Removal of vehicle from the register

Basis of the vehicle removal from register

The Estonian Transport Administration shall remove a vehicle from register:

• If a power-driven vehicle or its trailer is taken out of Estonia in connection with the owner of the vehicle settling in another state or the transfer of the vehicle to another state;
• based on a valid certificate of destruction in the case of:
  • three-wheeled motorcycles or light four-wheeled vehicles;
  • automobiles (vehicle belonging to category M1);
  • trucks with a maximum mass not exceeding 3,500 kilograms (vehicle belonging to category N1);
• when the term for the temporarily registered vehicle expires;
• based on a respective application of the owner in the case of other vehicles or vintage vehicles;
• based on official information from a relevant authority of a Member State of the European Union regarding the registration of the vehicle in the respective Member State;
• based on a request of the Ministry of the Interior upon delivery of a vehicle to a museum or to an internal security training establishment as a training aid;
• based on a certificate of the Environmental Inspectorate, the Police and Border Guard Board or the Rescue Board, if a vehicle required to be scrapped has been destroyed and it cannot be promptly scrapped.

Permanent removal of a vehicle

If at least two years have passed since the last technical inspection of an M1 (M1G) or N1 (N1G) category vehicle, but the temporary removal of the vehicle has expired and the vehicle no longer exists (the user wants to remove it as a lost vehicle), i.e. it is not possible to carry out a temporary removal through verification, such vehicles can be removed from 1 January 2027 with a state fee of 800 euros. From 1 January 2027, a state fee of 800 euros must also be paid for the removal of a suspended (lost, destroyed) vehicle. Vehicles with suspended registration and vehicles that have been temporarily removed and for which at least two years have passed since the last technical inspection can be removed until 31 December 2026 for a state fee of 15 euros.

From 1 January 2027, vehicles with suspended registration will also become subject to motor vehicle tax.

The Transport Administration will permanently remove a vehicle, regardless of the category, if:

• seven years have passed since the death of the owner of the vehicle;
• the legal entity which owns the vehicle has been removed from the commercial register for at least one year.

In order to remove an automobile or a truck with a maximum mass of up to 3,500 kg, it is necessary to submit a valid certificate of destruction. As a rule, vehicles intended for scrapping are accepted by waste treatment facilities that have concluded relevant agreements with the Transport Administration. Therefore, it is sufficient for the vehicle owner to hand over the vehicle to the waste handler, who will submit an application for removal of the vehicle together with a certificate of destruction.

A certificate of destruction does not need to be submitted for the removal of a vehicle that was scrapped or destroyed before 1 May 2004.

Export of vehicle

A vehicle is removed from traffic register if it is taken abroad from Estonia. A vehicle may be taken out of the state in connection with the owner of the vehicle settling in another state or the transfer of the vehicle to another state.

If the vehicle is removed in connection with the owner of the vehicle settling in another state or the transfer of the vehicle to another state, the registration plate should be returned to the Estonian Transport Administration service bureau. An entry of removal of vehicle from the register will be made on the registration certificate or its part A and given to the owner of the vehicle. The given registration certificate is the basis for registering the vehicle in a foreign country. In case the registration certificate comprises of two parts, the Road Administration service bureau will keep part B.

A transit plate with a validity of up to 30 days shall be issued for the vehicle on the basis of an application of the owner. A state fee must be paid for the issue of a transit plate.

Some Member States require a certificate of conformity (EC-Certificate of Conformity i.e. CoC) for registering a vehicle. The owner of the vehicle may apply for the release of original documents of the vehicle at any Estonian Transport Administration service bureau.

In case the vehicle is exported and registered in another EU Member State and that Member State notifies the registration of the vehicle and the vehicle has not been removed from the register upon taking it out of the country, the Estonian Transport Administration shall remove the vehicle from the register on the basis of received information.

Temporary removal of vehicle

If the owner decides that they do not wish to use the vehicle for a certain period of time, they are not required to fulfil the obligations associated with a vehicle registered in the traffic register (e.g. third-party liability insurance, heavy goods vehicle tax). In this case, the vehicle can be temporarily removed from the traffic register.

If a vehicle has been involved in an accident and is not in use or has been handed over to the insurance company, it is advisable to temporarily remove the vehicle from the register in order to avoid motor vehicle tax in the new taxation period and other obligations (such as mandatory insurance).

The vehicle will be removed from the register at the request of the vehicle owner or their representative. The period of temporary removal from the register is one month to 24 months. Upon expiry of the period of temporary removal specified in the application, the vehicle will be deemed to be registered.

A vehicle is temporarily removed from the traffic register automatically if:

• the previous owner notifies of the transfer of ownership of the vehicle (a document certifying the transfer of the vehicle is required) and the transferee has not submitted an application for changing the registry data within five working days; the vehicle will be considered re-registered after the change of ownership has been formalised;
• the vehicle has been declared wanted. The vehicle will be considered re-registered once it is no longer wanted.

The Transport Administration will temporarily remove a vehicle, regardless of the category, if:

at least one year has passed since the death of the owner of the vehicle;

the legal entity which owns the vehicle has been removed from the commercial register for at least one month.

Vehicles can be temporarily removed in the e-service of the Transport Administration.

Based on the application of the owner, the following can be temporarily removed from the register:

• a vehicle of historical value that is not recognised as a vintage vehicle, for 1–60 months;
• a vintage vehicle for 1–144 months, but not longer than until the end of the period of recognition as a vintage vehicle.

If the owner of a motor vehicle wishes to temporarily remove a vehicle that does not have a valid technical inspection certificate and has not undergone a regular technical inspection in the last two years, the existence of the vehicle must be verified via the e-services information system of the Transport Administration or at a bureau of the Transport Administration.

The verification is valid for 24 months, for vehicles of historical value that are not recognised as vintage vehicles for 60 months, and for vintage vehicles until the end of the recognition period.

Upon verification, the vehicle must be identifiable as the vehicle registered in the register.

A state fee of 15 euros must be paid for the temporary removal of a vehicle.

Replacement of suspended registration with temporary removal

The owner or responsible user of a motor vehicle or its trailer may request that the suspension of the registration of the vehicle be replaced by temporary removal of the vehicle.

When replacing a suspended registration with temporary removal, the existence of the motor vehicle or its trailer must be verified via the e-services information system of the Transport Administration or at a bureau of the Transport Administration.

A state fee of 15 euros must be paid for reviewing an application submitted for the temporary removal of a motor vehicle or its trailer in lieu of suspension of the registration of the motor vehicle or its trailer.

Vehicles with suspended registration and vehicles that have been temporarily removed and do not have a valid technical inspection certificate and have not undergone a regular technical inspection in the last two years (categories M1(G) and N1(G)) can be quickly and conveniently removed via the e-service of the Transport Administration if:

• the vehicle has been sold, but the sales contract has not been retained;
• the vehicle has been destroyed/dismantled or it cannot be properly dismantled;
• the vehicle can also be deleted by the person to whom it was transferred in the traffic register.

Until 31 December 2026, a state fee of 15 euros will be charged for removal from the register.

From 1 January 2027, a state fee of 800 euros will be charged for removal from the register.