The RLV Form, Explained
RLV stands for “Registration and Licensing of a Motor Vehicle.” It’s the form a buyer completes to register a vehicle they’ve just bought into their own name and get it licensed. It’s normally lodged together with the seller’s NCO form, since a sale isn’t fully done until both sides of it are recorded.
What it’s actually for
After buying a vehicle, you have 21 days to register it in your own name at a licensing department, under Regulation 53 of the National Road Traffic Regulations. Until that’s done, the vehicle is still registered to the previous owner in the government’s own records — which matters for more than just paperwork tidiness. It affects who’s on record if something goes wrong.
Common reasons it gets rejected at the counter
No roadworthy certificate, or one older than 60 days
Regulation 138 requires a roadworthy certificate issued within 60 days of your application, for ordinary vehicles. If it’s a double-disc vehicle — used for reward, heavy loads, dangerous goods, or rescue — you need a Certificate of Fitness (COF) instead, a separate, stricter certificate. Regular passenger and light vehicles never need a COF.
Arriving without your own ID copy
Licensing offices don’t photocopy documents for you. Bring your own copy of your ID — if it isn’t already certified, bring the original too so the official can certify it for you at the counter.
A missing or incorrectly signed RC1
The registration certificate (RC1) has to be handed over by the seller as part of the sale, signed correctly on their side.
Proof of address that's too old, or not in your name
It needs to be less than 3 months old. If the account isn’t in your own name, bring an affidavit plus a copy of the account holder’s ID as well.
Buying a financed vehicle? The registration paperwork needs to reflect who actually holds title — a bank’s settlement letter on its own doesn’t change that at the counter. Worth checking with your bank and the seller before your appointment.
Fill in your RLV and NCO forms together
RoadForms lays both out correctly on the real government template — ready to sign.
From R99
Common questions
How long do I have to register a vehicle after buying it?
21 days from the date of sale, under Regulation 53 of the National Road Traffic Regulations.
Do I need a roadworthy certificate for every RLV application?
Yes for ordinary vehicles, and it must have been issued within the last 60 days (Regulation 138). Double-disc vehicles — used for reward, heavy loads, dangerous goods, or rescue — need a Certificate of Fitness instead.
What's the difference between an RLV and an NCO form?
The RLV is the buyer's application to register the vehicle in their own name. The NCO is the seller's notification that they've sold it. Both are needed to complete a sale — see our NCO guide.