Buying a used car is a smart choice to save money. However, many used-car owners remain reluctant to complete the ownership transfer because they find it complicated or don’t want to spend extra money.

Continuing to use the previous owner’s identity can actually cause problems later, especially when paying annual taxes.

If the previous owner is no longer willing to lend their ID card, you might have difficulties in managing taxes and other vehicle-related administration.

Therefore, transferring car ownership is mandatory to ensure the vehicle’s legal ownership is legally recorded in your name as the new owner.

Why Is Car Ownership Transfer Important?

Processing ownership transfer after buying a used car provides many benefits, including:

• Legal proof of vehicle ownership
• Easier tax payments, even via the e-Samsat application
• Easier process for handling lost BPKB (Vehicle Ownership Certificate)/STNK (Vehicle Registration Certificate) documents
• Easier vehicle insurance claims
• Prevention of misuse by other parties
• Contribution to regional revenue through taxes

Requirements & Documents Needed

When processing a car ownership transfer, make sure you bring the original documents and their copies. Following are some of the documents required:

• New owner’s ID card
• Previous owner’s ID card (if requested)
• STNK &BPKB
• Sales receipt with Rp10,000 stamp duty signed by both parties

How to Process Car Ownership Transfer in 2025

Ownership transfer must be processed at two Samsat offices: the office where the car is registered and the one corresponding to the new owner’s ID card domicile. The steps are as follows:

Step 1 — Samsat office where the vehicle is registered

• Physical inspection of the vehicle (engine & chassis number stamping)
• Fill out the ownership transfer registration form
• Documents will be transferred to the Samsat of your domicile
• Receive the documents for the next stage

Step 2 — Samsat office of the new owner’s domicile

• Repeat physical inspection at the location
• Submit all documents to the BPKB mutation counter
• Pay the BPKB issuance fee
• Proceed to the STNK counter for new data issuance
• Collect new license plates
• STNK & BPKB will be issued under your name

Estimated Car Ownership Transfer Fees 2025

Here are the estimated costs for processing a car ownership transfer at Samsat offices. These are only estimates; actual costs may vary by region.

• PKB & tax surcharge (opsen): Based on vehicle STNK
• SWDKLLJ: Rp143,000
• STNK issuance: Rp200,000
• TNKB (license plate) issuance: Rp100,000
• BPKB issuance: Rp375,000
• Mutation fee (if different region): Rp250,000
• Tax penalties (if late payment)

Those are some details on the requirements, process, and estimated costs for a car ownership transfer. Owning a car means being prepared for administrative matters, such as taxes and ownership transfer.

But if you want something more practical, car rental can meet all your transportation needs. Just make sure to choose a professional car rental provider such as TRAC, a business line of PT Serasi Autoraya (SERA), part of the Astra Group.

 As a pioneer in vehicle rental services in Indonesia, TRAC provides solutions for all transportation needs, both for individuals and companies. Here are some of TRAC car rental’s advantages:

• Well-maintained and ready-to-use fleet
• Complete car options for daily needs and business trips
• 24-hour customer assistance
• Branches spread across major cities in Indonesia
• Easy booking via the TRACtoGo app or TRAC website

For more information, visit the TRAC website and follow TRAC on social media: Instagram @trac_astra, Facebook TRAC-Astra Rent a Car, and Twitter (X): @TRACastra.