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.

A vehicle in the categories M1(G) or N1(G) with suspended registration can be quickly and easily deleted from the e-service of the Estonian Transport Administration if:

• it has been transferred but there is no purchase contract; or
• it has been destroyed/dismantled and it cannot be dismantled as required.

The vehicle can also be deleted by the person to whom it was transferred in the Traffic Register.

If the registration of a motor vehicle has been suspended for more than seven years by 1 July 2026, the vehicle is considered lost within the meaning of the Road Traffic Act and will be deleted from the register by the Transport Administration on 1 November 2026.

Under the amendment to the Road Traffic Act, which is due to enter into force on 1 October 2025, motor vehicles can be deleted from the register until 31 December 2026 if the vehicle's registration has been suspended or the vehicle has been temporarily removed from the register and at least two years has passed since its last roadworthiness test was valid.

A vehicle with suspended registration can be deleted from the e-service of the Estonian Transport Administration.

From January 2026, amendments to the Road Traffic Act will enter into force which enable the Transport Administration to automatically delete vehicles from the Traffic Register. Whether a vehicle is temporarily removed or permanently deleted from the register depends on the date of death of the owner or the date of liquidation of the company.

From 1 January 2026, the Estonian Transport Administration will temporarily remove a vehicle from the traffic register if:

• at least one year has passed since the death of the vehicle’s owner; or
• the legal entity which owns the vehicle was deleted from the Commercial Register at least one month previously.

From 1 January 2026, the Estonian Transport Administration will permanently delete a vehicle from the Traffic Register if:

• at least seven years has passed since the death of the vehicle’s owner; or
• the legal entity which owns the vehicle was deleted from the Commercial Register at least one year previously.

The Road Administration asks to keep in mind that a valid certificate of destruction must be presented for the removal of an automobile or a truck with a maximum mass not exceeding 3,500 kg from register. Vehicles that are to be scrapped are generally received by waste management facilities that have a waste permit and have concluded respective contracts with the Road Administration. Thus, the owner of the vehicle is only required to give the vehicle over to the waste handler who will submit an application of removal of vehicle from register and a certificate of destruction.

A certificate of destruction does not need to be submitted for removing from the register a vehicle that has been scrapped or destroyed before 1 May 2004.

Temporary removal of vehicle

If the owner of the vehicle decides that he does not wish to use the vehicle during a specific period, he is not required to fulfil the obligations of registered vehicles (e.g. third party liability insurance, heavy goods vehicle tax). In the event of that it is possible to temporarily remove a vehicle from the traffic register.

The vehicle is temporarily removed from register on the basis of an application of the owner of the vehicle or their representative. The period of the temporary removal can last from one month to 24 months. When the period stated in the application of temporary removal has passed, the vehicle is considered registered.

Vehicle will automatically be temporarily removed from the traffic register if:

The previous owner reports transfer of vehicle (a document proving transfer of ownership is required) and the transferee has not applied for amending register data within five working days. The vehicle will be considered registered once the transferee has formalised transfer of ownership.

The vehicle has been declared wanted. The vehicle is considered registered once it is no longer wanted.

A vehicle can be temporarily deleted through the Estonian Transport Administration’s e-service.

Temporary removal of a vehicle is free.

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.