Start with the plate
Before you get attached to a used car, check its plate. FRSC's nvis.frsc.gov.ng carries a Verify Number Plate tool alongside its registration and revalidation features.
Two minutes here can save you from a much longer problem after you have already paid.
Confirm the ownership documents exist
Changing ownership in Lagos needs a specific document set. MVAA's schedule lists the old registration form, proof of ownership, a valid vehicle licence, the purchase receipt, a sworn affidavit by the new owner, a police report and CMR information.
Ask the seller for all of these before you commit to buying, not after. A seller who cannot produce them is not ready to sell yet, whatever else about the car looks fine.
See our change of ownership post for the full document list and what the whole process costs.
Check the vehicle licence and roadworthiness certificate
A used car should already carry a current vehicle licence and roadworthiness certificate. Ask to see both, and check the dates yourself rather than taking the seller's word for it.
Our vehicle licence fee by engine size post explains how that fee works if you need to renew it soon after buying. Our roadworthiness certificate post covers what that inspection involves.
Neither document transfers any benefit to you personally. They simply tell you how soon you will need to renew them yourself.
What a clean paper trail buys you
A car with every document in order is easier to insure, easier to resell later, and far less likely to cause a problem at a checkpoint in your first weeks of ownership. A car missing documents is a bigger project than the price tag alone suggests.
If a seller offers a discount specifically because paperwork is missing or out of date, treat that discount as a rough estimate of the hassle ahead, not a bargain.
Where to finish the process
Once you are satisfied with the documents, the change of ownership itself happens at a licensing station. Lagos runs any of 140 licensing stations, designated banks, or online at portal.autoreg.ng.
Bring the seller along, or make sure they have handed over everything the process needs, since some documents require the seller's own signature or presence. Do not treat the sale as finished until this step is done, whatever informal arrangement you have made between yourselves.
Common mistakes
Paying before checking a single document is the costliest mistake here. Assuming a good-looking car automatically has good paperwork behind it is another; the two are unrelated.
Skipping the plate check because the seller seems trustworthy is a third mistake. A quick, free check costs you nothing, while skipping it can cost a great deal more.
For more on vehicle papers, see the licences and vehicles hub and our FRSC vehicle licence renewal guide.