Pledge Register in Montenegro 2026: how to check before buying whether a car, boat or machine is pledged or on lease

The Pledge Register is a public record of pledges on movable items such as cars, trailers, caravans, boats and aircraft, and also of leases, tax pledges and court pledges. It is kept by the Commercial Court of Montenegro, and on its portal you search free of charge by serial number, the pledgor's name or the registration number of the filing. The rule is strict: whoever buys a pledged item acquires it together with the pledge, so the creditor can still recover the debt from the vehicle in the new owner's hands. A buyer of an item with a serial number takes it free of the pledge only if they did not know about the pledge and the serial number was not entered in the pledge filing. An official extract from the Register costs 10 euros, and leases of movable items are entered in the Register within three working days of signing the contract.

This guide explains what is entered in the Pledge Register, how to search it, what a pledge means for a buyer, when a pledge ends, what the Register's services cost and what to ask the seller for before paying.

What is entered in the Pledge Register?

• The Register records contractual pledges on movable items and rights, pledges arising from a decision of a court or a public bailiff and tax pledges set by the tax authority.
• Items with a serial number are motor vehicles, trailers, caravans, aircraft, boats and outboard engines.
• A pledge on an item with a serial number is valid against third parties only if the filing contains a description of the item and its serial number.
• By law a lease counts as a purchase-money pledge, and the lessor enters details of a lease of a movable item in the Register within three working days of signing the contract.
• The Register's records are public.

How do you search the Pledge Register?

• On the Commercial Court's Pledge Register portal you choose to search by registration number, by persons or by serial number.
• For a car or a boat the safest search is by serial number, that is the chassis or hull number, because a pledge on that item is registered with exactly that number.
• A search by persons shows whether a pledge is registered in the seller's name, which also helps for items without a serial number.
• When there is no entry, the portal shows the message "Nema rezultata" (no results).
• If you need an official document, the Register issues a report, extract or certificate for a fee of 10 euros.

What does a pledge mean for a buyer?

• Whoever buys a pledged item acquires it encumbered with the pledge, except in the cases the law provides for.
• A buyer of an item with a serial number takes it free of the pledge only if they did not know about the pledge and the item was not properly identified by serial number in the filing.
• The item also passes free of the pledge when all pledgees agree to the sale in writing.
• Buying from a dealer's regular stock, for example a new vehicle from a showroom, transfers ownership free of a pledge the dealer gave over its stock, if the buyer acts in good faith and is not connected with the dealer.
• So check the Register before you pay, not afterwards, because not knowing about a pledge registered with the serial number does not protect the buyer.

When does a pledge end?

• A pledge registration is valid for three years from registration, and the creditor can ask for an extension in the last three months before it expires.
• A pledge ends when the debt is paid, when the pledgor and the pledgee agree to end it or when a third party acquires the item free of it under the law.
• Once the debt is paid, the creditor files a notice of termination with the Register within one month, and if it fails to do so it is liable to the pledgor for the damage.
• For an item that was leased, also ask for the lessor's proof that the buyout has been completed.

What do the Pledge Register's services cost?

• An individual files a pledge with a certified signature, and a filing can also be made electronically.

What should you ask the seller for before paying?

• Compare the serial number in the vehicle registration or boat licence with the number on the vehicle or boat itself, then check it in the Register.
• If the Register shows a pledge, ask the seller to pay off the debt before the sale and have the creditor register the end of the pledge, or obtain the creditor's written consent to the sale.
• If the vehicle was leased, ask for the lessor's proof that the buyout has been paid and the lease entry deleted.
• Agree to pay when the contract is signed, not in advance on the strength of photos or promises.

Prices and checks for vehicles are explained in our guide to buying a used car, and the contract and transfer of ownership in our guide to selling a car. Registering a boat is covered in our guide to buying a used boat, who owns a leased vehicle in our guide to leasing, and protection from fraudsters in our guide to online ad scams.

Frequently asked questions

How can I check whether a car is pledged? Search the Commercial Court's Pledge Register portal by serial number, that is the chassis number, and if needed by the seller's name.

Is searching the Pledge Register free? Searching on the portal is free, while an official report, extract or certificate from the Register costs 10 euros.

What if I buy a car that is pledged? As a rule you acquire the vehicle together with the pledge, so the creditor can still recover the debt from the vehicle in your hands.

When does a buyer acquire a vehicle free of the pledge? When they did not know about the pledge and the vehicle's serial number was not entered in the filing, or when all creditors agree to the sale in writing.

How long is a pledge registration valid? Three years from registration, and it can be extended in the last three months before it expires.

Does a lease show up in the Pledge Register? Yes, the lessor enters a lease of a movable item in the Register within three working days of signing the contract.

Sources

Registration, the effect of a pledge on a buyer, its duration and termination are governed by the Act on Pledges as Security for Claims (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 38/2002, Articles 2, 3, 9, 13 and 17 to 19), and the Register's work and electronic filings by the Instruction on the Work of the Pledge Register (Official Gazette 22/2015) with its 2024 amendments (Official Gazette 27/2024). Searches and fees are published on the Pledge Register portal of the Commercial Court of Montenegro, and the deadline for registering leases is set by the Financial Leasing Act (Official Gazette 73/2017 and 44/2020, Articles 41 and 42). The information was checked on 28 September 2026. Fijaka is a classifieds platform; this text is not legal advice.