How To Register An ATV Without Ownership in Ontario?

An all-terrain vehicle is very popular in every corner of Canada. ATV is the modern off-road vehicle that gets you riding into rough terrains and trails where a normal car would get totaled very soon.

The experience of riding into the woods or on the rocky trails is unique and thrilling at the same time. Most states, like Ontario, have various types of trails to experience based on your preferences.

The never-seen viewpoints give you a rare view into the natural beauty of Ontario with a feeling very similar to internal freedom. People new to the world of all-terrain vehicles and off-road riding sometimes wonder if buying an ATV lets you ride into the wild nature, but that’s not true.

Register your ATV to ride legally through government-owned trails and other public areas. Buying from a registered dealer in your area saves you from hassle as they handle all the paperwork, including ATV registration and obtaining ownership for you.

ATV Legal Requirements in Ontario

According to the Off-road Vehicles Act, whether you have bought an ATV in Ontario or any other state, it must be titled, registered, and own a plate on it, always issued by the Ministry of Transport.

To get your ATV registered, whether you have ownership or not, you will need insurance proof. When discussing an ATV in Ontario, you need a legal and valid automobile insurance policy.

The rider’s insurance doesn’t count as the insurance of the ATV or the insurance of the property you are riding in. The penalty fees for not having insurance and riding are colossal.

A huge amount of five thousand dollars is issued for the rider, which is quite difficult to be paid by most people.

The Ontario authorities strictly maintain the rule of not registering an ATV with anyone younger than sixteen.

There are certain rules and regulations, too, that you must abide by after getting your ATV registered. Check the MTO website of the Ontario state to go through it at least once before venturing into the wild.

Details of registering your ATV without ownership

Any ownership documentation is necessary to prove your entitlement to the all-terrain vehicle. You should obtain a certificate of sale from the seller whenever you buy a new or old ATV.

When buying a used ATV privately from someone, you must be extra careful. Criminal activities have often shown their color in the ATV reselling industry.

Stolen ATVs have often been sold through third-party websites to innocent customers. Many people have gotten in trouble by buying stolen ATVs at a low price offered by scammers.

So always verify the owner whenever you plan to buy an ATV privately. A new owner needs to get the prior owner’s signed vehicle portion of the permit. The registration plate that you will get needs to be placed in front of the vehicle along with the expiration sticker.

The plate should be prominently visible, and the other registration licensing documents should be kept along with the ATV at all riding times.

Whenever an all-terrain vehicle gets a new owner, the person who is the new owner must start the registration process within six days in the Ontario Transport Department.

The essential documents you would need to provide to register your newly bought ATV are as follows:

• Proof of buying the ATV is necessary. This can be part of the used vehicle information package or the original receipt from the vehicle’s seller.
• The driving license of the new owner or the registrant identification number of the person is required.
• The automobile insurance papers are very important for registration and title for your ATV.
• If present during reselling, the plate of the permit or details of the plate attached to the ATV.
• The actual vehicle permit from the seller with completed transfer documents.
• Other vehicle documents with previous owner details and essential vehicle numbers and models.

Importance of vehicle identification numbers for ATVs without ownership

If you have one, the VIN or vehicle identification number for your all-terrain vehicle can be found in the vehicle permit.

The VIN can also be found on the vehicle’s dashboard and is unique for every all-terrain vehicle.

This often occurs for many reselling ATVs whose VIN on the dashboard does not match the vehicle license documents. In such cases, you must visit the Service Ontario center with some necessary paperwork.

The essential ones will be the vehicle permit and the motor liability insurance card. Other documents that might be needed are the invoice from the manufacturer or the warranty card.

If you don’t have these, you can provide the original safety standard certificate or affidavit from the vehicle owner with an explanation of the error in the VIN.

In rare cases, the permit of the ATV gets lost or damaged.

In that case, you must spend thirty-two dollars and a few documents at the service Ontario center.

Any identification card, like a passport or driver’s license, will work well. You will also need the actual license plate number of the all-terrain vehicle and the actual VIN.

If the service Ontario center approves everything, then the permit of the all-terrain vehicle and even the license plate is sometimes issued immediately or within a few days.

Even an amazing fact is that the Ontario transport department mails customized license plates to the address you provide in the office. Getting a new license plate or a replacement will cost about sixty dollars.

Experience Information from ATV forums

In most online ATV forums, ATV riders have shared experiences about getting their ATV registered, which they bought without ownership and privately from a yard sale or online website.

From their experiences in Ontario and neighboring states, riders have stated that it is nearly impossible to get legal insurance for an ATV without any registration for it.

The riders have also stated that the most crucial document you must get is proof of purchase of the prior owner and the vehicle identification number.

Sometimes, private dealers might ask for extra cash to provide this kind of document, but you will have no choice but to spend that money. The smart trick is to make the prior owner run to the offices for you.

Ask them that you will pay some extra bucks if they provide you with the ownership details and the vehicle in your name.

It’s being resold is quite inexpensive, so that this trick would save you lots of trouble, but you might still have to visit the Service Ontario office a few times with the prior owner.

People buy old ATVs all the time and in many places. Riders have shared experiences buying ATVs without registration in estate auctions and race track sales.

A few riders have even shared real-life steps to getting the registration done after you buy an ATV without ownership.

First, you need to get the bill of sale from the seller and a valid identification card to visit the MTO office nearby in Ontario.

You would have to get an affidavit done by a lawyer or a public notary person to make you the correct affidavit. In the affidavit, you need to make some official declarations.

If you don’t know whether the ATV has any other ownership or not, you would need to mention that along with the purchase details.

You would have to notify the place and the previous known owner. This would be required for making the indirect acclimation that the ATV is not stolen.

The affidavit might cost you around a hundred dollars. When you provide this to the Ontario office, your ATV’s registration process will start.

But providing the essential vehicle details like the VIN and vehicle model is important otherwise. The Service Ontario office wouldn’t be able to start the registration process of your ATV.

FAQs

Conclusion

The Ontario service offices for ATV registration are very cooperative and kind. They would always try to help you register your ATV, even if you know the ownership. The problems with ATV registration mostly occur when buying an ATV from a private seller.

Whenever you are buying your ATV privately, extra caution and verification are necessary from your side. If you don’t verify, a stolen ATV can be sold to you without your knowledge.

In such a case, you will have to lose huge amounts of money and have legal trouble. Getting the right documents and the forms filled out starts the registration process of your vehicle quite immediately in Ontario.