My relative's cars have been off the road a long time...
I'm in a pickle. I have a 2005 car. An elderly relative has a 2002 VW Transporter and VW Passat and I want to take ownership of both, possibly take mine off the road and in time convert the VW Transporter to a camper. Both have been off the road for over two years now and the van was commercial. Will it cost me big money to tax and insure both? Where is best to get insurance how do I put both in my name?
Leona Costello (Roscommon )Apr 2025 Filed under: taxation
Expert answer
Hi Leona,
From what you've told us, the easiest thing to do here would be to change ownership of your relative's cars to you. This is simply a case of filling in section C on the back of the Vehicle Registration Certificate (VRC) for each of the vehicles and sending the VRCs off to the Vehicle Registration Unit (the address is on the VRC). This can be done online as well via www.motortax.ie.
When a vehicle changes hands, its tax arrears are wiped out, so you won't need to worry about that. And if you don't intend to use the vehicles for a time, you can declare them off the road using the Statutory Off Road Declaration (SORD). This can be done online at www.motortax.ie or at your local motor tax office.
Note: this must be done ahead of time, not after the fact, and can only be submitted for periods of up to 12 months (though it can be renewed).
That would avoid the need for motor tax if you're not using the vehicles or if you're in the midst of converting the Transporter, for example.
If that's not an option, then motor tax for the van in particular could be expensive as it will be taxed according to its engine size (read our Motor Road Tax Prices In Ireland Explained feature for full details).
In terms of insurance, multi-car policies are not common in Ireland, unfortunately, so you'll need to do some ringing around or employ the services of a good insurance broker. And be aware that it can be tricky to get private insurance on a commercial vehicle.
Come back to us if you want us to go into more depth on any of this.
Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Advisor