Free Consultation
Inheritance & Probate

How do heirs transfer a car registered in a deceased person's name in Israel?

A vehicle is an estate asset like any other, so the heirs cannot sell or re-register it until the estate order is issued. The Licensing Authority will transfer ownership only against an original succession order or probate order naming the heirs, produced together with the vehicle licence and the death certificate. Where several heirs inherit one car, they may register it in the name of one of them with the written consent of the others. The transfer itself is completed on the spot at a licensing bureau or a designated post office counter once the paperwork is in order.

Under the Succession Law 5725-1965 the whole estate vests in the heirs at the moment of death, but registration of a motor vehicle is a separate administrative step governed by the Traffic Ordinance [New Version] and the Traffic Regulations 5721-1961. The Licensing Authority at the Ministry of Transport records the change of ownership and treats the succession order or probate order as the transfer document in place of a signed bill of sale. Before the file moves, the annual licence fee, any outstanding traffic fines and any pledge registered over the vehicle must be cleared. If an estate administrator has been appointed, the administrator signs in place of the individual heirs.

Foreign heirs are usually caught out by timing rather than by law. Compulsory motor insurance and the annual licence lapse on their own renewal dates, and leaving an uninsured car on a public road exposes the estate to fines and towing costs while probate runs. Most heirs living abroad appoint an Israeli attorney or a relative under a notarised power of attorney to attend the licensing bureau, which removes any need to travel. Our guide on distributing an Israeli estate explains how the vehicle fits into the wider distribution. Where nobody intends to keep the car, an administrator can sell it and divide the proceeds instead of re-registering it twice.

⚖ In Practice
  • Governing law: Succession Law 5725-1965; Traffic Regulations 5721-1961 (registration of vehicle ownership)
  • Competent authority: Licensing Authority, Ministry of Transport (Rashut HaRishui, Misrad HaTachbura); succession order issued by the Registrar of Inheritance Affairs (Rasham LeInyanei Yerusha)
  • Fees: vehicle ownership transfer fee approximately NIS 120 (2026), plus any unpaid annual licence fee and fines
  • Timeline: succession order typically 3 to 6 months; the re-registration itself is completed the same day
  • Documents: original succession or probate order, vehicle licence (rishayon rechev), death certificate, identification of the transferee, valid roadworthiness test
  • Insurance: compulsory insurance must be reinstated in the new owner's name before the vehicle is driven again

From the full guide: Distributing an Israeli Estate: A Practical Guide for Foreign Heirs

Related Questions

Related Guides

Need legal help with this topic?
Get a Free Consultation with Adv. Eli ShimonyPrepared under the direction of Adv. Eli Shimony, Eli Shimony Law Office · Editorial policy

← Browse all Q&A