Guides
License Plate Transfer in Albania: Steps, Fees and Deadlines
License Plate Transfer in Albania: Steps, Fees and Deadlines
In Albania, a license plate transfer is really an ownership change at DPSHTRR, the national vehicle registration directorate. The buyer must register the change within 30 days of acquiring the car. The circulation permit is then reissued in the buyer’s name. The process is cheap and quick when you arrive with the right papers. It gets expensive when you wait, because late fines start after day 30. This guide covers the documents, the steps, the fees in lekë and the mistakes that cost buyers time. If you are still choosing a car, you can browse listings on CarPulse before you start the paperwork.
TL;DR
- The buyer registers the ownership change at the DPSHTRR office for their home address, within 30 days of acquiring the car.
- You need ID, a valid ownership acquisition document, the RBS (encumbrance register) confirmation and the circulation permit.
- The One Stop Shop lets buyer and seller finish the transfer at the DPSHTRR counter, with no notary.
- Late registration is fined 10,000 lekë after 30 days, 20,000 lekë after 90 days and 40,000 lekë after one year.
- The insurance policy passes to the new owner, who must notify the insurer within 15 calendar days.
Table of Contents
- What “transfer” means in Albania
- Checks before you pay
- Documents you need
- Step by step: transferring ownership
- Fees at DPSHTRR
- The 30-day deadline and late fines
- Insurance after the sale
- Special cases
- Common mistakes that cost time
- Sell or buy with the paperwork ready on CarPulse
- Our view: the paperwork starts at the listing
- FAQ
- Sources
What “transfer” means in Albania
Searching for a plate transfer, you may expect a procedure where plates move from one car to another. The official process is built around ownership. DPSHTRR keeps the register of vehicles and owners. It issues the circulation permit (leja e qarkullimit), the document that names the owner and identifies the car. When a car is sold, the register must show the new owner. Plates are part of the same service list, so DPSHTRR’s fee schedule prices them alongside the permit.
Three parties are involved:
- The seller hands over the car and the documents proving ownership. The seller’s registration of the change has its own fee.
- The buyer carries the legal duty to register the change within the deadline.
- DPSHTRR verifies the car in the system, updates the permit and issues the new documents.
The rest of this guide follows that order: checks before you pay, documents, the counter visit, then fees, deadlines and insurance.
Checks before you pay
Most transfer problems start before the contract. A car with an unpaid debt or a block on its record cannot be re-registered until the seller clears it. The documentation list published by Ekofin includes proof that the seller has no outstanding vehicle tax debts, no technical control fines and no other blocks. The RBS confirmation, from the register of encumbrances, shows whether the car is pledged or otherwise burdened.
Before you hand over any money, ask the seller to show:
- The circulation permit, and check that the name and the VIN match the person and the car in front of you.
- A current RBS confirmation with no encumbrance.
- Proof that there are no tax debts or unpaid technical control fines.
- The ownership certificate, if the permit is of the old model.
On CarPulse, sellers list through VIN-based listing, which fills the vehicle details in automatically from the VIN. The platform also offers a vehicle history check, so you can compare what the listing says with what the car’s record says before you arrange a viewing. For the inspection side of buying, see our guide to vehicle inspection in Albania.
Documents you need
DPSHTRR’s page on ownership change lists the core documents. The required documents are:
- Identification documents of the applicant.
- A valid ownership acquisition document, which is the sale contract or an equivalent title.
- Confirmation from the RBS.
- The vehicle circulation permit.
- The ownership certificate, when the circulation permit is of the old model.
According to Ekofin’s December 2025 summary, the file also includes a vehicle insurance contract. It also includes a vehicle identification document with technical indicators. This last one is not needed for vehicles with a valid technical control certificate, or for new vehicles still within the no-inspection period.
For a used car bought inside Albania, DPSHTRR’s administrative instruction on registration documents adds an insurance contract under the DPSHTRR and insurance-bureau agreement and the RBS confirmation. For a car that came from abroad, it also adds confirmation of customs procedures. The same instruction says foreign-language technical and ownership documents must be translated into Albanian and notarized. It lists exceptions for EU certificates of conformity, EU registration certificates with harmonized codes, and registration certificates in English from the United States, Canada and other listed states.
If you are selling, our guide to the documents you need to sell a car in Albania walks through the seller’s side of the folder.
Step by step: transferring ownership
1. Agree the sale and check the car
Confirm the checks above. Agree the price, and make sure the contract names both parties exactly as their ID documents do and carries the VIN. Errors in names or numbers are the most common reason a counter clerk sends people away.
2. Choose how you will sign
The traditional route is a notary contract. Since 2023, DPSHTRR’s One Stop Shop service lets buyer and seller complete the transfer directly at DPSHTRR counters without a notary. DPSHTRR says this saves time and money, because the documents are updated and the vehicle is verified in the system in one visit. Both parties attend with their IDs and the car’s documents.
3. Pay the fees
The amounts are in the table below. Keep every receipt. You will need them if a payment is queried later.
4. Register at the right office
The buyer applies at the regional DPSHTRR office with jurisdiction over their residential address. If the sale was signed at a different office, the vehicle file has to move to your office, and the schedule lists a file transfer fee for that.
5. Collect the new circulation permit
The permit is reissued in your name. Check the name, the VIN and the vehicle details before you leave the counter. A correction after you have left costs a second visit.
6. Notify your insurer
Do this the same week. The deadline is 15 calendar days, explained below.
Using a licensed agency
Some owners hand the work to a licensed registration agency. DPSHTRR states that for such agencies the One Stop Shop is performed only at the regional directorate covering the agency’s business address. The agency must present a power of attorney signed by the vehicle owner.
Fees at DPSHTRR
The fees below come from DPSHTRR’s published schedule of vehicle registration services. You will not need every line, since the ones you pay depend on whether you only change the owner or also replace the permit or plates.
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Ownership transfer (contract at DPSHTRR) | 1,500 lekë |
| Seller’s registration of the change | 1,000 lekë |
| Circulation permit | 2,500 lekë |
| License plates | 2,000 lekë each, 4,000 lekë per pair |
| Transfer of the vehicle file to another office | 1,000 lekë |
| Re-stamping of the vehicle identification number | 5,000 lekë |
A typical in-country sale where the buyer gets a new permit adds up to 1,500 lekë for the transfer plus 2,500 lekë for the permit, so 4,000 lekë, before any file transfer or plates. Add the RBS confirmation and your insurance. Fee schedules are updated from time to time, so check the DPSHTRR page for the amounts before you go.
There is also a recurring cost to keep in mind. The annual tax on used transport vehicles is a national tax, and the Albanian Tax Administration lists DPSHTRR as responsible for collecting it. A new owner should confirm with DPSHTRR that nothing is outstanding on the car.
The 30-day deadline and late fines
The buyer has 30 days from the date of acquiring ownership. After that, the Road Code fines apply. Under Article 93, as DPSHTRR states on its ownership change page, the fines for automobiles, motorcycles and trailers are:
| Delay | Fine |
|---|---|
| More than 30 days, up to 90 days | 10,000 lekë |
| More than 90 days, up to one year | 20,000 lekë |
| More than one year | 40,000 lekë |
Compare that with the 4,000 lekë a basic transfer costs. Waiting is the most expensive mistake in the process. You may read older articles that mention a 10-day deadline. That came from a 2016 instruction. The current DPSHTRR page gives 30 days, so work to that.
Insurance after the sale
When ownership changes during the insurance period, the policy’s rights and duties pass to the new owner until the contract expires. DPSHTRR’s guidance on vehicle insurance adds that the new owner must notify the insurance company within 15 calendar days. This follows from Law Nr. 32/2021 on Mandatory Insurance in the Transport Sector. Do it by phone or at a branch, and keep a written confirmation. Sellers should make sure the buyer’s name is recorded, so the seller is not left tied to a car they no longer own.
Special cases
Imported cars. A car that arrives from abroad needs customs confirmation, translated and notarized foreign documents (unless an exception above applies) and often a technical review. Our guides on registering an imported car and vehicle homologation cover those steps.
Electric and leased vehicles. The ownership steps are the same for electric cars. For a leased car, the registered owner is the leasing company, so the lessee should ask the lessor to sign and supply the ownership documents before any sale or buyout.
Dealers. A dealership handling many sales should keep a standard folder for each car: permit, RBS confirmation, ownership certificate, ID of the signatory. A power of attorney is required when an agency or employee files on the owner’s behalf.
Foreign nationals. Ask the DPSHTRR counter in advance about your own residence papers. The office decides which documents it accepts for your registration.
For a wider view of the registration process, see our 2026 guide to car registration in Albania and the step-by-step registration process. We also explain car ownership transfer in Albania in more detail.
Common mistakes that cost time
- Waiting past 30 days. The fine starts on day 31.
- Mismatched details. A contract that spells a name differently from the ID, or a VIN with one wrong character, is rejected.
- Skipping the RBS check. A burdened car cannot be transferred until the seller clears the block.
- Going to the wrong office. The buyer’s residential address decides the competent office.
- Forgetting the insurer. The 15-day notice is a separate duty from the DPSHTRR visit.
- Paying in full before the papers are seen. Check the permit and RBS first.
Sell or buy with the paperwork ready on CarPulse
A clean transfer begins with a clean listing. On CarPulse, sellers, both private owners and verified dealerships, list through VIN-based listing, so the vehicle data starts out accurate. Buyers can filter by make, model, year, mileage, price and fuel type, save searches and contact sellers, and they do not pay to use the platform. Sellers can choose between the Basic plan at €14.99 per month and the Premium plan at €29.99 per month, shown on the pricing page. AI price evaluation helps sellers set a price before the first buyer calls.
If you are buying, start with the CarPulse listings, find a car whose VIN and history check out, and bring this checklist to the DPSHTRR counter.
Our view: the paperwork starts at the listing
We built CarPulse around one idea: most of the pain in a used car sale comes from information that is wrong or missing at the start. A VIN typed by hand, a mileage figure nobody can check, a seller whose name does not match the permit. Each of these returns later at the DPSHTRR counter.
That is why we fill in vehicle details automatically from the VIN, offer a vehicle history check and keep a network of verified dealers. When the listing is right, the contract is right, and the 30-day registration becomes a morning at the counter instead of a month of corrections.
Our advice to buyers is simple: check the permit, the RBS confirmation and the VIN before you pay, and register the same week. To sellers: have the folder ready before you list, and price the car with the AI evaluation, so serious buyers contact you quickly.
Henri
FAQ
Do I need a notary to transfer a car in Albania?
Not necessarily. DPSHTRR’s One Stop Shop lets buyer and seller complete the ownership transfer at its counters without a notary. Both parties attend with their documents. Foreign-language documents may still need notarized translation.
How long do I have to register a car after buying it?
The buyer must register the change within 30 days of acquiring ownership. Fines of 10,000 lekë start after 30 days and rise to 20,000 lekë after 90 days and 40,000 lekë after one year.
How much does an ownership transfer cost?
DPSHTRR’s schedule lists the transfer service at 1,500 lekë and a new circulation permit at 2,500 lekë. Plates cost 2,000 lekë each or 4,000 lekë per pair. Check the official schedule for the current amounts before you go.
Which office should I go to?
The buyer applies at the DPSHTRR regional office with jurisdiction over their residential address. If the contract was made at another office, the car’s file is transferred to yours, which has its own fee.
Does the insurance transfer with the car?
When ownership changes during the policy period, the insurance contract passes to the new owner until it expires. The new owner must notify the insurer within 15 calendar days.
Sources
- Ndryshimi i Pronësisë së Mjetit, DPSHTRR
- DPSHTRR One Stop Shop announcement
- DPSHTRR administrative instruction on registration documents
- DPSHTRR fee schedule for vehicle registration services
- DPSHTRR guidance on vehicle insurance
- Ekofin: ownership change of purchased vehicles
- Albanian Tax Administration: national taxes