In short
- You write the contract yourselves – no notary needed, two signed copies are enough.
- The date on the contract starts the deadlines: 14 days for PCC-3 and 30 days for registration and reporting the sale.
- Between private persons the seller’s liability can be excluded, but this doesn’t protect a seller who hid a defect.
What the contract must include
- Date and place of signing – the deadlines for tax, registration and reporting the sale run from this date.
- Details of the seller and buyer (name, address, ID number or PESEL).
- Car details: make, model, year, VIN, registration number and mileage at the time of sale.
- Price and method of payment.
- The seller’s statement that the car is theirs and has no legal encumbrances (e.g. a lien or bailiff seizure).
- A list of documents and keys handed over.
- Signatures of both parties.
Seller’s liability (rękojmia) – is the seller responsible for defects?
The seller is liable to the buyer for physical defects of the car (rękojmia under the Polish Civil Code). In a sale between private persons, the parties can limit or exclude this liability in the contract (Art. 558 of the Civil Code). The exclusion doesn’t apply if the seller deliberately concealed a defect.
If you buy from a business (dealer) as a consumer, this liability cannot be excluded or limited – consumer rights rules apply.
When signing – check
- 1
VIN in the documents and on the car
The number in the registration certificate must match the number on the body and under the windscreen.
- 2
Whether the seller is the owner
Compare the details on their ID with the registration certificate. If there are several owners, all of them must sign.
- 3
The car’s history
Free: historiapojazdu.gov.pl (mileage from inspections, OC validity). More detail: a damage history report by VIN.
- 4
Documents to hand over
Registration certificate, vehicle card (if issued), OC policy, keys, number plates.