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24 October 2026 · Updated at 07:47 GMT FR EN ES Member area Log in
Certification

Private sales

The rules specific to private-treaty sales: named approval, confidentiality, transfer of ownership and reporting obligations.

Updated : October 28, 2026· 3 min read

Discretion and security

The Auction House: The Town Crier, Honoré Daumier (1864, printed 1920)
The Auction House: The Town Crier, Honoré Daumier (1864, printed 1920)

A private sale has no catalogue or public auction, but it rests on the same risks: stolen work, seller without rights, doubtful provenance. Sales approval therefore applies here too, with the adaptations needed for confidentiality.

In a private sale, the seller, buyer or intermediary (gallery, dealer, adviser) may submit the file. Approval is named: it mentions the work, the seller and, where applicable, the designated buyer.

The file remains confidential: no publication, no catalogue mention. Only the approval number is sent to the parties.

  • Private treaty
  • Confidentiality
  • Named approval

Private sales in figures

21%of approvals in 2024
5 daysturnaround
€540indicative price excl. VAT
90 daysvalidity

From agreement to handover

  1. Agreement in principle

    Seller and buyer agree on the work and the price.

  2. Submission of the file

    The seller or intermediary requests approval.

  3. Check

    Same four checks as for a public sale.

  4. Named approval

    Document given to the parties, valid for 90 days.

  5. Transfer

    Declaration of the transfer of ownership in the Registry.

How it differs from a public sale

Comparison
PointPublic salePrivate sale
PublicityPublic catalogueNone
OIMAP mentionIn the catalogueNot applicable
ApprovalPer lotNamed
FileMay be consulted by the partiesStrictly confidential
TransferAfter adjudicationOn handover of the work
Self-Portrait, John I Smart (1802)
Self-Portrait, John I Smart (1802)
Seal of Doge Michele Steno (reverse) (1400–1409)
Seal of Doge Michele Steno (reverse) (1400–1409)
Portrait of a Man, Italian Painter
Portrait of a Man, Italian Painter

Confidentiality guaranteed

Direct seller or intermediary

Panel (c. 1780–1840)

Direct seller

The owner submits the file
  • Title of ownership to attach
  • Direct contact with OIMAP
  • Seller's liability

For a sale between individuals.

Portrait of Georges Arnold Fitzwilliam, Charles Balthazar Julien Fevret de Saint-Mémin (c. 1790–1852)

Intermediary

Gallery, dealer, adviser
  • Written mandate from the seller
  • Shared liability
  • File in the owner's name

For a sale through a professional.

Who requests approval of a private sale (2024)

Galleries and dealers46%
Owners31%
Art advisers15%
Others8%

Source: Certification Department (indicative).

Case study: a transaction between collectors

A €120,000 sculpture

Situation

Two collectors agree on the sale of a marble sculpture.

Actions
  1. The seller submits the file with their title of ownership.
  2. The check reveals an up-to-date provenance certificate.
  3. Named approval is issued in four days.
Outcome

The sale is concluded; the transfer is declared in the Registry on handover of the work.

Timeline of a private sale

  1. Agreement in principle

    Agreement between the parties.

  2. Submission

    File and payment.

  3. Approval

    Named document.

  4. Handover

    The work changes hands.

  5. Declaration

    Transfer entered in the Registry.

Obligations after the sale

The transfer of ownership must be declared in the Registry within thirty days of the handover of the work. Failing that, the former owner's title of ownership remains registered and the buyer cannot rely on enforceability.

If the sale is accompanied by an export licence, it must be requested before transport. Sale and movement are two distinct steps, which OIMAP handles through two acts.

An Old Clothes Shop, Seven Dials, John Thomson (1877)
An Old Clothes Shop, Seven Dials, John Thomson (1877)
Portrait Head of a Noble or Official (175–200 CE)
Portrait Head of a Noble or Official (175–200 CE)
Sweet Melancholy, Joseph-Marie Vien (1756)
Sweet Melancholy, Joseph-Marie Vien (1756)

A principle of loyalty

Portrait of Sandford Peacocke, William Wood (1801)
« Discretion does not mean opacity: a private sale must be capable of being justified if someone challenges it. »
Certification Department, OIMAP

Vocabulary of private sales

Private treaty
Sale concluded directly between the parties, without auction.
Named approval
Approval that names the seller and the work.
Mandate
Authority given by the owner to an intermediary.
Handover
Delivery of the work to the buyer.

Frequently asked questions

Does the price appear in the file?

No, it is not requested.

Must the buyer be identified?

The buyer is identified at the transfer, not necessarily at approval.

Is approval transferable?

No, it is valid for the named work and seller.

And if the sale does not go through?

Approval expires after 90 days, without formality.

Contacts

The Pyramid of Cestius, Rome, Michiel van Overbeek (c. 1650–80)
The Pyramid of Cestius, Rome, Michiel van Overbeek (c. 1650–80)
Certification DepartmentParis — Headquarters+33 1 00 00 00 00certification@oimap.exampleMonday to Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Request an approval

The Four Seasons, Kano Tan’yū (1668)

Open a case for a private sale.

Submit a case
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