Something gone wrong?
Sold your car — and the buyer never transferred it?
Those tickets arriving in your name mean the vehicle record still points at you. First: if you're in Alberta, Manitoba, or Newfoundland & Labrador, there's a seller-side filing that fixes this — do it today (details below). Second, everywhere: dig out your signed bill of sale now — it proves the sale date and is how you dispute every ticket that isn't yours.
Was this preventable? Partly.
You can't force a buyer to the registry — but keeping your plates (they stay with the seller in all ten provinces), filing the seller-side notice where one exists, and in Quebec finishing the sale at the SAAQ together are exactly the day-of-sale steps in the selling guide's transfer checklist.
Your province's fix
Alberta — file a Notice of Disposition (this is THE fix)
File a Notice of Disposition at any registry agent. It removes your name from the vehicle record and protects you from the buyer’s tickets and liability. Do it today — it’s exactly what this form exists for.
Alberta Registries →Manitoba — submit a Notice of Sale to MPI
Submit a Notice of Sale to MPI (online or in person) and return your plates. That puts the sale on record from your side.
Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) →Newfoundland & Labrador — Express Notice of Sale (a legal duty)
Sellers are legally required to send the Registrar an Express Notice of Sale within 10 days of the sale. If you missed the window, file it late anyway and keep proof that you did — a late notice beats no notice.
Motor Registration Division →Saskatchewan — plates are yours; return them to SGI
Plates stay with the seller, and the buyer was required to register within 14 days. If you’re not reusing your plate, return it to SGI — and keep your bill of sale as proof of the sale date.
SGI (Saskatchewan Government Insurance) →British Columbia — your insurance and plates are the lever
The buyer had 10 days to register the transfer (the APV9T you both signed). Plates stay with you: make sure they’re off the car, and cancel or transfer your own insurance so nothing keeps running in your name. Keep your copy of the APV9T and bill of sale for any disputes.
ICBC →Ontario — no seller-side filing exists; your paper is your protection
The buyer had 6 days to register the transfer, but Ontario has no formal mechanism for a seller to report a sale. Your protection is the paper: the signed bill of sale and your UVIP records establish the sale date — use them to dispute any ticket or toll that arrives, and keep the plate portion of the permit (plates stay with you).
ServiceOntario →Quebec — you remain responsible until the SAAQ transfer happens
In Quebec the seller remains legally responsible for the vehicle until the transfer is completed at the SAAQ. If the buyer hasn’t gone, contact them now and insist on completing the transfer at the SAAQ (or via SAAQclic) together, immediately — this is exactly why Quebec sales should always end at the SAAQ counter the same day.
SAAQ →Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI
We haven't verified a formal seller-side mechanism for these provinces, and we don't guess. Contact your registry directly about recording the sale — and in the meantime do what works everywhere: keep the signed bill of sale, dispute tickets with your proof of sale date, and make sure your plates and insurance aren't still attached to the car.
Common Questions
I keep getting the buyer's tickets — am I liable?
While your name is still on the record you can keep receiving them, which is why the seller-side filings (Alberta’s Notice of Disposition, Manitoba’s Notice of Sale, Newfoundland’s Express Notice of Sale) matter — they put the sale on record. Everywhere, your signed bill of sale proves the sale date: use it to dispute tickets from after that date.
How do I remove my name from a car I sold in Alberta?
File a Notice of Disposition at any registry agent. It removes your name from the vehicle record and protects you from tickets and liability arising after the sale.
My province doesn't have a seller notice — what now?
Keep your signed bill of sale safe (it is your proof of the sale date), dispute any tickets with that proof, make sure your plates are off the car and your insurance is cancelled or transferred, and contact your provincial registry directly about recording the sale — processes vary and some are handled case by case.
Should I have kept the plates?
Yes — licence plates stay with the seller in all ten provinces. If your plates left with the car, contact your registry about it now, and never let it happen on a future sale.
Selling another vehicle someday?
The $12 package's transfer checklist walks the day-of-sale steps — plates, notices, and what to keep — so the record never stays in your name by accident.
Guidepost is not a law firm. This is general information, not legal advice — registry processes change; confirm with your provincial registry. Full disclaimer. Last updated: June 2026.