What is the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT)?

What is the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT)?

The DMT (Department of Motor Traffic) is the Sri Lankan government department responsible for vehicle registration, license plates and motor-vehicle records. It was formerly known as the Registrar of Motor Vehicles (RMV) and many older documents still use that name interchangeably.

For a Japanese car imported via Car Dreams, DMT is the final regulatory stop before the car hits the road:

1. Customs clearance at Colombo or Hambantota Port
2. DMT registration — vehicle inspection, chassis-number verification, issue of registration certificate (CR), assignment of license plate
3. Local insurance — purchased at registration time
4. Delivery to your city

Major DMT offices

• Werahera — primary registration office for the Greater Colombo region
• Battaramulla — handles parliamentary-area and Kotte registrations
• Welisara — covers Wattala, Ja-Ela, Negombo and Western Province North
• Kandy — Central Province
• Galle — Southern Province (Galle, Hikkaduwa, Unawatuna)
• Matara — Southern Province (Matara, Mirissa, Tangalle)
• Kurunegala, Ratnapura, Anuradhapura, Jaffna, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Badulla — provincial DMT offices

Typical registration time

For a fresh import with all paperwork in order, DMT registration takes 2–5 business days. We coordinate the registration on your behalf so the car is plated and ready for delivery on the day you take possession.

Registration cost

Registration fees and insurance are included in the standard ~LKR 145,000 business-cost line on every Car Dreams landed-price breakdown. See pricing.md for the full cost-line itemisation.