Transfer to an indeterminate person: what to do if you sold a car or motorcycle and the transfer was never completed

Selling a motorcycle or a car in Colombia with the promise of "we'll do the ownership transfer next month" or under the poorly named "open transfer" arrangement is one of the most expensive financial and legal mistakes a vehicle owner can make. Months go by, the buyer sells the vehicle to a third party without registering the transaction, and one day you wake up to a seizure notice in your bank account due to accumulated traffic tickets or unpaid vehicle taxes for a vehicle you haven't seen in years.

To solve this crisis, the Ministry of Transport kept the following mechanism enabled for several years: transfer to an indeterminate person. However, the regulatory framework has recently changed, and it is key to understand where you stand today to stop accumulating debts. If you want to see real options right now, you can see cars and motorcycles available on Colombia Move — posting is completely free.

1. The real risk of "open transfer" and the debts that chase you

In the Colombian legal system, the ownership of a motor vehicle is not transferred with the simple handing over of the keys or the signing of a private sales contract at a notary. Ownership is only consolidated when the change is formally filed and registered with the Traffic Authority where the car or motorcycle is registered, updating the transit license in the RUNT.

If you hand over the vehicle without completing this step, the open transfer exposes you to charges and actions associated with that license plate. This implies serious risks:

• Coercive collection of vehicle taxes: Departmental or district treasury offices initiate collection processes that can end in the seizure of bank accounts and wages.
• Traffic tickets and SIMIT violations: Fine notifications may continue to be directed to the owner registered in the RUNT.

To learn how to prepare your debt clearance certificates before any negotiation, you can consult our guide on what to check in RUNT, SOAT, and fines before selling a motorcycle.

2. What happened to the transfer to an indeterminate person in 2026?

For a long time, Resolution 20223040045295 of 2022 allowed sellers who had not had possession of the vehicle for more than three years (and did not know the buyer's whereabouts) to request the transfer to an indeterminate person before the corresponding traffic authority.

However, the regulation set a clear limit: under Resolution 20253040049955 of the Ministry of Transport, the special window to file new requests for transfer to an indeterminate person officially ended on February 6, 2026.

What does this mean in practice?

• If you filed before February 6, 2026: The traffic authority must continue the evaluation of your file. If you met the requirements (being up to date with taxes and SIMIT, proving 3 years of loss of possession, and signing the sworn statement), the process will continue until the status is recorded in the RUNT.
• If you did not manage to file: It is no longer possible to initiate an initial request for transfer to an indeterminate person under the previous transitory regime. The procedure is closed for new direct declarations by the seller at the counter.

According to the active ads on Colombia Move (August 2026), the motorcycle category had 5 active ads and 5 recent posts. It is still a limited supply for those seeking to negotiate directly and clarify transfer conditions from the ad itself.

3. Suspension of the motor vehicle registry and "registration in favor of the interested party"

For vehicles that have already been recorded under the condition of indeterminate person in the RUNT, traffic authorities proceed with the suspension of the motor vehicle registration once the legal deadlines have passed. This suspension brings immediate consequences for the vehicle:

1. The issuance or renewal of the SOAT and the Technical-Mechanical Inspection (RTM) is blocked.
2. The vehicle cannot legally circulate on the country's roads without being immobilized by traffic authorities.

The only legal way to rehabilitate a vehicle in this situation is for the current possessor (the person who has the car or motorcycle in their possession) to carry out the process known as registration in favor of the interested party. To do this, the possessor must go to the traffic authority, prove uninterrupted possession, sign an irrevocable commitment, and obtain authorization in the RUNT to acquire the SOAT and the RTM within 5 business days before consolidating the ownership card in their name.

4. Summary of options based on your current situation

The following table summarizes the possible scenarios for owners and possessors in 2026:

Remember that for any procedure before the RUNT, both the seller and the buyer must have their active enrollment as a natural person in the RUNT.

5. How to prevent this problem in your future vehicle sales

The most important lesson left by the indeterminate person transfer mechanism is that prevention is infinitely cheaper and faster than correction. To ensure you never go through this uncertainty again, apply these unbreakable rules when selling your used car or motorcycle:

• Never hand over the vehicle without filing the Single Application Form for Procedures: Go together to the traffic authority or the mobility office and carry out the transfer procedure in person or digitally before handing over the keys.
• Sign a detailed sales contract: Leave explicit record of the time, date, mileage, and commitment of immediate transfer, attaching copies of the ID cards.
• Calculate and agree on the source withholding tax: Know the tax costs of the transaction beforehand. You can consult the details in our article on how to sell a used car without intermediaries and calculate the source withholding tax.
• Do not accept suspicious intermediaries: Avoid resellers who ask you to leave the transfer "blank" to save a later step.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ What was the transfer to an indeterminate person in Colombia?

It was a legal procedure that allowed a seller to disassociate themselves in the RUNT from a vehicle sold years ago whose buyer never registered the formal transfer or whose current whereabouts were unknown.

❓ Can the transfer to an indeterminate person still be filed in 2026?

No. The special window for filing new applications ended on February 6, 2026, as stipulated in Resolution 20253040049955 of the Ministry of Transport. Only applications filed before that date are processed.

❓ What happens if I sold my vehicle and the buyer never did the transfer?

The vehicle remains in your name in the RUNT. Therefore, overdue vehicle taxes, photo-fines, and collection actions may continue to be associated with the registered owner as long as the change is not formalized.

❓ What happens to vehicles that were registered to an indeterminate person?

Transit authorities apply the suspension of the vehicle registration. With this measure, the vehicle cannot renew its SOAT or Technical-Mechanical Inspection until the current possessor completes the legalization.

❓ How can the current possessor put the vehicle in their name?

They must carry out the registration procedure in favor of the interested party before the transit secretariat where the vehicle is registered, proving possession and meeting the requirements established by the regulation.

❓ What should I demand before handing over the keys to my vehicle in a sale?

You must demand the signature and formal filing of the Single Procedure Application Form with the transit authority or RUNT, ensuring that ownership officially changes before handing over physical possession.