Applying for a vehicle to be taken out of service

If you wish to deregister your vehicle, you must have it taken out of service at the relevant vehicle registration authority.

If you want to deregister your vehicle, you must apply for it to be taken out of service. This applies to

• registered vehicles
• vehicles without registration
• trailers

The vehicle must have been assigned a license plate number beforehand.

Once you have deregistered the vehicle, you may no longer drive it on the road or park it in public areas.

You or your representative can submit the application to the responsible registration authority.

Once you have deregistered the vehicle, you no longer have to pay insurance or taxes. The registration authority will inform your vehicle insurance company and the customs administration that the vehicle has been deregistered.

Vehicles that have a license plate number and are taken out of service do not automatically retain their license plate number. The license plate is then released again by the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) and can be assigned to another owner or vehicle.

If you want to use the license plates again, you should have them reserved.

Please contact your local licensing authority.

You can take your vehicle out of service

• if you intend to sell it,
• if you are temporarily not using it or
• if you have it scrapped.

Processing is usually immediate.

for deregistration of the vehicle on site at the responsible registration authority: Administrative fine 16,80 EUR

for deregistration of the vehicle via an i-KFZ portal: Administrative fine 2,70 EUR

If you have the vehicle taken out of service, the insurance contract does not end automatically. Rather, it is transferred to a non-contributory dormancy insurance for the following 18 months, during which you continue to have insurance cover for motor vehicle liability and partial casco, if you have taken this out. However, you may not use the vehicle on public roads during this phase.

If the vehicle is re-registered within the 18 months, the insurance cover applies again without restriction. For re-registration, you must apply for an insurance confirmation from the insurance company. If the vehicle is not re-registered within the 18 months, the insurance contract expires automatically at the end of the 18 months without you having to cancel it.

Anyone disposing of a vehicle must only hand it over to a recognized collection point, a recognized take-back point or a recognized dismantling facility. The last holder will receive a certificate of destruction for submission to a registration authority.

Vehicle manufacturers are obliged to take back all end-of-life vehicles of their brand from the last holder. To this end, they create take-back facilities either individually or jointly, either themselves or by commissioning recognized take-back points or recognized dismantling facilities. Operators of dismantling facilities may only hand over body shells to a recognized shredder facility.

Operators of collection points and take-back facilities, in turn, are obliged to hand over end-of-life vehicles only to a recognized dismantling facility.