What documents should I get when buying a car from dealer?

The process of buying a car is an exciting yet often time frustrating experience for some. You can make the process that much easier by having all your paperwork in order and ensuring the papers from the dealer are correct.

Lawrence Minnie

18 May 2022 · 10:41Buying a Car

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Paperwork done

The sheer amount of paperwork that you will require when buying a car, that needs to be submitted to the dealer, finance house, and traffic department, far outweighs what you will get back with your new car.

Once your deal has been concluded, and you are ready to drive away with your car, the dealer will supply you with a few pieces of key paperwork that you need to keep for your records, so what can you expect back from the dealer?

Finance / Sale Contract

The dealership will give you a copy of the finance sale agreement. This will be for your records and details the sale of the vehicle between the parties involved and the amount of money you will need to pay every month. This will also detail the time frame of the agreement and if any balloon payments will be due at the end of the finance period.

Certificate of Registration

The certificate of registration is the official paperwork detailing that the vehicle has been registered in your name and is essentially the only legal proof of ownership you will have so this needs to be kept in a very safe place as replacing it is time-consuming and costly.

Written by Lawrence Minnie

Lawrence has been involved with motorsports for almost 30 years. Whether it's two wheels or four, if it has an engine, he will try to race it. This love of motor vehicles has led him to ride, drive, film, photograph, and write about his passion. Freelance for a while but now a permanent fixture on the AutoTrader team for over 7 years, Lawrence contributes written, photographic, and video content for AutoTrader and AutoTrader Bikes.Read more