This post is a few weeks old, but yesterday my mechanic explained to me how it works (eg how to renew the registration for a vehicle).
Apparently (and i haven’t done it yet, but will do it probably this week), you can go to either Bradesco Bank or Banco de Brasil, where you have to show them your Renavam number (this number is on your registration document, if you have the CNH app installed you’ll find it there as well). Again according to my mechanic, with this number they will tell you how much you owe for the yearly registration and you can pay it right there and then.
Three caveats: 1) this is for the state of Bahia, other states might have other ways of doing it.
2) It seems that Bradesco only offers this service for their customers. My mechanic said it might work if you go there with someone who is a customer, but he wasn’t sure. However, according to him, Banco de Brasil has no such requirement. I will be able to confirm shortly.
3) This is only to renew an existing registration. If you intend to newly register a used vehicle, you have to go an office called Emplacadora. Beware, the seller must initiate the transfer in your name, which he did directly on his smartphone and sent me the receipt to Whatsapp. You also need a document with the signature of the previous owner, which can sometimes be a problem, particularly if you buy it from a used vehicle dealer. They tend to not transfer the vehicle in their name, and might have problems locating the previous owner by the time they resell the vehicle. This was a problem for me, thankfully the Emplacadora did the transfer anyway, albeit for a “special fee”. Once that was solved, they did the necessary paperwork in less than 30 minutes, I had to pay all of the fees right away, and they sent me to an inspection station, in my case about 30 minutes away. There, an inspector checked my scooter for basic functionality (mostly lights and blinkers, he didn’t even drive it). It did look ok though, so maybe if it looks like a piece of junk, the inspection is more thorough) You don’t get new plates, I guess the plates stay with the vehicle forever.
if I can add another “warning”: be very careful if you buy a used vehicle. First off, you have to check for any outstanding fines and registration fees. If there are any, you will have to pay all of them before you can register your vehicle. Second, a lot of used vehicles here haven’t been maintained well, or not at all. Be prepared to change a lot of parts if you want your vehicle to be safe and functional. Personally I wouldn’t do it again, I would have been better off buying a new bike from a dealer. Also they would probably have assisted me in registering it, which isn’t a huge deal, but still very convenient.
I hope these infos are useful for other expats who like to have a vehicle. Other than the aforementioned problems, I’m very pleased to have a scooter. I’m using it mostly for getting groceries. I’ve done a couple of drives on highways, and this is quite stressful and I try to avoid it. I’ve been driving (a lot) in Vietnam and Cambodia, and it’s way more stressful here, mostly because the majority of vehicles are cars. Also Asians might not be the most competent drivers, but they seem to me way more relaxed than Brazilians. I avoid driving after dark and on weekends, those are the worst hours.
