or if fines or liabilities appear that you need to dispute.
Tax procedures: what to declare and what not
After selling, you may wonder if you have tax obligations as a seller.
In most cases, no. If you have sold your car for less than what you paid for it (the usual scenario), there is no capital gain and you do not pay any tax in IRPF (income tax). The buyer pays the ITP (property transfer tax), not you. And VAT does not apply between private individuals.
If you have sold for more than what you bought it for (unusual, but possible with classic cars or in exceptional circumstances), the difference is a capital gain that is taxed in your tax return. Check our guide on taxes when selling your car for more details.
If you have sold a car associated with your professional activity (you are self-employed), the operation has specific tax implications (VAT, IRPF as business activity income). Consult your tax advisor.
Capital loss can be offset. If you sold for less than what you bought it for, you can include the operation in your tax return as a capital loss and offset it with gains from other transactions (shares, funds) in the same financial year or in the following four.
Complete checklist after selling
Use this list to make sure you do not forget anything.
Immediate (first 10 days):
Notify the sale to the DGT (sede.dgt.gob.es or traffic headquarters)
Contact the insurance company to cancel or transfer the policy
Cancel Via-T, parking apps and connected services
Unlink your account from the car manufacturer's app
In the following weeks:
Verify at the DGT that the change of ownership has been completed
If it has not been completed, contact the buyer
When doing your tax return:
If you sold at a loss: consider including it to offset against future gains
If you sold at a gain: declaring it is mandatory
Forever:
Keep a copy of the contract, proof of payment and proof of DGT notification for at least five years
Dealcar: value your car for free and receive offers from dealerships
If you have not sold your car yet and want to avoid the complexity of managing paperwork on your own, with Dealcar the buying dealership takes care of practically everything: change of ownership, notification to the DGT and documentation. You just sign, get paid and cancel your insurance.
Value your car for free in less than 30 seconds and receive offers from more than 1,000 professional car dealers bidding against each other. On average, the first offers arrive in less than 18 hours.
100% free for you. No commissions or hidden costs.
You get paid before handing over the keys. Bank transfer before delivering the car.
They collect the car from your home. No travelling.
No paperwork. The dealer manages the transfer, DGT and all paperwork.
On average, 1,400 euros more than selling on Wallapop.
More than 12,000 cars sold and an average rating of 4.9 out of 5.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I do not notify the sale to the DGT?
You will still be registered as the owner of the vehicle. This means you will receive the fines, taxes and any liability arising from the use of the car by the new owner. Notification is free and takes minutes: there is no reason not to do it.
Do I get part of the insurance back if I cancel before it expires?
It depends on your insurer and the conditions of your policy. Most return the proportional part of the unused premium. Some apply penalties for early cancellation. Check with your company before cancelling.
Do I have to declare the sale of the car in my tax return?
If you sold at a loss (the usual scenario), it is not mandatory but it can be convenient to offset future gains. If you sold at a profit (rare for used cars), it is mandatory to declare it.
How long does it take for the buyer to make the change of ownership?
The legal term is 30 days. In practice, dealerships do it in a few days. Private individuals may take longer. Your notification of sale to the DGT protects you regardless of when the buyer does it.
Can I receive fines after selling if I have notified the DGT?
It is possible that you receive fines for offenses committed before the sale date, as those remain your responsibility. Offenses after the date of notification should not arrive in your name. If they do, you can appeal them by presenting the proof of the notification of sale.
Index
Why what you do after selling is as important as the sale itself
Notify the DGT of the sale (compulsory)
Cancel the car insurance
Verify that the change of ownership has been completed
Cancel services linked to the vehicle
Keep the documentation of the sale
Tax procedures: what to declare and what not
Complete checklist after selling
Frequently asked questions
You have agreed on the price, signed the contract, received payment by bank transfer and handed over the keys. The sale is done. But the process is not finished. There are a series of subsequent steps that, if not completed, can cause you serious problems: fines that arrive in your name months later, insurance charges that you no longer need, legal liabilities for accidents involving a car that is no longer yours.
Most of these procedures are resolved in less than an hour. But if you ignore or postpone them, the consequences can drag on for months or years.
In this article, we detail exactly what to do after selling your car, in what order and by what deadlines.
Why what you do after selling is as important as the sale itself
The reason is simple: until the DGT registers that the car is no longer yours, you are still listed as the owner for all purposes. This means that any traffic fine, accident, claim or liability generated by the vehicle falls on you.
A real and common example: you sell your car in March. You do not notify the DGT of the sale. In June, the buyer runs a speed camera and the fine arrives at your home. In October, the town hall claims the road tax for the following year because you were still listed as the owner as of January 1st. And in the worst-case scenario, if the car is involved in a serious accident, the initial liabilities point towards you.
All this is avoided with a free procedure that takes five minutes. But it must be done.
If you want to avoid most of these subsequent procedures, selling to a professional dealership simplifies the process enormously. See how to sell your car quickly and at the best price.
Notify the DGT of the sale (compulsory)
This is the most important and urgent step. You have a period of 10 calendar days from the date of the sale to notify the DGT that you have sold the vehicle. This is not a recommendation: it is a legal obligation.
How to do it online
The fastest way is through the DGT electronic headquarters (sede.dgt.gob.es). You need a digital certificate, electronic DNI or Cl@ve. The process is as follows:
Access the electronic office, search for the procedure "Notification of sale of vehicle", enter the vehicle details (license plate), the buyer's details (name and ID) and the date of the sale. Confirm and download the receipt.
The procedure is free and is completed in minutes. Keep the receipt: it is your proof that you notified the sale within the deadline.
How to do it in person
If you do not have electronic access, you can do it at a traffic headquarters. You need an appointment (requested on the DGT website or by phone), your DNI, the vehicle's registration certificate and a copy of the purchase agreement.
The in-person procedure is also free, but requires travelling and waiting for the appointment. The online route is more efficient if you have the means.
What happens if you do not notify in time
If you do not notify the sale within 10 days, you will still be listed as the owner of the vehicle in the DGT. This means that you will receive any fines the car generates, you will be claimed for the road tax of the following year, and in case of an accident, the initial liabilities will fall on you.
In addition, the DGT can impose a penalty on you for not complying with the obligation to notify. Although in practice these penalties are not common, the risk of carrying other people's fines is more than enough reason not to skip this step.
The notification of sale is one of the compulsory procedures of the process. Check the complete guide on procedures to sell a car in Spain.
Cancel the car insurance
Once the car is sold, you no longer need the insurance policy. If you do not cancel it, the insurance company will continue to charge you the premiums.
How the cancellation works
Contact your insurer and report that you have sold the vehicle. Depending on the company and the conditions of your policy, two situations may arise.
Cancellation with proportional refund. The insurer cancels the policy and returns the proportional part of the premium corresponding to the unused period. If you paid for a full year and sell at six months, they will return approximately half.
Transfer of the policy to another vehicle. If you are going to buy another car, many insurers allow you to transfer the policy to the new vehicle without penalty. This is usually more advantageous than cancelling and taking out a new one, because you keep your loyalty status and no-claims bonuses.
Documentation they will ask for
The insurer will normally ask you for a copy of the purchase agreement or proof of the notification of sale to the DGT. Some companies accept communication by phone or email; others require a specific form.
Recommended timeframe
Do it as soon as possible after the sale. While the policy is active, you are still paying. Some insurers have clauses that limit the refund if the cancellation is requested late.
Verify that the change of ownership has been completed
The change of ownership is the responsibility of the buyer. They have 30 days to process it at the DGT. But just because it is their responsibility does not mean you should ignore it.
A few days after the sale, check the DGT electronic headquarters to see if the vehicle is no longer in your name. If the transfer has been completed, you will see that the owner has changed. If not, the car will still appear in your name (although your notification of sale protects you from liability).
If the buyer does not process the transfer. Contact them to remind them. If they do not respond or are delayed, your notification of sale to the DGT is what protects you. It is your proof that the car is no longer yours from the date you indicated.
In sales between private individuals, this follow-up is important. In sales to professional dealerships, the change of ownership is automatically managed by the buyer as part of their standard operations.
Cancel services linked to the vehicle
It is easy to forget about the services and subscriptions you had associated with the car. Go through this list and cancel whatever applies.
Automatic tolls. If you had Via-T, Telepeaje or any toll device linked to the car, notify the provider to cancel it. If you don't do it, the tolls the new owner passes through will be charged to your account.
Parking apps. EasyPark, Parclick, Telpark or any app where you had the car registered. Remove the vehicle from your profile.
Roadside assistance. If you had an assistance service contracted independently (not linked to the insurance), cancel it.
Car connectivity service. Many modern cars have connected services (manufacturer's app, GPS location, remote opening). Unlink your account from the vehicle so that the new owner does not have access to your information and you do not receive notifications from the car.
Road tax (IVTM). You have already paid the IVTM for the current year (or you must pay it if the sale is after January 1st). The buyer will pay from the following year. There is no additional step, but it is useful to have it clear to avoid confusion.
Keep the documentation of the sale
Keep all documentation related to the sale for at least five years. It is your backup against any future claims.
Documents you must keep:
Signed copy of the purchase agreement, proof of bank transfer (payment), proof of notification of sale to the DGT, copy of the insurance cancellation and any relevant communication with the buyer (emails, messages).
The purchase agreement is the most important document. If you have not signed it yet, check our car purchase agreement guide.
If the sale involved the cancellation of financing or the removal of a retention of title, also keep the cancellation letter from the finance company and the simple note from the Personal Property Registry.
If the sale involved the cancellation of financing, keep the cancellation letter. More information in our guide on retention of title on a car.
These documents may be necessary if the tax agency requests information about the transaction, if the buyer claims for any reason or if fines or liabilities appear that you need to dispute.
Tax procedures: what to declare and what not
After selling, you may wonder if you have tax obligations as a seller.
In most cases, no. If you have sold your car for less than what you paid for it (the usual scenario), there is no capital gain and you do not pay any tax in IRPF (income tax). The buyer pays the ITP (property transfer tax), not you. And VAT does not apply between private individuals.
If you have sold for more than what you bought it for (unusual, but possible with classic cars or in exceptional circumstances), the difference is a capital gain that is taxed in your tax return. Check our guide on taxes when selling your car for more details.
If you have sold a car associated with your professional activity (you are self-employed), the operation has specific tax implications (VAT, IRPF as business activity income). Consult your tax advisor.
Capital loss can be offset. If you sold for less than what you bought it for, you can include the operation in your tax return as a capital loss and offset it with gains from other transactions (shares, funds) in the same financial year or in the following four.
Complete checklist after selling
Use this list to make sure you do not forget anything.
Immediate (first 10 days):
Notify the sale to the DGT (sede.dgt.gob.es or traffic headquarters)
Contact the insurance company to cancel or transfer the policy
Cancel Via-T, parking apps and connected services
Unlink your account from the car manufacturer's app
In the following weeks:
Verify at the DGT that the change of ownership has been completed
If it has not been completed, contact the buyer
When doing your tax return:
If you sold at a loss: consider including it to offset against future gains
If you sold at a gain: declaring it is mandatory
Forever:
Keep a copy of the contract, proof of payment and proof of DGT notification for at least five years
Dealcar: value your car for free and receive offers from dealerships
If you have not sold your car yet and want to avoid the complexity of managing paperwork on your own, with Dealcar the buying dealership takes care of practically everything: change of ownership, notification to the DGT and documentation. You just sign, get paid and cancel your insurance.
Value your car for free in less than 30 seconds and receive offers from more than 1,000 professional car dealers bidding against each other. On average, the first offers arrive in less than 18 hours.
100% free for you. No commissions or hidden costs.
You get paid before handing over the keys. Bank transfer before delivering the car.
They collect the car from your home. No travelling.
No paperwork. The dealer manages the transfer, DGT and all paperwork.
On average, 1,400 euros more than selling on Wallapop.
More than 12,000 cars sold and an average rating of 4.9 out of 5.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I do not notify the sale to the DGT?
You will still be registered as the owner of the vehicle. This means you will receive the fines, taxes and any liability arising from the use of the car by the new owner. Notification is free and takes minutes: there is no reason not to do it.
Do I get part of the insurance back if I cancel before it expires?
It depends on your insurer and the conditions of your policy. Most return the proportional part of the unused premium. Some apply penalties for early cancellation. Check with your company before cancelling.
Do I have to declare the sale of the car in my tax return?
If you sold at a loss (the usual scenario), it is not mandatory but it can be convenient to offset future gains. If you sold at a profit (rare for used cars), it is mandatory to declare it.
How long does it take for the buyer to make the change of ownership?
The legal term is 30 days. In practice, dealerships do it in a few days. Private individuals may take longer. Your notification of sale to the DGT protects you regardless of when the buyer does it.
Can I receive fines after selling if I have notified the DGT?
It is possible that you receive fines for offenses committed before the sale date, as those remain your responsibility. Offenses after the date of notification should not arrive in your name. If they do, you can appeal them by presenting the proof of the notification of sale.
