When individuals buy and sell a used car in Korea, one thing remains after the money and keys change hands: transferring the registration. The Motor Vehicle Management Act calls it a “transfer registration,” and missing the deadline brings not a fine but a penalty charge that grows by 10,000 won for each day of delay. We read article 12 of the Act, article 26 of the Motor Vehicle Registration Decree and Annex 3 of the Act’s Decree as written.
1. For a sale, 15 days. The transfer must be filed within 15 days of buying, 20 days of receiving a gift, or 6 months from the end of the month in which an inheritance opens.
2. Late means “days late × 10,000 won.” Up to 10 days late it is 100,000 won; from 11 to 49 days, 100,000 won plus 10,000 won a day from day 11; from 50 days, 500,000 won. Worked out, from 10 to 49 days the charge equals the days late times 10,000 won.
3. Reselling without transferring is heavier. A buyer who passes the car on without first registering it in their own name faces up to 3 years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won.
Who, and by when — Act art. 12 and Decree art. 26
Article 12(1) of the Act makes the buyer of a registered vehicle file the transfer. If you bought through a dealer, paragraph 2 has the dealer file on the buyer’s behalf. Deadlines are in article 26(1) of the Motor Vehicle Registration Decree.
| Reason | Deadline | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
| Sale | 15 days | The day of purchase |
| Gift | 20 days | The day the gift is received |
| Inheritance | 6 months | The last day of the month in which the inheritance opens |
| Other reasons | 15 days | The day the reason arises |
If late — penalty charges (Act’s Decree Annex 3)
Annex 3, item 3, failure to file a transfer Failing to file the transfer under article 12(1) (art. 80 item 1): (a) delay of 10 days or less: 100,000 won; (b) delay of more than 10 and up to 49 days: 100,000 won plus 10,000 won per day counted from day 11; (c) delay of 50 days or more: 500,000 won.
| Days late | Penalty charge | Working (10,000s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1–10 | 100,000 won | Flat |
| 20 | 200,000 won | 10 + 1×10 |
| 30 | 300,000 won | 10 + 1×20 |
| 49 | 490,000 won | 10 + 1×39 |
| 50 or more | 500,000 won | Flat |
The day examples and arithmetic are ours. We counted “per day from day 11” as the days beyond 10 times 10,000 won; on that reading day 49 comes to 490,000 won, joining up with the flat 500,000 won from day 50. The “delay” reads as the days after the Decree deadline has passed — for a sale, after 15 days from purchase.
The penalty charge rests on a criminal provision. Article 80 item 1 punishes anyone who fails without good reason to file a transfer with up to 2 years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won, and article 86 allows it to be settled by a notice to pay a penalty charge. Not paying may mean it does not end there.
What the seller can do — filing by the seller
If the buyer does not file, the seller stays on the register as owner. Article 12(4) lets the seller (the owner on the register) file instead. Under Decree article 27 the registration office sets the buyer a period of 7 to 15 days to file, and completes the registration if no objection or filing arrives in that time.
Reselling is treated more severely
Article 12(3) requires a buyer who wants to pass the car on to register it in their own name first. Anyone who resells in breach faces up to 3 years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won under article 79 item 1-2 — a separate line from the late-filing table.
Checklist — private sales
- ☐ Note the day the balance is paid — for a sale, 15 days from then
- ☐ Compulsory insurance in the new owner’s name — needed from the day you take the car
- ☐ Bought a car past its inspection window? Inspect within 31 days of the transfer registration
- ☐ Sellers: if the transfer is not made, file as seller (art. 12(4))
Questions that remain
I bought from a dealer — am I charged if it is late?
Article 12(2) has the dealer file on the buyer’s behalf, except where the buyer files directly as ministerial ordinance allows. Check who will file when you sign.
What if an inherited car is left as it is?
The deadline is 6 months from the end of the month in which the inheritance opens (Decree art. 26(1)3). Paragraph 2 lets the registration office guide heirs on filing under a ministerial notice.
If the car you bought has dark tint, check it — darker than 70% for the windscreen or 40% beside the driver means a 20,000 won fine for the driver (window tint standards).
Sources
- Motor Vehicle Management Act [in force 16 Jun 2026] [Act No. 21817] — original text (checked 30 September 2026). Source for article 12 (transfer, dealer filing, registration before resale, seller filing), article 79 item 1-2 (3 years, 30 million won), article 80 item 1 (2 years, 20 million won) and article 86 (notices).
- Motor Vehicle Registration Decree [in force 3 Jun 2026] [Presidential Decree No. 36377] — original text. Source for article 26 (15 days, 20 days, 6 months) and article 27 (7 to 15 days).
- Enforcement Decree of the Motor Vehicle Management Act [in force 3 Jun 2026] — Annex 3, penalty charges (amended 14 May 2024), item 3.
- Our own working. The charges by day and “days late × 10,000 won” are our arithmetic from the annex wording.
Where to check further
- Filing a transfer — the vehicle registration office of your city, county or district, or the Car365 service.
- Taxes while you own the car — car taxes.
Written on 30 September 2026. Articles and annexes are from the National Law Information Center; the tables and arithmetic are ours.
