How old do you have to be to legally own a car?

[Ozzie Osmond]

Zwoelf said:

The legal owner is the person who paid for it.

Yes, and that person can make a "gift" of the car to someone else if they so wish.

When buying a car this leaves the tricky question of whether you're paying your money to the right person! The name you see on V5 will be the registered keeper and may not be the legal owner. So, if possible, get to see the invoice from when the car last changed hands.

[Zwoelf]

Ozzie Osmond said:

When buying a car this leaves the tricky question of whether you're paying your money to the right person! The name you see on V5 will be the registered keeper and may not be the legal owner. So, if possible, get to see the invoice from when the car last changed hands.

Which is why you always draw up a written bill of sale with both the seller and the purchaser, whether it matches the V5C or not (if not, obviously questions need to be asked and satisfied before money changes hands where the seller is not a trader or dealer, in those cases an invoice documents the change of owner). That then acts as your indemnity should a subsequent legal issue over ownership arise as you can demonstrate you bought it in good faith and the legal problem is then upon the seller for claiming ownership without reason to do so.

Hadn't thought of the gift aspect admittedly, not sure how that works in practice or how it could be either proven or disproven in law, but as above, there are legal restrictions upon what minors can "own".

[Mr2Mike]

Snowboy said:

I'm going to take a guess and say 16.

I think that if you are below 16 then you can't legally own anything – your parents own it on your behalf, unless it's some sort of trust fund.

Are you getting confused with not being able to own land or property if under 18?

[Raize]

My dad bought me my car for my birthday 2 years ago. I suppose this means absolutely nothing, though, if I'm not the legal owner.

[Dr Interceptor]

A 1 year old can own a car if they like, and the same rules apply as they do with adults.

The car will still have to be MOT'd, taxed/sorn, and insured as usual. Any failure to comply with this would be dealt with in the usual way (no insurance means seizure and destruction).

If the 1 year old owned the car, and you insured it for use by yourself/spouse, with the intention of avoiding fines. When the NIP arrives on the doormat addressed to minor, you as their guardians are responsible for their mail. If you try to implicate a 1 year old into taking your ticket, I should think you'd get the book thrown at you.

[MartyPubes]

Raize said:

My dad bought me my car for my birthday 2 years ago. I suppose this means absolutely nothing, though, if I'm not the legal owner.

How are you not the legal owner? Maybe your Dad gifted you the car as another poster has suggested. If your name is on the V5 then I wouldn't worry about it.

[Raize]

MartyPubes said:

How are you not the legal owner? Maybe your Dad gifted you the car as another poster has suggested. If your name is on the V5 then I wouldn't worry about it.

OK here's how it went.

He bought the car and his name is on the V5. He bought it for me as a birthday present, and I put £300 toward the purchase. This was 2 years ago. Does this count as me having owned it for 2 years, gift or otherwise, or do I have to "buy" it off him?