Topic: Registration

When a vehicle or trailer’s vehicle identification number (VIN) has been removed, altered, lost, or destroyed, or when a new vehicle or has been built, the owner can submit an application form along with supporting documents to apply for a Manitoba-assigned VIN.

There are different situations when a new Manitoba-assigned VIN may be required:

Original VIN is damaged, defaced or missing

There are several reasons why this may occur, including vandalism, theft, a windshield or dash repair and/or replacement, and more.

Amalgamated Vehicles

An amalgamated vehicle is a motor vehicle which has been reconstructed using major components (for example, body/cab or frame/chassis) from two or more vehicles.

Reconstructed vehicles that are built entirely from the parts of vehicles that have an irreparable status are prohibited from being issued an assigned VIN. Only vehicles where one or more of the major components is derived from a vehicle that does not have an irreparable status will qualify for the issuance of an assigned VIN.

Glider trucks

A glider kit is a collection of parts used to assemble a heavy commercial truck. Glider kits consist of the following newly-manufactured components:

• chassis
• complete cab assembly (windshield, instrument panel, custom-built interior, new hood, fenders and bumpers)
• steering axle assembly (wheel ends, brakes, wheels and tires)
• other minor parts such as wiring harnesses, mounting hardware, brackets, fasteners, etc.

A glider kit does not include any of the following drivetrain components:

• engine
• transmission
• drive axle

Homemade Trailers

A VIN is not a requirement for registering a trailer in Manitoba, but some Manitobans who have built their own trailer may wish to have a VIN assigned for identification purposes.

Supporting documents required

The supporting documents required for having a VIN assigned may include:

• salvage invoice(s)
• bills of sale (sample available here)
• proof of ownership
• out of province registry/title
• Certificate of Inspection (COI)
• Body Integrity Inspection Certificate (BIIC)

Depending on the type of vehicle, other supporting documents could be required. Please contact the Vehicle Safety department for questions regarding assigned VINs:

Phone: 204-985-0920

Toll-free: 1-866-323-0542

Transfer of Ownership Document

The Transfer of Ownership Document (TOD) provides a reasonable assurance that the seller is the rightful owner of the vehicle.

The TOD assists consumers in several ways. The TOD shows:

• Any vehicle status under the Stolen & Wrecked Vehicle Monitoring Program.
• When the vehicle was last inspected or if it requires a new inspection. Note that a valid Certificate of Inspection (COI) is required to register a vehicle.
• That the seller attests to the accuracy of the odometer reading.

The TOD helps the purchaser make an informed buying decision and should be viewed prior to purchasing a vehicle. It is not intended to eliminate the need for further action to protect yourself when buying a vehicle.

Completing the TOD

The TOD is part of the vehicle registration card. The person selling the vehicle must fill in the date and odometer reading and sign in the space provided. The purchaser must also sign. After completion, the seller separates the registration card, keeping the left portion and giving the right portion (TOD) to the purchaser to present when the vehicle is re-registered.

In the case of an unregistered vehicle, an Ownership Document is provided on request. The registration portion of the document is voided and only the vehicle/owner information is printed.

Exemptions

In most cases, when you buy a used vehicle, you’ll need a TOD to register the vehicle. The following applications for registration do not require a TOD:

• When the vehicle was previously registered to the same owner in this or another jurisdiction.
• When a new vehicle is purchased from a dealer.
• When the vehicle was purchased in another jurisdiction. In this situation, an ownership document or title from the jurisdiction in question must accompany the application. View more information on importing a vehicle.
• When the vehicle was sold by a person who is entitled by law to sell the vehicle without the owner’s consent.

Death-related transfers

When the registered owner dies, the vehicle registration remains valid until it expires or is cancelled. However, you must notify us, through your Autopac agent, about the owner’s death.

Transferring ownership from the deceased to a new owner requires certain documentation.

For all vehicles acquired from an Estate you must have a Transfer of Ownership Document (TOD), as well as other supporting documents which provide proof of ownership.

When a vehicle owned by an estate is sold to a third party, a bill of sale (signed by the estate executor or disposer) is required, in addition to the other documents listed here.

Situation 1 – Will Not Probated

If there is a will but it is not probated, you will require the following documents:

• A complete Statutory Declaration & Indemnification Agreement – The Statutory Declaration & Indemnification Agreement form is to be completed by the executor, administrator, or disposer only. Signing the statutory declaration makes the applicant subject to a Criminal Code of Canada penalty for making a false statement under oath in an affidavit or statutory declaration.
• Copy of the will, which was certified as a true copy by the executor
• Copy of the death certificate
• Transfer of Ownership Document (TOD)

Situation 2 – No Will and No Letters of Administration

If there is no will and no Letters of Administration, you will require the following documents:

• A complete Statutory Declaration & Indemnification Agreement – The Statutory Declaration & Indemnification Agreement form is to be completed by the executor, administrator, or disposer only. Signing the statutory declaration makes the applicant subject to a Criminal Code of Canada penalty for making a false statement under oath in an affidavit or statutory declaration.
• Copy of the death certificate
• Documentation, if available, indicating that the person disposing of the deceased’s assets has the right to do so, (for example, court order, bankruptcy proceeding order)
• Transfer of Ownership Document (TOD)

Situation 3 – Probated Will

If there is a probated will, you will require the following documents:

• Copy of the will, naming the applicant as the beneficiary of the vehicle
• Certified copy of Letters Probate
• Copy of the death certificate
• Transfer of Ownership Document (TOD)

Situation 4 – No Will but Letters of Administration Obtained

If there is no will but letters of Administration have been obtained, you will require the following documents:

• Certified Copy of the Letters of Administration issued by the Surrogate Court, appointing the Administrator of the Estate
• Copy of the death certificate
• Transfer of Ownership Document (TOD)

Situation 5 – Joint Owners

When vehicles are jointly owned, they do not automatically fall into the estate of the deceased person. Instead, they pass to the surviving joint owner(s). To have a vehicle registered solely in the name of the surviving joint owner(s), you will require the following documents:

• Proof of joint ownership (Transfer of Ownership Document (TOD) or other proof of ownership documents acceptable to the Registrar of Motor Vehicles).
• Copy of the death certificate

You must be a Manitoba resident and at least 16 years of age to register a personal vehicle in Manitoba. (If you’re under 18 years of age, you’ll need written consent from your parents or legal guardians.)

You’ll need documents to show you own the vehicle and that it meets basic standards for operation. These requirements vary, depending if you bought the vehicle in a private sale, from a dealer, or from outside Manitoba.

Register a vehicle bought privately

To register a vehicle you have bought privately in Manitoba, you’ll need the following:

• Bill of Sale that states: date purchased, vehicle’s model year, make, model and serial number; purchase price; purchaser’s name(s); seller’s name(s); purchaser’s signature(s), and seller’s signature(s).
• A signed Transfer of Ownership Document from the previous owner.
• Valid Certificate of Inspection issued by a Manitoba vehicle inspection station.

Register a vehicle from a dealer

To register a brand new vehicle, you’ll need:

• New Vehicle Information Statement (NVIS) if the vehicle is brand new.
• Bill of Sale that states: date purchased; vehicle’s model year, make, model and serial number (VIN); purchase price; purchaser’s name(s) and signature(s); seller’s name(s) and signature(s).

To register a used vehicle, you’ll need:

• Bill of Sale that states: date purchased; vehicle’s model year, make, model and serial number (VIN); purchase price; purchaser’s name(s) and signature(s); seller’s name(s) and signature(s).
• A signed Transfer of Ownership Document from the previous owner.
• Valid Certificate of Inspection issued by a Manitoba vehicle inspection station.

Note that when you buy a used vehicle from an authorized dealer in Manitoba, you must purchase Autopac coverage before you drive the vehicle.

Purchasing outside Manitoba

You’ll need a Temporary Registration Permit to bring your vehicle into Manitoba. Once in Manitoba, you’ll need the documentation outlined above to register your vehicle.

We accept a valid COI from government-approved inspection programs in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec. All other provinces, territories and U.S. states are unacceptable.

United States

If imported from the U.S., a Vehicle Import Form is required from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). See information on CBSA requirements.

Note, if you purchase a vehicle in the U.S., a New Vehicle Information Statement is called a ‘certificate of origin’ and a Transfer of Ownership is called a “certificate of title”.

When you must register

Private purchases

Usually, you’ll have to register and insure your newly purchased vehicle before you drive it. Check with MPI or an Autopac agent before driving the vehicle to be sure you have the necessary coverage.

You can transfer the licence plates from your currently registered vehicle to your newly acquired vehicle when:

• both vehicles are in the same registration class
• you’ve disposed of the registered vehicle

If you dispose of your old vehicle, you have seven days after the day you disposed of your old vehicle to register your replacement vehicle. For this seven-day period, the same coverage on your old vehicle applies to your new one. For example, if your old vehicle was a motor home or a motorcycle, the declared value limit will carry over to your newly acquired vehicle. The declared value limit is the most you’ll get if your new motor home or motorcycle is written off.

If the coverage on your old vehicle is insufficient for your newly acquired one, it’s better to re-register and insure your new vehicle immediately with all the correct coverage limits. Talk to an Autopac agent.

If you are relying on the seven-day grace period, always carry documents in your vehicle showing the sale of your old vehicle and the purchase of your new one.

When your replacement vehicle is in a different registration class, you must report the change to an Autopac outlet before driving the vehicle. You’ll receive a new registration card and new plates, or a special sticker to put on your current plates.

Dealer purchases

When you buy a used vehicle from an authorized dealer in Manitoba, you must purchase Autopac coverage before you drive the vehicle. See information on Interim Registration Permits.

Out-of-province students

If you are a full-time student in Manitoba from out-of-province, your vehicle does not have to be registered in Manitoba if it is currently registered and insured in another jurisdiction. However, you will need to obtain a student sticker after providing proof that you are a full-time student and have valid vehicle registration and insurance.

For a student sticker to be issued, please provide the following documentation to at any MPI Service Centre:

• A document from your educational institution confirming that you are a full-time student and the beginning and end dates of your study period.
• A copy of your vehicle registration and insurance card.
• A payment of $2 is required for the issuance of the sticker.

New Manitoba residents

New residents must obtain Manitoba registration and insurance within three months of becoming a resident if the vehicle is a passenger car-type (including vans), or truck with a gross weight, including load, not exceeding 3,700 kilograms. These vehicles may not be used for the commercial transportation of goods and people.

New residents need to obtain Manitoba registration and insurance as soon as possible for all other vehicle types. Until then, your vehicle needs to be properly registered for the current registration year in your previous jurisdiction.

Vehicle registration and insurance need to be purchased together as a vehicle must be both registered and insured in Manitoba. You can obtain both services from any insurance agent displaying an Autopac sign.

All Autopac agents must ensure that Retail Sales Tax has been collected on a newly purchased vehicle before you can register it.

Dealer sale

If you purchased your vehicle from an authorized dealer, the dealer collected the Retail Sales Tax from you at the time of purchase. A copy of the document you received from the authorized dealer stating that you have paid the tax must be presented to an Autopac agent when you register your vehicle.

Where a trade-in is involved, you’ll be charged the tax based on the purchase price after deducting the value of the trade-in.

Private sale

If you purchased the vehicle privately, you will be charged the Retail Sales Tax when you register your vehicle. The tax will be based on the fair market value of the vehicle.

• For passenger cars and light trucks, this value is either your purchase price or the average wholesale price for western Canada (whichever is greater).
  
• For motorcycles, snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles, this value is either your purchase price or the current average resale value (whichever is greater).

Exemptions

The following situations would not require the purchaser of a used vehicle to pay the Retail Sales Tax.

Settler’s effects (new residents)

The Settler’s Effects exemption is allowed on a vehicle brought in to Manitoba from out-of-province by a new resident, providing all of the following requirements are met:

• The person lived outside of Manitoba for at least six months before moving here.
  
• The person owned the vehicle for at least 30 days before moving here.
  
• The person brought the vehicle into Manitoba within six months of moving here.

Gift from a family member

If you receive a gift, you must provide a written note from the previous owner as verification.

The “family member” giving the gift to you must be your:

• father
  
• mother
  
• son
  
• daughter
  
• grandfather
  
• grandmother
  
• granddaughter
  
• grandson
  
• father-in-law
  
• daughter-in-law
  
• son-in-law
  
• mother-in-law
  
• spouse

A “spouse” is someone married to you, cohabitating in a conjugal relationship with you for a continuous three-year period, or cohabitating in a conjugal relationship for more than one year and you have a child together.

Sibling and non-immediate family gifts are taxable.

Please note gifts between family members are only exempt if the Manitoba sales tax has been paid by the donor or the donor had received it tax exempt. For example, if a mother from another province gifts a vehicle to their child in Manitoba, the vehicle is taxable. However, if the mother had previously lived in Manitoba and had paid the Manitoba sales tax on the vehicle, the vehicle would be exempt.

Estate of a deceased person

No sales tax is required if you received the vehicle by a title transfer through the estate of a deceased person.

Won in a contest

You don’t have to pay sales tax if you can provide the purchase invoice or other document that proves the sponsor paid the tax on your behalf.

Exempt vehicles

Exempt vehicles are:

• Fire trucks and their equipment.
  
• Ambulances.
  
• Off-road vehicles purchased by a Status Indian living on a reserve, if the off-road vehicle was shipped from an authorized dealer directly to the reserve.

Indigenous people

Status Indians are not required to pay RST if these conditions are met:

• The vehicle title is transferred on a reserve.
  
• Purchase/gifting documents are signed on a reserve.
  
• Purchaser/recipient takes possession of the vehicle on a reserve (dealer or individual delivers it or ships it by common carrier to the reserve).
  
• Recipient received vehicle as a gift from another status Indian (including siblings).

Single proprietorship

In single proprietorships where the legal business name or the trading name is being changed to the proprietor’s own name, there is no “sale” and no tax is paid.

A change in name from an individual to a corporate name is exempt only if the transfer is made at the time of incorporation.

Homemade trailer

You are not required to pay sales tax when you register a homemade trailer you built yourself.

However, if you are registering a homemade trailer you purchased from someone else, you are charged sales tax.

Additional information

If you are unsure if your situation qualifies for one of the exemptions above please see Taxation Information Bulletin No. 054, or contact Manitoba Finance Taxation Division.

Retail Sales Tax forms are available from the Government of Manitoba Taxation Division.