By: Otaiba Ahsan

Whether you’re buying a Tesla privately, from a third party, or are selling it, part of the process will require you to transfer ownership. The electric vehicle (EV) titan has made the procedure easy, and there’s usually little to no friction as you go through the steps. Continue reading for a complete guide on how to transfer your Tesla ownership with the app.

Transferring Ownership

As mentioned, when you buy a Tesla from a third party, or sell it yourself, you can transfer ownership through the app. Each car from Tesla can only have one owner and account at a time. When the ownership transfer is successfully completed, the new owner will have access to all the features of the Tesla app, and removes vehicle information and access from the previous owner.

NOTE: Adding a driver is different than transferring ownership, as this will instead give someone access to the vehicle. They’ll be able to download the app and use the car as a secondary driver, but won’t be considered the owner. See Tesla’s guide on how to add drivers for more details.

To transfer ownership, follow these simple steps:

1. Open the Tesla app and then tap the three lines at the top right of the screen.
2. Hit My Products and then touch the vehicle that you’d like to transfer.
3. Lastly, you’ll see that it says Remove or Transfer Ownership at the bottom of the screen. You can then follow the on-screen prompts to complete the transfer.
4. Both parties will receive a confirmation email once the process is complete.

Adding a Vehicle

Now that you’ve learned how to transfer ownership, it’s also important to understand how to add a vehicle as well. The method of adding the vehicle depends on how you got the car in the first place. If you purchased it new or used through Tesla directly, then the vehicle will automatically be added to the app when you take delivery.

NOTE: You must have a Tesla account to use the app. You can easily make one from the login page on their site or through the app itself.

If you’re purchasing through a private sale, then you’ll have to ask the previous owner to transfer the vehicle to you directly through Tesla, using the steps above. Both parties will receive a confirmation email once the process is complete.

Lastly, if you purchased the car through a third party, then you’ll need to claim ownership of the vehicle. To do this, you must have access to Wi-Fi and the car itself, and then:

1. Open the Tesla app, and tap the top-left corner to open the product dropdown.
2. Touch Add Product and then follow the prompts.
3. You’ll be required to enter the vehicle identification number (VIN), as well as to upload documents and submit owner information to claim ownership.
4. Once steps 1-3 are complete, it’ll take three to five days for the car to be added to the app.

The Bottom Line

The steps on how to transfer your Tesla ownership with the app are straightforward. Simply open the app, tap the three lines at the top right of the screen, hit My Products and then touch the vehicle you’d like to transfer. Lastly, tap Remove or Transfer Ownership at the bottom of the screen, and follow on-screen prompts.