Buying a car by power of attorney: why this document doesn’t make you the owner

Buying a car by power of attorney still raises many questions among drivers. Many people believe that obtaining a power of attorney automatically makes them the owners, but this is not the case. Find out why a power of attorney does not transfer ownership and how to register a car legally

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TAKE

Many Ukrainians still believe that obtaining a power of attorney for a car makes them its legal owner. However, this is not the case — a power of attorney only allows you to use the car, but does not transfer ownership. This is reiterated by the Main Service Centre of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.

Why is this myth so widespread?

During the war, more and more people are transferring their cars to relatives or acquaintances — some are abroad, some are serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. As a result, powers of attorney for the management and disposal of transport have become more common. Citizens regularly come to service centres with the same questions:

- ‘I bought a car under a power of attorney and want to register it.’

- ‘I have a general power of attorney and need to register the car in my name.’

Centre employees explain that no power of attorney makes a person the owner of a car, even if it specifies all possible powers.

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What a power of attorney actually means

A power of attorney is just a document that allows one person to act on behalf of another. For example, to drive a car, pass a technical inspection, or resolve registration issues with government agencies.

But this document does not transfer ownership — the car still belongs to the person who issued the power of attorney.

The only legal way to become the owner is to conclude an official contract (purchase and sale, gift or exchange) and register it at the Ministry of Internal Affairs service centre.

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How a power of attorney for a car works

When you contact the service centre, the administrator will check what powers are specified in the document. If the power of attorney does not contain specific wording such as ‘with the right to perform registration actions with the vehicle’, it will be impossible to formalise the agreement.

It is also worth remembering that there is no such thing as a ‘general power of attorney’ in Ukrainian law. This is a colloquial expression that has no legal force.

Important details you need to know

▪️ Ownership of the car remains with the person who issued the power of attorney.

▪️ The owner can revoke the power of attorney at any time.

▪️ After the death of the owner, the power of attorney automatically becomes invalid.

▪️ If the power of attorney is issued to one person, they cannot register the car in their name without additional procedures.

▪️ In all these cases, the car does not legally transfer to the new user.

How to properly formalise the purchase of a car

To become the legal owner, you need to contact the MIA service centre. There you can:

▪️ conclude an official contract of sale or donation;

▪️ register the vehicle to the new owner;

▪️ obtain a new registration certificate.

This is the only way to guarantee your full rights to the car and avoid unpleasant situations where the former owner revokes the power of attorney or sells the car to someone else.

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