Changes to the Road Traffic Act: Transfer of Vehicles

Transferring a car to be done without notarization of signatures – this is a proposal that could significantly change the way citizens make deals with vehicles. MPs introduced amendments to the Road Traffic Act in Parliament, which provide for significant changes in the procedure. The atmosphere in the corridors of Parliament is tense while the people's representatives discuss the details of the bill.

The project proposes that the functions of verifying and certifying the circumstances, which until now have been the responsibility of notaries, be assigned to the Ministry of Interior. The desire for optimization and transfer of certain administrative activities is obvious. In this way, it is expected to guarantee the preservation of the necessary level of security for the seller and the buyer, while at the same time relieving citizens and businesses. This is stated in the motivations for the bill, reported by a specialized news portal.

The proposal provides that the transfer of ownership of cars and motorcycles will be carried out not only with notarization of signatures, but also with a contract in ordinary written form, especially in cases where the vehicle is no longer registered. The MPs point out that the reason for these changes is rooted in the practices of other European countries.

As an argument, the proponents state that in a number of countries of the European Union, notarization is not mandatory when selling motor vehicles. Examples from the legislation in countries such as Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy and others show that it is possible to effectively regulate contracts for the transfer of cars without the need for notarization.

It is also noted in the motivations that in Bulgarian legislation there is already a practice where notarization of signatures is not required, namely when buying a vehicle from abroad and its subsequent sale before registration in Bulgaria.

The bill also provides for an official check by the registration services both upon termination and upon subsequent registration of the car. This should lead to a more effective process and greater protection for all parties to the transaction.

It is envisaged that termination of registration will be carried out only after an official check for the presence of imposed seizures or other restrictions, as well as for unpaid taxes, fees and contributions. Subsequent registration of the car will be carried out only after it has been established electronically that the due acquisition tax has been paid or is not due.

The bill also provides for clear responsibility for the acquirer of the car, who will be obliged to register the vehicle within one month from the date of its acquisition. Discussions in the committees and the plenary hall are expected to be intensive. The proposed changes, if adopted, can lead to a significant simplification of the process of transferring ownership of cars, which is important for thousands of citizens.