How to Sell Used Farm Machinery in Colombia: Tractors, Walk-Behind Tractors and the RNMA in the RUNT

Quick answer: A self-propelled tractor or walking tractor is registered in the RNMA (National Registry of Self-Propelled Agricultural, Industrial and Construction Machinery), which is part of the RUNT and is processed by a transit authority. It is not an agriculture secretariat, nor a registry called "RURT". With that clear, you can sell without a rural commission agent.

Someone buying a used tractor almost never asks about the color first. They ask about the hour meter reading, the engine serial number, and whether there is a registration card. If you come into the conversation with those three details, you filter out the curious and negotiate from a firm position. This guide helps you organize the paperwork and the listing.

What is sold as a machine and what as an implement

The RNMA applies to machinery self-propelled: a tractor, a walking tractor with its own engine, a machine that moves on its own. A plow, a harrow or a towed baler is not described as if it had an RNMA card; it is sold with its serial number, condition, and an invoice or contract.

If you are unsure whether your specific equipment falls under the registry, ask the transit authority before promising a buyer a license plate or card. Promising something you cannot deliver is the fastest way to lose a sale.

A practical note: the farm and the tractor are advertised separately. If you are also selling the property, it has its own guide at how to sell a farm without a real estate agency.

Where it is really registered: RNMA and the transit authority

Registration is done before a transit authority, which uploads the information to the RUNT. The result depends on who you are:

• Owner: receives a registration card.
• Possessor: receives a registration certificate.

Pay attention to that difference. The possessor's certificate only certifies the registration in the RNMA and does not prove that status before third parties, according to Annex 45 of Resolution 20243040056195 of November 18, 2024 from the Ministry of Transport. If you only have the certificate, state it in writing in the listing: the buyer understands they are acquiring possession, not an enforceable title. And if you are the buyer, always prefer a card in the name of the seller.

The ICA health guide, by the way, is used for moving livestock; in this livestock movement guide it is explained, but that procedure does not register tractors.

Mandatory or voluntary registration? The January 10, 2012 cutoff

Since Decree Law 019 of 2012 took effect (January 10, 2012), self-propelled agricultural, industrial and construction machinery manufactured, imported or assembled must be registered in the RUNT. Machinery that entered or was assembled before that date has voluntary registration, according to Resolution 1068 of 2015.

There is an exception: Decree 723 of 2014 makes registration mandatory, together with permanent GPS, for machinery under the tariff subheadings 8429.11.00.00, 8429.19.00.00, 8429.51.00.00, 8429.52.00.00, 8429.59.00.00 and 8905.10.00.00. That subheading appears on the import declaration, not in the commercial name of the equipment.

Voluntary does not mean irrelevant. An old machine without a card is harder to sell and cheaper to negotiate, and it cannot go on public roads without a card and SOAT. Do not promise that equipment without papers "is easy to register".

Papers you should show before receiving a deposit

To register, article 5.4.1 of the resolution generally requires:

• Form from Annex 48.
• Declaration of ownership (Annex 45) or of possession (Annex 45-A) if the machine predates the 2012 cutoff.
• Copy of the import declaration and, depending on the case, a copy of the invoice.
• Engine, serial, chassis or VIN/PIN stampings.
• Payment of the fees the authority calculates.

The import declaration or invoice serves to prove the original entry or purchase. Private resale is supported by the contract and the RNMA status.

If the equipment entered under temporary import, it can move to definitive registration when the DIAN changed the regime to ordinary import and the temporary registration was canceled; the NUI has the format MA-, MI- or MC- plus six digits. If the machine entered before November 18, 2024, the provisional card deadline of that resolution does not apply to it, according to the circular of December 12, 2024.

GPS, SOAT and public roads, each separately

GPS: is not a universal requirement. It only applies to the six subheadings of Decree 723. A tractor does not need GPS just because it is agricultural.

RNMA procedure: technical inspection, taxes and SOAT are not verified; what is verified is the clearance of traffic infractions and payment of fees (article 22, Resolution 1068 of 2015).

Public roads: if the machine travels under its own power on public roads or private roads open to the public, it must carry a registration card and a SOAT that identifies the registration number. Within the farm, without going onto the road, Fasecolda describes agricultural machinery as exempt from SOAT. Track-type machinery does not move under its own power: it is transported as cargo.

Change of owner: it is a local procedure

The transfer is formalized before the transit authority where the machinery is located. In general, seller and buyer must be registered in the RUNT and have no outstanding debts, and there must be a contract or declaration of transfer. Some authorities also require the contract to bear signatures, fingerprints and stampings, and if there is a lien they require lifting it or the creditor's authorization.

The amount is not national. Some authorities publish their own charge at their window and mention withholding tax, but each one calculates its own: ask for the calculation before closing the deal. The truck follows a different registry and procedure; for that, see the guide to trucks and dump trucks.

How to write the listing that filters out the curious

The foundation of any sale without commission is in the guide to where to sell used items without paying commission; here we only add what is specific to a tractor. Write:

• Make and model as equipment data, not as a price promise.
• Year, engine hours, 2WD or 4WD traction, tires or tracks, hitch type.
• Whether implements are included and which ones.
• Where the machine is located and whether the asking price includes freight.
• Whether there is a registration card and in whose name, or only a possessor's certificate.

Photos weigh more than a long text: serial number, hour meter, tires, hitch and any oil leak. An honest photo of a defect builds more trust than ten pretty photos. In the guide to used industrial machinery there is a similar pattern of model, condition and testing.

Three rules for the meeting: see the buyer during the day and at the farm; compare the name on the card with the name of the person signing; and do not transfer or receive deposits to a third party who "gets the transfer done". The Ministry of Transport warns that no one should be paid to speed up procedures.

Frequently asked questions

❓ Is a used tractor registered in the RUNT or with an agriculture secretariat?

It is registered in the RNMA, within the RUNT, before a transit authority. There is no tractor registry called RURT, and agriculture secretariats do not register this machinery. The result is a registration card for the owner (verify with the official source).

❓ Does a machine from before 2012 have to be registered to be sold?

Registration of machinery that entered or was assembled before January 10, 2012 is voluntary, unless its subheading is one of those in Decree 723. To travel on public roads, a card and SOAT are required (verify with the official source).

❓ Do a walking tractor and a baler carry the same card?

Only self-propelled machinery enters the RNMA. A towed implement is sold with its serial number, condition, and an invoice or contract. If you are unsure about your specific equipment, the transit authority will confirm whether it requires registration (verify with the official source).

❓ Must every agricultural tractor have GPS?

No. The mandatory GPS under Decree 723 applies to six specific subheadings, such as 8429.11.00.00 or 8905.10.00.00. The subheading comes from the import declaration, not from the commercial name of the equipment (verify with the official source).

❓ Is a possessor's certificate enough to sell?

That certificate proves registration in the RNMA, but the annex itself says it does not prove possessor status before third parties. The buyer should check whether there is an owner's card or only that certificate (verify with the official source).

❓ How much does the transfer in the RUNT cost?

Each transit authority calculates its own fees, and there is no single national rate. A charge published by a local authority is not a useful general reference. Ask for the calculation where the machine is located (verify with the official source).

❓ How do I sell safely and avoid scams?

Meet during the day at the farm, compare the name on the card with the name of the person signing, and ask about liens at the transit authority. Do not transfer deposits to third parties who promise to get the transfer done (verify with the official source).