Something gone wrong?
Missed the deadline to register the car you bought?
Here's the honest answer up front: in most provinces there is no published late fee, and we won't invent one. The real exposure is driving an unregistered, and therefore typically uninsured, vehicle, so park it if you can. The fix is simply to register now: the paperwork you needed on day one is the paperwork you need today.
Was this preventable? Sure, but it's also very fixable.
The deadlines are short and easy to miss (Ontario's 6 days is the country's shortest). Unlike most problems on these pages, this one is solved by a single registry visit.
The deadline you missed, and the fix, by province
Ontario: 6 days
the shortest hard deadline in Canada
British Columbia: 10 days
buyer submits the APV9T to an Autoplan broker
Saskatchewan: before driving
SGI publishes no day-count; the buyer registers at a motor licence issuer before the vehicle is driven
Manitoba: before driving
register (with insurance) before the vehicle is on the road
Alberta: before driving
no fixed day-count, but a vehicle on a public road must be registered and insured
Quebec: at the SAAQ
the transfer itself happens at the SAAQ, both parties attend
Newfoundland & Labrador: (seller) 10 days
the 10-day duty is the seller’s Express Notice of Sale; buyers: register without delay
Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI: we haven't verified a published day-count; the same advice applies: register without delay via your province's guide.
Common Questions
Is there a late fee for missing the vehicle transfer deadline?
In most provinces, no published late fee exists, and we won't invent one. The real exposure is different: an unregistered vehicle can't legally be on the road, and driving uninsured is the expensive risk. The fix is the same everywhere: register now.
I'm past Ontario's 6 days, can I still register?
Yes, go to ServiceOntario with your signed bill of sale, the UVIP, and the vehicle permit, and complete the transfer. The deadline being missed doesn’t block the registration; being unregistered while driving is the problem to end quickly.
What happens if I keep driving unregistered?
That's the actual exposure: an unregistered (and therefore typically uninsured) vehicle on a public road is a traffic-enforcement and insurance problem far bigger than any transfer timing. Park it until it's registered if at all possible.
Does the seller have anything to fix too?
Sometimes. In Newfoundland & Labrador the seller has a legal 10-day Express Notice of Sale duty (file it late and keep proof if missed). In Ontario, sellers keep the plate portion of the permit and their UVIP records, and the $140 fine there is for sellers who skipped the mandatory UVIP package, not for late buyers.
Get the transfer done right
Guidepost is not a law firm. This is general information, not legal advice, confirm current requirements with your provincial registry. Full disclaimer. Last updated: June 2026.