As car owners, one of our responsibilities is to renew road tax yearly to operate our vehicles on public roads legally. Although road tax renewal is fairly simple, it can be difficult when the vehicle owner has passed on unexpectedly without issuing a will.
Since death is inevitable, everyone should be aware of the process of vehicle ownership transfer to inherit the property of their loved ones successfully. Here is how to renew car road tax for a deceased owner’s vehicle.
Can the next of kin renew the road tax?
If the ownership title of the vehicle has not been changed, the next of kin can renew the road tax as usual. However, the validity period is only for 6 months. This means that the next of kin will have to perform two renewals within a year to continue using the vehicle as usual.
This can go on for a maximum of 5 years, after which the situation gets more complicated. The road tax renewal for a vehicle whose owner has deceased over 5 years requires approval from the JPJ Director at the nearest branch every 6 months. As this can be a more time-consuming process, changing the ownership title of the vehicle is highly encouraged.
How do you transfer ownership?
The following is a guide to changing the ownership title of the deceased owner’s vehicle to the new owner.
Sort out the distribution of assets
The vehicle of a deceased owner will be treated as an inheritance from the legal perspective. Therefore, it is better to sort out the wealth distribution before changing the ownership title of the vehicle. The process would be simpler if the deceased had prepared a will during his lifetime. But in the absence of a will, you must apply for a Small Estate Distribution Order if the estate value is below RM2 million to inherit the property.
Receive the Power of Attorney
Obtain either a Grant of Probate (GP), a Letter of Administration in the form of Declaration or Order by Amanah Raya Berhad, or a Court Order to begin the process of changing the name/title of the deceased owner. The rightful heir will receive the documents during the Small Estate Distribution of the deceased.
Puspakom Inspection
Once the Small Estate Distribution is settled, bring the vehicle to Puspakom along with the Vehicle Ownership Grant or Vehicle Ownership Certificate (VOC) to transfer ownership. Book an appointment with Puspakom for the Transfer of Ownership Inspection or B5 Inspection.
Once the inspection is complete, you will be given the B5 Report, which must be presented along with other documents to JPJ. The B5 report acts as proof that the deceased owner’s vehicle is safe to drive.
Renew insurance under new owner
After the Puspakom inspection, renew vehicle insurance in the new owner’s name before visiting JPJ. Notify the insurance agent about the transfer of ownership of the vehicle prior to performing renewal.
Prepare necessary documents
Before visiting the JPJ branch, the new owner must prepare to complete the JPJ K3A form and TM-3 Checklist along with the following documents to aid the process:
- Death Certificate
- Identification Card (MyKad) or Passport of the successor or administrator
- Vehicle Ownership Grant or Vehicle Ownership Certificate (VOC)
- Grant of Probate OR Grant of Letter of Administration OR Form E or F or T from the Department of Director General of Lands and Mines (for those with a Small Estate Distribution Order) OR Amanah Raya Berhad
- Court Order (received with Grant Letter of Probate/ Administration)
- Puspakom B5 Transfer of Ownership Inspection Report
Visit the nearest JPJ branch
Once you have gathered all the documents stated above, visit the nearest JPJ branch for the transfer of the car ownership title. Remember to bring all forms and documents to complete the process successfully.
Proceed to renew road tax
JPJ will give you a new Vehicle Ownership Grant or Vehicle Ownership Certificate (VOC) once the transfer of ownership is completed. You can then proceed to renew the road tax for the vehicle in question.
Can the renewal be done at the post office?
Yes. The road tax renewal for the deceased vehicle can be done via post office counters under one condition. The death duration of the vehicle’s original owner must not exceed 3 years. But as stated above, the validity periods are 6 months for roadtax renewal and 1 year for car insurance. So, remember to perform renewal every 6 months.
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