RRA flags over 10,000 problematic vehicle ownership transfers

About 10,000 pending vehicle ownership transfers at the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) are facing complications ranging from missing documentation to hard-to-trace sellers, with a crackdown on non-compliance imminent. The figures were disclosed on January 27 during a joint press briefing in Kigali by RRA Deputy Commissioner for Taxpayer Services and Communications Jean Paulin Uwitonze and Rwanda National Police (RNP) spokesperson ACP Boniface Rutikanga. Special assistance programme Authorities have announced a special assistance programme running from January 26 to February 28, 2026, targeting vehicle owners who have not completed ownership transfer registration, as well as vehicles that are no longer roadworthy and should be formally deregistered. ALSO READ: RRA gives 30-day window to complete vehicle ownership transfers The initiative also aims to clear a backlog of applications that built up due to demand outstripping staff capacity. Vehicle owners are urged to regularise their status during the window before enforcement begins. To improve access, RRA has expanded ownership transfer service points from one to four in the City of Kigali and to 14 others across the country. All sites operate from Monday to Saturday. In Kigali, services are offered in Masaka, Nyamirambo (Tapis Rouge), Gikondo (Expo Ground), and Rebero near Canal Olympia. Applicants must first submit requests through the RRA e-Tax system, after which they are assigned an appointment and service location. Backlog and key challenges Of the more than 16,000 pending requests as of January 27, about 6,000 have no complications and are being processed quickly, RRA said. The remaining roughly 10,000 involve issues such as missing insurance used to determine whether a vehicle is commercial and subject to profit tax arrears, incomplete documentation, or difficulty tracing previous owners. ALSO READ: Vehicles registered in Rwanda pass 390,000 On January 26 alone, Uwitonze said RRA received reports from 120 people whose vehicles remain registered in their names but are being misused by others. Capacity constraints have also contributed to delays, with some applicants previously receiving appointments up to two months after applying. Under both current and upcoming laws, Rutikanga said, a vehicle may be impounded if it is registered in the name of someone other than the person in possession of it. Police and RRA say they will assist buyers who cannot trace sellers to complete ownership transfers, and vice versa. ALSO READ: How could new bill end issues in vehicle ownership transfers? “Even if a person is outside the country and refuses to comply, we will track them down and compel them to do what the law requires,” Rutikanga said. After the special assistance period, enforcement will begin, including impounding non-compliant vehicles. Such vehicles will only be released once ownership issues are resolved, authorities said. Legal requirements and changes ahead ACP Rutikanga noted that the current presidential order requires vehicle ownership transfer to be completed within eight days of sale. This timeline may change once the new road traffic bill passed by Parliament on January 5 comes into force following presidential assent and publication in the Official Gazette. A draft ministerial order under the new law proposes a 90-day deadline for ownership transfer after sale, as well as a 12-month transition period to regularise transactions completed before enforcement. ALSO READ: This is how vehicle owners will pay road maintenance levy if new bill is passed How ownership transfer works Uwitonze explained that ownership transfer is initiated by the seller through the e-Tax system, requesting removal of the vehicle from their name and transfer to the buyer. The system itself has not changed; the current measures are intended to accelerate service delivery. RRA clarified that ownership transfer is based on a vehicle’s chassis number, which uniquely identifies it. Number plates belong permanently to the owner and are stored in the system when a vehicle is sold. If the owner later acquires another vehicle, the same plate number is reproduced and reissued. Vehicles that are no longer roadworthy must be formally deregistered, with owners required to return number plates and registration documents. Why non-compliance persists RRA cited repeated resale of vehicles without completing ownership transfer as a major problem, despite the legal requirement to deregister vehicles within eight days of sale under current legislation. Other challenges include vehicles used as collateral to secure credit from unlicensed lenders, criminal misuse of unregistered vehicles for smuggling and other offences, dismantled vehicles whose number plates were never returned, and vehicles grounded at homes without formal deregistration. Uwitonze said some owners deliberately avoid ownership transfer to evade taxes or facilitate criminal activity. Fees and tax obligations Ownership transfer requires a notarised sale agreement, application through RRA’s online tax system, and payment of fees of Rwf60,000 for cars and Rwf30,000 for motorcycles, Uwitonze said. The fees cover destruction of the seller’s plate, issuance of a new plate for the buyer, and a new registration card. Transfer cannot be completed if a vehicle is held as collateral for unpaid taxes. Private vehicles pay an annual road maintenance levy, while commercial vehicles—including taxis, trucks and motorcycles pay additional fixed taxes based on profits. Under the 2025 law establishing a levy on petrol, gas oil and motor vehicles for road maintenance, small passenger cars and SUVs pay Rwf50,000 annually; pick-ups, microbuses, minibuses and buses pay Rwf100,000; trucks and half-trailers pay Rwf120,000; and trailers pay Rwf150,000.

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RRA flags over 10,000 problematic vehicle ownership transfers