How to transfer vehicle ownership (naamsari) in Nepal: documents, fees and steps

To transfer a vehicle in Nepal, clear all tax and renewal dues, then take the original bluebook, the naamsari form, both parties' citizenship certificates, the buyer's photos and valid insurance to the transport office where the vehicle is registered, pay the transfer fee and have the vehicle verified. Bagmati's motorcycle transport office lists the naamsari fee at Rs 1,000, and since October 2026 the buyer can send a representative instead of going in person.

Naamsari (नामसारी) means "change of name": the step that moves a vehicle from the seller's name into the buyer's in the transport office records and the bluebook. Until it is done, the seller is still the legal owner. Searches like "bike namsari process", "bike namsari cost" and "documents required for vehicle ownership transfer" are common, so this guide focuses on the paperwork and money. For checking a used vehicle before you buy, read our used car guide or used bike guide.

Why the seller should want it done fast

Police and prosecutors treat the person named in the transport office records as the owner. Setopati reported the case of a Chitwan man who sold his motorcycle through a dealer; four years later police called him about a fatal crash, because the bike was still in his name. Only his sale papers saved him. District police officers quoted in the report urged sellers to complete naamsari right after a sale.

For the buyer, the risk is the other way round: without naamsari you cannot renew insurance or tax in your own name, borrow against the vehicle, or sell it cleanly later.

Documents checklist

The form, stamp, tax print, fee receipts, original file and bluebook are listed on the Bagmati motorcycle office's naamsari page; the representative's papers come from DoTM's October 2026 amendment as reported by Ratopati and Ekantipur. Citizenship copies and photos are the identity papers offices commonly ask for. Offices may ask for more, so call ahead.

Step by step at the transport office

The Bagmati motorcycle office describes the process in five steps:

1. Get the form and tax print at the help desk, and stick a Rs 10 stamp on the form.
2. Pay the naamsari fee (Rs 1,000 at that office) together with the current fiscal year's tax and renewal, at the counter or bank, and keep the receipts.
3. Technical verification: take the vehicle to the technical section for checking.
4. Submit the file at the section that handles your vehicle's lot number, where buyer and seller confirm their identity (sanakhat).
5. Collect the bluebook with the new owner's details and stamp.

Cars are transferred at the office where they are registered, and the steps are similar; check the fee there.

What changed in October 2026

DoTM amended the Transport Management Procedure Directive 2060 on 12 October 2026. As reported by Ratopati and Ekantipur:

• The buyer does not have to appear in person for registration or naamsari of a new or used vehicle. A representative can do it with the buyer's power of attorney, their own original government ID and the buyer's photo.
• Insurance can be bought or renewed without visiting the office.
• For the first naamsari of a new vehicle, the dealer's inspection at registration is accepted.
• Dealers will get access to the Vehicle Registration System to collect biometrics through a single window, once DoTM issues a further notice.

The reports did not say whether the seller can also send a representative, and offices may apply the change at different speeds. Ask yours before you go.

What naamsari costs

The fee is only one part. Example, our arithmetic: a used Bajaj Pulsar 150 (149.5cc) registered in Bagmati, where this year's tax has not been paid and the old plate must be swapped for an embossed one.

Naamsari fee1,000 Rs

Annual tax (if unpaid)5,000 Rs

Embossed plate (if needed)2,500 Rs

Third-party insurance1,500 Rs

Renewal fee300 Rs

Example: what a used 150cc bike transfer can cost in Bagmati (Rs)

Naamsari fee	1,000 Rs
Annual tax (if unpaid)	5,000 Rs
Embossed plate (if needed)	2,500 Rs
Third-party insurance	1,500 Rs
Renewal fee	300 Rs

Source: Bagmati motorcycle office (fee); Kokil unofficial calculator (tax, renewal); DoTM plate fee via The Kathmandu Post; Bizmandu (insurance, before VAT)

Things to know about each line:

• Naamsari fee: we could confirm only the Bagmati motorcycle office's Rs 1,000 (its page is undated). Fees for cars, and in other provinces, are set in provincial finance acts that we could not open, so ask the counter.
• Unpaid tax and fines: all dues up to the current year must be cleared before the transfer, and late fines grow each period. Agree in writing who pays them. Rates for every province are in our vehicle tax 2083/84 guide.
• Embossed plate: The Kathmandu Post reported that embossed plates are issued at registration, ownership transfer and renewal: Rs 2,500 for a two-wheeler and Rs 3,200 for a car, jeep or van.
• Insurance: move the policy into your name, or buy a new one. See our vehicle insurance guide.

Special cases

The vehicle has a bank loan

If the bluebook shows a bank or finance company, the vehicle cannot simply be sold. The seller must repay the loan and get a release letter, and the office must clear the lender's record, before naamsari. Our auto loan guide explains how lenders are recorded.

The owner has died

Under the Motor Vehicles and Transport Management Act 2049, the heir who should receive the vehicle must apply within 35 days of the owner's death, attaching proof of death, the registration certificate, proof that vehicle tax is paid and proof that the applicant is the nearest heir. Ask the office which family documents it accepts as proof.

Gift within the family

Bagmati's Vehicle and Transport Management Act 2075 lets a registered owner transfer a vehicle by sale or by gift, through the same office process. Ask in advance which documents your office wants to show the relationship.

Moving to another province

Naamsari is done where the vehicle is registered. Moving the registration to another province is a separate procedure, so ask both offices what they need before you start.

Seller and buyer checklist

• Sale agreement in writing: price, date and time of handover, who pays dues
• Chassis and engine numbers match the bluebook
• Loan cleared and release letter in hand, if there was one
• All tax and renewal paid up to the current year
• Naamsari form signed by both, with the Rs 10 stamp
• Buyer's insurance in place
• New bluebook checked line by line before leaving the office
• Seller keeps a photo of the completed bluebook as proof

Still choosing what to buy? Compare new prices in the bike price list or line up models in the compare tool.