This is a detailed guide on how to register a car in Nigeria.
Road transport is the most common form of transportation in Nigeria whether for long or short distance travel.
This is because of flexibility, as it’s easier for ‘door-to-door’ movement to be achieved. Also, road transport is a cheaper form of transportation when compared to other means of transportation like air transport.
It also has better inter-state networking than the likes of sea and rail transport; most states are not accessible by water and a lot of states likewise have no or non-functional railway stations.
This, however, has resulted in high demand for vehicles used for road transport whether for private or commercial purposes.
With this high demand for cars also comes the necessity to register them as using roads in Nigeria without proper documentation is illegal and punishable under the Nigerian constitution.
If you are caught driving an unregistered car, law enforcement agencies have the right to seize or impound your car.
Hence, if you wish to learn how to register a car in Nigeria, this guide will help.
In this guide, I will show you how to register a car in Nigeria, documents required to register a car in Nigeria, approved centers for vehicle identification registration in Nigeria, and also the required documents to drive a car in Nigeria.
Documents Required To Register A Car In Nigeria
There are certain requirements for car registration in Nigeria. Hence, before you begin your vehicle registration in Nigeria, you must ensure you meet these requirements.
Below are the required documents for car registration in Nigeria.
- Attestation letter from company of purchase
- Receipt/ invoice of purchase
- Delivery note from the company of purchase
- Valid driver’s license
- Valid means of identification ( this could be a National ID card, voter’s card, or international passport)
- Proof of current residential address ( in most cases, electricity bill is used)
- Passport photograph of the car owner
For new imported cars, additional documents required are
- Tax Identification Number (T.I.N)
- Custom papers to show that the car has been cleared by the Nigerian Customs Service.
- Motor Vehicle Duty Certificate
After you have all these documents in your possession, you can now begin the process of registering a car in Nigeria.
Steps To Register A Car In Nigeria
Below are the steps to register a private or commercial vehicle in Nigeria.
1. Visit the nearest State Board of Internal Revenue/ Motor Licensing Authority (SBIR/MLA). Request for ‘allocation of plate number form’ and fill this form with the correct information
2. Attach the necessary documents to the form and submit them.
3. If you meet the conditions of authorities in charge of vehicle registration, you will be required to further fill the following forms:
- Allocation of Registration Number of New Vehicle Form
- Auto Vehicle Licence Form
- Form B
- Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Form and Tax Form.
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4. These filled forms and the other attached documents are then forward to the police officer assigned to the licensing office for verification. This verification is done by stamping, signing, and dating.
5. Next is payment for the plate number. The payment for a plate number costs about ₦50,000 but it depends on the type of plate number you want.
6. After payment has been done, you will be required to present your receipt as evidence of payment and an available number plate will be allocated to you.
After which, you will be issued certain documents. The documents you will be given after your car registration includes:
- Proof of Ownership Certificate
- Proof of Ownership Certificate Number
- Vehicle Identification Tag (VIT).
7. The original documents you presented at the beginning of the registration will be presented back to you.
Ensure you cross-check these documents to make certain none of them is missing.
8. After these steps, an auto insurance policy will be required. This policy could be comprehensive or third party car insurance.
Third-party car insurance is done by an insurance company for losses caused by your car on other people in the course of driving.
Also Read: The Current Official Cost of Clearing Cars in Nigeria
While Comprehensive Insurance referred to as ‘third party insurance and more,’ is done to ensure your car in the case of car theft, fire, and crashes.
It is important you employ the services of a trusted insurance company with a good track record in Nigeria.
If you are not sure where to find a good car insurance company in Nigeria, check out our guide on the top 10 best car insurance companies in Nigeria.
Once all these steps are completed, you are free to drive your car on any Nigerian road and be rest assured that no public officer would harass you once you present all your documents.
Approved Centers For Vehicle Identification Number Registration
There are approved sites for new plate number registration or verification in the 36 States and Federal Capital Territory (F.C.T) of Nigeria.
Hence, if you wish to begin your car registration process, but don’t know the nearest center to register, this section will guide you.
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Below is the list of approved centers for vehicle identification number registration in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (F.C.T).
| STATE | LOCATION |
| Abia | BIR zonal office, 5, Bende road, Umuahia |
| Adamawa | BIR Office, Yola North |
| Akwa Ibom | BIR Office State Secretariat, Uyo |
| Anambra | Motor Licensing Office, Npaje Awka |
| Bauchi | BIR Office, Jos Road, Bauchi |
| Bayelsa | MLA Yenagoa: Obele street, Ovom, Yenagoa
MLA Kpansia: INEC Junction, Kpansia, Yenagoa MLA Brass: BIR Secretariat complex, Road Safety Road, Yenagoa MLA Ogbia: Emeyal II, Ogbia LGA MLA Sagbama: Hospital Road, Yenagoa |
| Benue | BIR Office, G.R.A. Kashim Ibrahim Road, Makurdi |
| Borno | BIR Office, Opp. Ramat Polytechnic, Maiduguri |
| Cross River | BIR Office, 43 Akim Road Calabar
BIR Office, Ikot Omin Calabar BIR Office, Inyang Street Calabar |
| Delta | BIR Office, 27, Ezenei Avenue, Off Nnebisi Road Asaba |
| Ebonyi | BIR Office, Ministry of Finance, Abakaliki
Ezza South LGA Motor Licensing Office, Onueke Ebonyi LGA Motor Licensing Office, Ugbodo Afikpo North LGA Motor Licensing Office, Afikpo |
| Edo | EIRS Office, New Lagos Road
EIRS Office, Forestry Road (LTO I & LTO II) EIRS Office, TV Road EIRS Office, Uselu EIRS Office, Ikpoba Hill (Ramat Park) EIRS Office, Obe EIRS Office, Okada EIRS Office, Ekpoma EIRS Office, Auchi |
| Ekiti | BIR Office, Oke-Oriomi, Ado Ekiti
BIR Office, Beside First Bank Erekeson Market, Efon-Alaaye BIR Office, Old secretariat complex, Emure-Ekiti BIR Office, Oja-oba premises, Ido-Ekiti Bir Office, Opp Oba palace, Ise-Ekiti BIR Office, Oke-Osun, Ikere Ekiti |
| Enugu | BIR Office, Okpara Avenue, Opp. PHCN Office Enugu |
| F.C.T | VIO Office, Mabushi Abuja |
| Gombe | BIR Office, Gombe |
| Imo | BIR Office, Okigwe Road, Owerri |
| Jigawa | BIR Office, Old Secretariat, Sani Abacha way, Dutse |
| Kaduna | BIR Office, Opp. High court Bida RS Kaduna |
| Kano | BIR Office, No.2 Bank Road, Kano |
| Katsina | BIR Office, G.R.A. Katsina |
| Kebbi | BIR Office, Opp. Diamond Bank, Birnin Kebbi |
| Kogi | BIR Office, No.1 Beach Road Lokoja |
| Kwara | IRS Office, Ahmadu Bello Way, Ilorin |
| Lagos | Motor Vehicle Administration Agency, Ojodu |
| Nassarawa | BIR Office, Kasuwar Tomato, Lafia
BIR Office, Testing Ground Lafia |
| Niger | VIO Office, along Paiko Road Minna |
| Ogun | IRS Oke-Mosan, Opp Federal High Court Abeokuta |
| Ondo | BIR Office, Alagbaka, Akure |
| Osun | BIR Office, Ministry of Finance, State Secretariat Abere |
| Oyo | BIR Office, Onireke Road, Egbe Ibadan |
| Plateau | BIR Office, No.7 Beach Road, Jos North |
| Rivers | BIR Office, No. 22 William Jumbo Street, Port-Harcourt
Obio Licensing Office, Old Aba Road, Portharcourt Emenike Licensing Office. Emenike Junction, Diobu, Mile 1, Portharcourt |
| Sokoto | BIR Office, behind City Campus, Usman Danfodio University |
| Taraba | BIR Office, Hamman Ruwa Road, Jalingo |
| Yobe | BIR Office, Gujiba Road, Damaturu |
| Zamfara | BIR Office, Tudun Wada, Gusau |
Cost Of New Plate Number In Nigeria
The cost of a new plate number in Nigeria is ₦50,000. However, most states may charge differently.
How Long Does It Take to Register A Car In Nigeria
Registering a car in Nigeria is not a difficult process, and does not really take long. It takes less than a week to register a car in Nigeria.
Documents Required To Drive A Car In Nigeria
To be on the safe side, there are basically 6 documents you must have as a car owner in Nigeria.
Below are the documents required to drive a car in Nigeria.
- Drivers License
- Certificate of Roadworthiness
- Insurance Certificate
- Vehicle Registration
- Proof of Ownership
- Hackney Permit
1. Drivers license
Drivers license is a license given by the FRSC that certifies a person to drive a car on Nigerian roads. This license indicates that the bearer is both mentally and physically stable, and has successfully passed the necessary requirements to drive a car on the Nigerian roads.
2. Certificate of Roadworthiness
Certificate of Roadworthiness is another document required to drive a car in Nigeria. The National Certificate of Roadworthiness is a document that indicates your car has met all the requirements to be driven on the Nigerian road.
3. Insurance Certificate
This is a certificate that indicates your vehicle has been insured against physical damages that may arise from traffic collisions.
4. Vehicle Registration
The Vehicle Registration document indicates that you have successfully registered your car in Nigeria, as stipulated by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
This document like I mentioned earlier, is the document that will be issued to you after you successfully completes your vehicle registration process.
5. Proof of Ownership
The Proof of Ownership document is a document that proves that you are the owner of the car. This document will be issued to you after the completion of your vehicle registration in Nigeria.
6. Hackney Permit
The Hackney permit is another document that is required to drive a vehicle in Nigeria. This document licenses vehicles that below a certain weight category to carry goods within a state in Nigeria.
This document will also be given to you at the point of your vehicle registration.
Also Read: How To Buy Cheap Cars In Nigeria
That’s basically the 6 documents you will need to drive a car in Nigeria without harassment from public officials.
Conclusion
Registering your car in Nigeria is never horrible, slow, or frustrating as long as you follow the due process.
Hence, this guide on how to register a car in Nigeria was written to prepare you on what to expect and the things you should do to ensure the smooth processing of your car registration in Nigeria.
If you don’t have the time to do it on your own, you can employ the use of private services which would cost more than the usual.
It is important to verify your car’s license plate after the process has been done by these private services to ensure you don’t fall into fraud.
Want to verify your car’s license plate?
To verify your registered car’s license plate, enter the car registration number on the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) website at www.frsc.gov.ng.
The result will show the type of vehicle and other details if the license plate is verified.
That’s all on how to register a car in Nigeria. I hope you find this guide on how to register a car in Nigeria helpful?