Would like to buy a second-hand (not new) moto completely officially with all the papers,
anyone done this before? Do you know what papers I will need and do I have to go to any gov't office to register or anything?

Any help is greatly appreciated, I speak some Cambodian so if you know the stuff in Cambodian even better.

Thanks

If you're serious about doing it the 'right way', you should not buy a bike that does not have, at a minimum: a registration card with correct engine and frame numbers and current owner's name and address, original dealer receipt, an import tax document showing import tax paid, and make a bill of sale that lists the frame, engine numbers, both your and seller's full name, address, phone numbers and thumbstamps. A copy of the sellers national ID would be worth getting too.

I think legally you're are now meant to change the registration to your name within 90 days, but it's still a painful process unless you have a fixer, and still probably not necessary. My current bike is still registered to to the third previous owner.

To change the registration into your name, you *may* need some or all of the following:

The bike
All the papers
Passport
6m+ visa
Residency certificate
Written permission to register a vehicle from the sangkat
Lease agreement
Lots of Khmer sized ID photos
Khmer driving licence
The seller, in person

Take all to the dept of transport, engage a fixer on the street out the front, hand over your stuff, sit under a tree for 3 hours and show your face when they call you to. They now issue the flimsy paper reg cards, so possibly issued same day. Used to have to return 30 days later for the plate icon card.

Wow thanks great info.
I'm going to buy from a dealership, I saw that they had some little card on the bikes written in Khmer which had the owner's name, so I image that's the registration card.
Do you know how this is all related to the license plates?
I think they said the ones that do have license plates are the legal ones which had the tax ("poonn") paid, and the ones that don't have the plates are the illegal ones.
The ones without the plates are about 200 dollars cheaper.

superferret wrote: ↑Thu Nov 30, 2017 11:08 pm Wow thanks great info.
I'm going to buy from a dealership, I saw that they had some little card on the bikes written in Khmer which had the owner's name, so I image that's the registration card.
Do you know how this is all related to the license plates?

The old registration cards were plastic like a bank card, had the registered owner's face, address, particulars of the bike (vin etc), and the plate number.

I think they said the ones that do have license plates are the legal ones which had the tax ("poonn") paid, and the ones that don't have the plates are the illegal ones.
The ones without the plates are about 200 dollars cheaper.

Yes, techincally, to register a bike, the import tax/ពន្ធ/pon - needs to have been paid.

However, there's plenty of bikes around with plates but "no papers" which means anything across the spectrum of legitimately lost papers through to stolen plates on a stolen bike.

Without plates, a bike isn't illegal, it just needs to be registered. It's just not able to be registered until the import tax is paid.

If they won't give you the official import tax receipt, it means you would need to pay the import tax. Simple enough, but time consuming.

That $200 to get with plates will probably save you 4 full working days of running around ministry buildings which may or may not exist in Sihanoukville.

I see that's a bit complicated.
So purchasing one without plates means I would definitely have to pay the import tax + spend a lot of time running around getting it registered. That's out of question.
But if I purchase one that does have the little plastic card, that means the tax must have been paid already since they were able to register it doesn't it?
Wouldn't that mean the registration is sufficient proof that the import taxes are paid already?
Also are they supposed to give me the original plastic registration card with the other guy's name on it? Or what happens?
I imagine I need that and the sales receipt to prove I'm the new owner in case I want to resell later.
And one more question if you don't mind. Am I able to check the numbers on the engine and the body myself, or is this something only mechanics can do?
Thanks a lot

numbers are very visible

frame will be near the headstock probably & engine on the engine casing

good luck

superferret wrote:I see that's a bit complicated.
1. So purchasing one without plates means I would definitely have to pay the import tax + spend a lot of time running around getting it registered. That's out of question.
2. But if I purchase one that does have the little plastic card, that means the tax must have been paid already since they were able to register it doesn't it?
3. Wouldn't that mean the registration is sufficient proof that the import taxes are paid already?
4. Also are they supposed to give me the original plastic registration card with the other guy's name on it? Or what happens?
5. I imagine I need that and the sales receipt to prove I'm the new owner in case I want to resell later.
And one more question if you don't mind. 6. Am I able to check the numbers on the engine and the body myself, or is this something only mechanics can do?
Thanks a lot

1. No, tax might be paid. You'll need to ask. If they say yes, they will have to give you the tax papers at purchase. You will still have to run around.
2. Almost certainly.
3. Yes, but it's better to have the tax paper as inviolable proof.
4. Yes. You're obliged to carry it with you when riding. Possession of the card essentially counts as ownership. Cops can seize the bike until you produce the card, should they feel like it. Don't lose the card.
5. Yes. Thumb stamped with both parties particulars as in my first reply.
6. As chortles noted.

Awsome, thanks a lot! you're a real expert, I could not have expected a better explanation.

epidemiks wrote: ↑Thu Nov 30, 2017 9:07 pm

I think legally you're are now meant to change the registration to your name within 90 days, but it's still a painful process unless you have a fixer, and still probably not necessary. My current bike is still registered to to the third previous owner.

To change the registration into your name, you *may* need some or all of the following:

The bike
All the papers
Passport
6m+ visa
Residency certificate
Written permission to register a vehicle from the sangkat
Lease agreement
Lots of Khmer sized ID photos
Khmer driving licence
The seller, in person

Take all to the dept of transport, engage a fixer on the street out the front, hand over your stuff, sit under a tree for 3 hours and show your face when they call you to. They now issue the flimsy paper reg cards, so possibly issued same day. Used to have to return 30 days later for the plate icon card.

I am having my LBP do this for me for a big bike I bought last December whilst I was out of the country. I will not turn up at the registry.

She did need my residency certificate, which surprised me, but no lease.

I have the registration card and a receipt but no vendor. It is costing a couple of hundred dollars extra as a result to get it in my name.

The only reason I am doing this is that I want to ride it in Thailand. My other bikes, motos, are still in the original owners names based on the registration cards I have, for some I have lost the card. No problems, but if I want insurance it may be a problem.

A couple hundred because you don't have the seller? That's steeper than I imagined it would be. Will bear than in mind next bike I buy.

When I did my previous bike I didn't have the residency certificate, but my landlord was pals with the sangkat and got me a signed letter of permission to register the bike. Really should have just got the residency cert..