I’m looking to transfer the title of my car off to someone else. It is over 10 years old, so I’m positive it needs a smog check, but do I need to do any special checheck ups on the car asides from that?
You do the transfer at the DMV, and they inspect it. You have to pay any outstanding fines/taxes etc before transfer.
My last purchase, the car went offsite for inspection, (to a private inspection centre?) and apparently came back with the correct paperwork.
I think this is unusual (?) and I was a bit suspicious at the time, but I don’t really know what the story is. Perhaps the DMV (in Kaoshiung) sometimes use contractors?
I’m told you now need a Taiwan licence to buy a vehicle, and I needed to get a motorcycle license to buy my last motorcycle. If this is true for cars, that’s probably my last car in Taiwan, so I’d better keep it alive.
Honestly the questions aren’t that hard to get a local license. Especially if it is the deciding factor in buying a car.
[quote=“Ducked”]
I’m told you now need a Taiwan licence to buy a vehicle, and I needed to get a motorcycle license to buy my last motorcycle. If this is true for cars, that’s probably my last car in Taiwan, so I’d better keep it alive.[/quote]
You don’t need a Taiwanese license to buy a car or motorcycle in TW. You just need an ARC and another form of ID (Passport or health card). Before I had my motorcycle license I bought many scooters and motorcycles. I also don’t have a car license here (ya ya ya I know) and I have a car.
[quote=“rk1951”][quote=“Ducked”]
I’m told you now need a Taiwan licence to buy a vehicle, and I needed to get a motorcycle license to buy my last motorcycle. If this is true for cars, that’s probably my last car in Taiwan, so I’d better keep it alive.[/quote]
You don’t need a Taiwanese license to buy a car or motorcycle in TW. You just need an ARC and another form of ID (Passport or health card). Before I had my motorcycle license I bought many scooters and motorcycles. I also don’t have a car license here (ya ya ya I know) and I have a car.[/quote]
There actually was a newspaper article in the last year regarding a potential change. I don’t know if it actually went (or will go) into effect but hopefully reasonable people intervene.
[quote=“Abacus”][quote=“rk1951”][quote=“Ducked”]
I’m told you now need a Taiwan licence to buy a vehicle, and I needed to get a motorcycle license to buy my last motorcycle. If this is true for cars, that’s probably my last car in Taiwan, so I’d better keep it alive.[/quote]
You don’t need a Taiwanese license to buy a car or motorcycle in TW. You just need an ARC and another form of ID (Passport or health card). Before I had my motorcycle license I bought many scooters and motorcycles. I also don’t have a car license here (ya ya ya I know) and I have a car.[/quote]
There actually was a newspaper article in the last year regarding a potential change. I don’t know if it actually went (or will go) into effect but hopefully reasonable people intervene.[/quote]
Interesting. Well if that is true then it is definitely a new law.
It is correct that you now need a TW licence to buy a vehicle and register it in your name. From my experience a regular <250cc white plate license was fine for buying a >250cc yellow plate scooter, not sure if that would stretch as far as being able to buy a car on a motorcycle license or not.
Well, I know for a fact that you don’t need a license to buy a white plate scooter/motorcycle. My friend doesn’t have a license and she bought a second hand scooter from a shop last week. I was with her too. I helped her pick one out.
Are you positive you need a license to buy a car? Do you have proof? I asked a few Taiwanese today and they had no idea.
Only my personal experience that I had to provide a drivers license in order to plate and register a 350cc Kymco scooter bought in December 2015. The dealership (boss has been a friend for years) insisted and said it was a new govt requirement. Whether this is only for brand new vehicles at first registration, or only yellow/red plate bikes I cannot say.
Interesting. This still isn’t the case for white plate scooters though. I wonder if the law has changed for cars. You need to have a scooter license for a year anyway to ride a yellow or red plate, so I wonder if that was the reason or was it because it was a new vehicle. Anyway, thanks for the info.
No official gvt info from me, but all that was required when we bought a car last December was a valid ARC. Maybe the law has changed in the last 3 months, though I’d find it a bit surprising that no one here would have heard about it.
Was it new or used? Some indications that it may only pertain to new vehicle purchases.
Was it new or used? Some indications that it may only pertain to new vehicle purchases.[/quote]
It was second hand. Do you think there’d be a different law for buying a used vs new car? That doesn’t make much sense to me - which doesn’t mean it would surprise me!
Was it new or used? Some indications that it may only pertain to new vehicle purchases.[/quote]
It was second hand. Do you think there’d be a different law for buying a used vs new car? That doesn’t make much sense to me - which doesn’t mean it would surprise me![/quote]
Exactly. I learned early on here that just because it doesn’t make sense doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not the way it is. After all, this IS Taiwan! :loco:
I am guessing that the car dealer asked for the DL just in case the DMV asked for it when transferring the title. It is pretty common to ask for all sorts of documentation and info and if you don’t have it then they say they don’t need it.
If you think about it, most people here that buy cars have a license. It is most likely going to be foreigners or possibly senior citizens that don’t have licenses that might buy a car or motorcycle… All you need are two forms of ID to purchase and most people are going to use their car or motorcycle license. I can’t say for sure, but I would bet that you can still buy a car here without an actual license. An ARC/APRC/JFRV and a health card would still definitely by sufficient. I know this is still the case for a white plate motorcycle license 100%. This would be my bet until someone has actual prove that the law has been changed. I also think any dealer here will just automatically ask the buyer for their license and most people here that are buying new cars should definitely have a license.
that is pretty much what I am saying.
I know that I read an article where a proposed law was being discussed but I would be surprised if it had been passed and no one knew about it.
[quote=“Abacus”]that is pretty much what I am saying.
I know that I read an article where a proposed law was being discussed but I would be surprised if it had been passed and no one knew about it.[/quote]
Well it is definitely possible. I would like to know the answer. But I guess that if you are buying a car you should definitely have a license. It is probably the best thing to do. 
[quote=“rk1951”][quote=“Abacus”]that is pretty much what I am saying.
I know that I read an article where a proposed law was being discussed but I would be surprised if it had been passed and no one knew about it.[/quote]
Well it is definitely possible. I would like to know the answer. But I guess that if you are buying a car you should definitely have a license. It is probably the best thing to do. [/quote]
So far nothing concrete has said that it is law.
[quote=“Abacus”][quote=“rk1951”][quote=“Abacus”]that is pretty much what I am saying.
I know that I read an article where a proposed law was being discussed but I would be surprised if it had been passed and no one knew about it.[/quote]
Well it is definitely possible. I would like to know the answer. But I guess that if you are buying a car you should definitely have a license. It is probably the best thing to do. [/quote]
So far nothing concrete has said that it is law.[/quote]
The only concrete thing in Taiwan is the concrete, and that sometimes isn’t, as you sometimes find out when your building falls on you.
As I already said, I needed to get a Taiwanese motorcycle licence to buy a fairly old Sym Wolf about 6 months ago. This was of course a white plate.
So I HAVE heard of it. And I’ve told you, so YOU HAVE heard of it, too.
I cannot, of course, read Taiwanese regulations (Thank Christ) so I cannot give you chapter and verse, nor did I speak directly to the officials.
I was told this by the seller. Since he wanted to sell his motorcycle, and this was quite likely a show-stopper, I don’t see he would have had any vested interest in making it up.
If there are authentic conflicting contemporary experiences, I can only assume its down to the usual varying interpretation/guanchi/mafan/hongbao/smoke and mirrors shite that is endemic here.