How to Safely Transfer Vehicle Ownership (Mutation) When Buying a Used Car

You found the car, agreed the price, handed over the money. Then the seller vanishes without completing the transfer. You are now driving a vehicle whose registration document still carries someone else's name — and legally, that car is not yours. This guide explains how to avoid that.

What a mutation actually is

A mutation is the official transfer of ownership from seller to buyer, evidenced by a new registration document (carte grise) in your name. Until it is done, the seller remains the legal owner in the eyes of the administration — with everything that implies during a police check, an accident, or a dispute.

The procedure is online

Since 2017 the Directorate General of Taxes (DGI) has run online declaration of transfers. A simplified procedure has been in force since 15 September 2022: registration is now done on the basis of the vehicle identification control sheet number (CIVIC) for imported vehicles, or the chassis number for locally acquired ones.

The DGI notes that special registration units provide an assistance desk for users who need help filing online.

The fees to expect

• Registration duties: 5% of the vehicle's value

• Plate stamp duty: 3,000 FCFA per fiscal horsepower (CV)

• Dimension stamp duty: 1,000 FCFA per page

• Axle tax for vehicles over 3 tonnes

The line that surprises people most is the stamp duty per fiscal horsepower: on a powerful vehicle it adds up fast. Calculate it before you negotiate, not after. Amounts and procedures change — confirm with the tax centre or the DGI portal before committing funds.

The real risk: paying before the file is secured

Most bad outcomes come not from the procedure itself but from its order. Here is the sequence that protects a buyer.

1. Confirm the seller is the owner

The name on the registration document must match the ID presented. If the seller is not the titleholder, demand a written, verifiable power of attorney. A car sold by "the owner's cousin, who is travelling" is a file to walk away from.

2. Check the chassis number physically

The number stamped on the vehicle must match the registration document digit for digit. That same number is what the transfer will be filed against. Our guide to spotting a stolen car covers these checks.

3. Write a sale contract signed by both parties

Dated, with full identities, vehicle description, chassis number, price and payment terms. This is your evidence if the seller backs out.

4. Do not pay the balance before the transfer is committed

This is the decisive point. Make the final payment conditional on the transfer actually being filed, or do both together on the same day. A seller acting in good faith has no reason to refuse.

5. Keep every receipt

Duty payment receipts, the contract, copies of IDs. Keep them at least until the new registration document reaches you.

How long does it take?

Generally one to three weeks depending on how quickly the paperwork moves and how busy the centre is. Plan for that gap: between purchase and receiving the document in your name, carry the sale contract and proof that the process is under way.

What if the seller will not cooperate?

Without a signed sale contract your position is weak. With a contract, proof of payment and the chassis number, you have a case. That is precisely why steps 3 and 4 above are not negotiable — protection is built before payment, never after.

Buying with less risk

On MotoNaMarket you can have a car inspected by a mechanic before paying, and place the asking price with the price estimator. For the registration procedure as a whole, see our guide to vehicle registration in Cameroon. To compare offers, browse cars for sale in Cameroon.