Car Auction Winner Can't Get a New BPKB? Finance Ministry Replies

Car auctions are a go-to way to buy a car at a low price, well below market value. Many people who know cars well choose auctions over dealers or buying directly from a showroom, and the main reason is the lower price. Even so, first-time bidders should learn the tricks and strategies beforehand, because without them you may end up losing money instead of saving it.

Although a car auction is seen as a profitable option, there are things to watch out for. One of them is whether the car's paperwork is complete. If documents such as the BPKB (the vehicle ownership book) and the STNK (the vehicle registration certificate) are missing, you cannot be legally recognized as the owner of the vehicle.

Trouble Getting a New BPKB

Some people have complained that they struggle to obtain a BPKB for the car they won. Without this valuable document, the car is effectively a car without papers. If you sell it later, the price will be far below the market rate and may drop sharply. This is a risk to take seriously, because for a motor vehicle the BPKB is like its lifeblood. Indonesia's Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu) has now responded to people who have trouble getting a new BPKB.

Kemenkeu stated that car auctions run by a car auction house follow the applicable rules. Information about the completeness of the vehicle's papers is also given before the auction begins, including the fact that the vehicle does not come with a BPKB. Because this is explained up front, all participants are considered to have accepted it, and they must accept every consequence of the auction since they chose to take part. The statement is also written in the body of the auction minutes (risalah lelang), which says that bidders or buyers are deemed to know fully what they are bidding on. The auction official also reads this statement aloud before the auction takes place.

If a new BPKB cannot be issued, the buyer can coordinate with the seller and with the local Samsat (the one-stop vehicle registration office) or the police. The State Assets and Auction Service Office (KPKNL) stands ready to help auction winners with whatever they need, as long as it falls within KPKNL's authority and matches its duties and functions in the auction process.

Getting a New STNK and BPKB

Given this, it is important to know how to obtain a new STNK and BPKB for a vehicle you won at auction. Cars seized in corruption cases and the like never come with a BPKB or STNK. The process is actually simple, because you do not need the old documents. You only need the auction minutes certificate and proof of auction payment. The process is the same as for a new vehicle, covering payment of PNBP (non-tax state revenue) for the BPKB, STNK and TNKB (license plates), plus BBN-KB (title transfer tax), PKB (annual vehicle tax) and SWDKLLAJ (mandatory road traffic accident contribution). Keep in mind that if any document requirement is not met, the paperwork for the vehicle cannot be processed.

For a four-wheeled vehicle, issuing a BPKB with a change of ownership costs from Rp375,000, and issuing an STNK costs from Rp200,000. STNK validation, STCK issuance and TNKB cost roughly Rp200,000. For less than Rp1 million in total, you can get a new BPKB. This does not include mutation (transferring the registration) if the auction winner comes from another region.

That is Kemenkeu's response to car auction winners who find it hard to get a new BPKB. We hope this information is useful to you.