English

Transport business licences

Reporting of changes in freight vehicle replacement/substitution and reporting of transfer/acquisition of transport business

Truck replacement (daepyecha), in which a commercial truck is replaced with a new vehicle, must be completed within 15 days from the date the report of vehicle retirement is accepted. The period is extended up to 6 months only where there is an unavoidable reason set by public notice, such as a delay in delivery of a new vehicle. The order is acceptance of the report by the association, registration at the vehicle registration office, and notification of the result to the association. If you take the steps in the wrong order, you will go back and forth between several agencies and there will be a gap in operation, so check the vehicle type and tonnage requirements and the garage first.

Written by Hwang Yunsang, Administrative Agent · Published 2026-09-26 · Updated 2026-10-30

Procedure

Procedure type
  • Notification Difficulty Low

    You submit the statutory report form and required documents. Once the documents are in order the report is accepted; for some reports the authority checks the contents before accepting it.

We will prepare the scrap vehicle change notification and transportation business transfer/transfer report documents for vehicle replacement. We distinguish between vehicle sales and transportation business relocation.

Scope & fee
Bus replacement (vehicle substitution)
We will review the permit, vehicle, and garage data provided for 1 commercial truck and prepare the scrap vehicle change report and completion notification documents. Actual vehicle replacement, cancellation, registration and transportation business transfer are separate. 1 office visit is included.
Business transfer
We will review the contract, qualification, garage, and driver data for 1 cargo transportation business transfer and transfer and prepare a transfer and transfer report document. Negotiation of business price, vehicle scrapping, and sales transfer registration are separate. 1 office visit is included.

  1. 1. Check the requirements for the replacement vehicle

    The tonnage class allowed for the replacement vehicle is determined, for an individual trucking transport business operator, by the brackets of small (1.5 tons or less), medium (more than 1.5 tons and up to 16 tons) and large (more than 16 tons), and, for a general trucking transport business operator, by the maximum payload of the retired vehicle (with 10 tons as the threshold). Check the allowed range with the association before buying the replacement vehicle. A special motor vehicle can be replaced with a special motor vehicle of the same type regardless of an increase or decrease in gross weight. For a structurally modified vehicle, the payload before the modification is used as the basis. If you have carried out a replacement that increases the maximum payload, you cannot carry out another payload-increasing replacement within 16 months (12 months for a certified excellent logistics company) from the date the report was accepted. A replacement in which the new vehicle is 5 tons or less is not treated as a payload-increasing replacement.

  2. 2. Report to the association and notice of acceptance

    File the truck replacement report with the competent freight trucking association and receive the notice of acceptance. If the vehicle type, tonnage or model year requirements of the retired and replacement vehicles are not met, issuance of the notice is delayed, so compare the vehicle documents in advance.

  3. 3. Registration at the vehicle registration office

    Take the notice of acceptance and proceed with deregistration of the existing vehicle and registration of the replacement vehicle. The replacement must be completed within 15 days from the date the report of vehicle retirement is accepted, and the period is extended up to 6 months only where there is an unavoidable reason set by public notice, such as a delay in delivery of a new vehicle.

  4. 4. Notify the association of the result

    The procedure ends only when you notify the association of the result after completing registration. If this step is skipped, the permit details and the actual vehicle remain mismatched.

  5. 5. Check business transfer and the garage separately

    A transfer (assignment and acquisition) of the transport business itself is reported to the competent authority, with documents for checking grounds for disqualification, the garage installation confirmation certificate and the freight transport worker qualification certificate attached. In principle the garage must be owned by the operator, but it is also recognized where a general trucking transport business operator has leased another person's land on a long-term basis for 1 year or longer, or where an individual trucking transport business operator has a contract for exclusive use of a parking lot or garage facility not owned by the operator for 6 months or longer. Its area must be at least the vehicle length multiplied by the vehicle width.

Required documents

  • Report on change of trucking transport business permit details (attached Form No. 8), motor vehicle registration records of the retired and replacement vehicles (issued within 7 days) and copies of their motor vehicle registration certificates (for a new vehicle, the vehicle manufacturing certificate)
  • Notice of acceptance from the association (registration stage)
  • Transport business permit certificate
  • Garage installation confirmation certificate (attached Form No. 2; for a leased garage, attach the lease agreement: long-term lease of 1 year or longer for a general trucking transport business operator, contract for exclusive use of 6 months or longer for an individual trucking transport business operator)
  • When using the parking lot of multi-family housing: letter of consent to use in the name of the head of the management office or the council of occupants' representatives
  • For a business transfer: transfer agreement, documents for checking grounds for disqualification, freight transport worker qualification certificate

Fees

Administrative service fee
  • Bus replacement (vehicle substitution) from KRW 500,000
  • Business transfer from KRW 500,000
All administrative service fees exclude 10% VAT.

Under attached Table 7 of the Enforcement Rule of the Trucking Transport Business Act, the fee for a transfer report is 3,000 won per case and the fee for reissuing a permit certificate is 2,000 won per case; the fee for a truck replacement change report is the amount set by the entrusted association (capped at 30,000 won for 1 case, plus 10,000 won for each 1 additional vehicle, under attached Table 8 of the Enforcement Rule). The fee for garage installation confirmation is the amount set by the head of the gu office, and public charges such as acquisition tax are paid separately when the vehicle is registered. Our office fee starts from the amount shown above and may vary depending on whether a business transfer is involved and the scope of garage document preparation; we will give you an exact quote after reviewing your documents.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

  • Trucking Transport Business Act, Article 16
  • Enforcement Rule of the Trucking Transport Business Act, Article 23
  • Enforcement Rule of the Trucking Transport Business Act, Article 52-3
  • Enforcement Rule of the Trucking Transport Business Act, attached Table 1
  • Enforcement Decree of the Trucking Transport Business Act, Article 12
  • Regulations on the Handling of Truck Replacement Affairs, Article 11
  • Regulations on the Handling of Truck Replacement Affairs, Article 8
  • Trucking Transport Business Act, Article 57
  • Trucking Transport Business Act, Article 70
  • Enforcement Decree of the Trucking Transport Business Act, Article 3
  • Enforcement Decree of the Trucking Transport Business Act, Article 13
  • Enforcement Decree of the Trucking Transport Business Act, Article 14
  • Enforcement Decree of the Trucking Transport Business Act, Article 15
  • Enforcement Decree of the Trucking Transport Business Act, attached Table 5
  • Enforcement Rule of the Trucking Transport Business Act, Article 5
  • Enforcement Rule of the Trucking Transport Business Act, Article 10
  • Enforcement Rule of the Trucking Transport Business Act, Article 52-2
  • Enforcement Rule of the Trucking Transport Business Act, Article 58
  • Enforcement Rule of the Trucking Transport Business Act, attached Table 7
  • Enforcement Rule of the Trucking Transport Business Act, attached Table 8
  • Regulations on the Handling of Truck Replacement Affairs, Article 4
  • Regulations on the Handling of Truck Replacement Affairs, Article 6
  • Regulations on the Handling of Truck Replacement Affairs, Article 7
  • Regulations on the Handling of Truck Replacement Affairs, Article 9
  • Regulations on the Handling of Truck Replacement Affairs, Article 10
  • Regulations on the Handling of Truck Replacement Affairs, Article 12
  • Public Notice on Designation of Entrusted Agencies for Trucking Transport Business Change Reports
  • Incheon Metropolitan City Rules on Delegation of Affairs, attached Table 1
  • Incheon Metropolitan City Ordinance on Exemption from the Obligation to Install Truck Garages, Article 2

Checked against the statutes on

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

  • Complete the replacement within 15 days from the date the report of vehicle retirement is accepted (6 months if there is an unavoidable reason).
  • Check the vehicle type, tonnage class and model year requirements before buying the replacement vehicle so that no gap in operation arises.

Frequently asked questions

What is the deadline for replacing a commercial truck?
The replacement must be completed within 15 days from the date the report of vehicle retirement is accepted, and the period is extended up to 6 months only where there is an unavoidable reason set by public notice, such as a delay in delivery of a new vehicle. If the deadline is missed, the association notifies the competent authority, so it may become difficult to keep the permitted number of vehicles.
Can the tonnage be increased when replacing a truck?
Yes, subject to conditions. An individual trucking transport business operator replaces the vehicle based on the brackets of small (1.5 tons or less), medium (more than 1.5 tons and up to 16 tons) and large (more than 16 tons); a medium vehicle can be increased up to 10 tons without restriction, and a vehicle over 10 tons can be increased up to the payload of the retired vehicle plus 50%, so it can also move into the large bracket. For a general trucking transport business operator, if the retired vehicle is 10 tons or less, the replacement vehicle must in principle also be 10 tons or less; if the payload of the retired vehicle plus 50% exceeds 10 tons, up to that range is allowed, and a vehicle over 10 tons is allowed up to the payload plus 50%. For both individual medium vehicles and general operators, the payload can be increased up to 13.5 tons if 1 of the following is met, or up to 16 tons if 2 or more are met: an emission reduction device is fitted, a closed cargo box, a vehicle age within 3 years, and no disposition history in the last 5 years. A special motor vehicle can be replaced with a special motor vehicle of the same type regardless of an increase or decrease in gross weight. If you have carried out a replacement that increases the maximum payload, you cannot carry out another payload-increasing replacement within 16 months (12 months for a certified excellent logistics company) from the date the report was accepted, and a replacement in which the new vehicle is 5 tons or less is not treated as a payload-increasing replacement.
In what order is truck replacement carried out?
Report to the association and receive the notice of acceptance, carry out deregistration and registration at the vehicle registration office, and then notify the association of the result. If you try to register first, the process does not go forward because there is no notice of acceptance.
Who needs a garage certificate for a truck?
A private-use truck with a maximum payload of 2.5 tons or more is subject to the garage certificate obligation. For commercial use, 1 truck of 1.5 tons or less may be exempted under local ordinance, so check the standards of the competent local government.
Can an apartment parking lot be used as a truck garage?
Yes, subject to conditions. In principle the garage must be owned by the operator; to be recognized as a garage, an individual trucking transport business operator needs a contract for exclusive use of a parking lot not owned by the operator for 6 months or longer, and a general trucking transport business operator needs a contract for a long-term lease of another person's land for 1 year or longer. For an apartment parking lot, you prepare a use contract or consent document stating that a specific parking space is used exclusively and apply for garage installation confirmation to the gu office where the garage is located, and the gu office issues the confirmation certificate within 10 days from the date of application.

Other guides in this area

Contact us

Hwang Yunsang Administrative Office in Songdo, Incheon prepares and submits administrative documents and explains the procedure. If your situation is similar, send us a message.

📞 Call 010-3374-2687 KakaoTalk Book a free 1-hour consultation WhatsApp ✍️ Request a consultation for this service
See the related service Fees and official charges

📍 2697, 26F POSCO Tower-Songdo, 165 Convensia-daero, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, Republic of Korea · 📞 010-3374-2687 · 🌐 hwangadmin.com

This guide is general information based on public sources. Requirements, documents and deadlines differ by case and by the competent agency, so please confirm them before you proceed.