At present, there are a total of 185,739 vehicles in the traffic register with suspended registration status. Of these, 140,745 may become subject to motor vehicle tax next year if their status is not updated. There are three possible options: restoring the registration, temporarily deleting the vehicle from the register, or permanently deregistering it.
Of the vehicles with suspended registration status, 128,756 belong to categories for which a certificate of destruction is required for free deregistration. To obtain the certificate, the vehicle must be delivered to a waste handler authorised by the Transport Administration, who will automatically remove the vehicle from the register. However, if a vehicle has been lost, destroyed, or illegally dismantled, it is also possible to deregister it without a certificate of destruction, although a state fee must then be paid for the procedure.
Of the vehicles with suspended registration status, 128,756 belong to categories for which a certificate of destruction is required for free deregistration. However, if a vehicle has been lost, destroyed, or illegally dismantled, it is also possible to deregister it without a certificate of destruction, although a state fee must then be paid for the procedure.
The state fee for deregistering a lost or destroyed vehicle without a certificate of destruction will increase significantly next year. While the procedure could still be completed free of charge last year, the current state fee is 15 euros. From 2027 onwards, the fee will increase to 800 euros, which is why vehicle owners are advised to act in a timely manner. The purpose of increasing the state fee is to reduce the illegal dismantling of vehicles and direct them to official treatment facilities.
“We recommend that people review and, if necessary, update their registration data. In many cases, a vehicle may not have been in use for years, yet it still remains registered in the owner’s name. We therefore ask people to review their information in the Transport Administration’s e-service portal and also encourage their relatives to check whether their data has already been updated,” explained Märten Surva, Head of the Vehicle Registration Department at the Transport Administration.
Since the beginning of 2026, a total of 4,593 vehicles have already been deregistered with the 15-euro state fee. In addition, 890 vehicles have been temporarily removed from the register through the Transport Administration’s e-service portal on the basis of supporting documentation.
“Only properly updated data can ensure that people will not face financial obligations next year that could have been avoided by acting in time,” Surva added.
Large-Scale Automatic Vehicle Deregistration
Starting from 1 July, the Transport Administration will identify vehicles and trailers whose registration status has been suspended for more than seven years by that date. If the registration status of these vehicles and trailers remains suspended as of 31 October this year, the Transport Administration will automatically remove them from the register on 1 November.
“If you own a vehicle whose preservation is important to you, then in order to avoid automatic deletion, you should apply to replace the suspended registration with temporary deletion status. It is also possible to restore the registration if the vehicle passes a technical inspection and a motor insurance contract is concluded,” Surva added.
However, if a vehicle is permanently removed from the register, it can only be registered again after fulfilling all standard registration requirements. For example, the vehicle would need to undergo a pre-registration technical compliance inspection and the registration fee would need to be paid. By acting in a timely manner, it is possible to save various resources.
