Guides
Deregistration and Licence Plates When Selling a Car in Switzerland
The price is agreed, the buyer is at the door – and then comes the question many sellers have not thought about: what happens to the licence plates, when does the car get deregistered, and who is liable if the vehicle collects a parking fine three days later? These points do not change your sale price, but they decide how much trouble follows.
Plates belong to you, not to the car
In Switzerland, licence plates are issued to the keeper, not to the vehicle. They are therefore never simply sold with the car. If you want to keep your number for a future vehicle, you can deposit the plates with the Strassenverkehrsamt (the cantonal road traffic office) for a limited period against a fee – worth considering for a personalised or inherited number. If you no longer need a car, you hand the plates back, which ends both insurance cover and the tax obligation.
Never leave the plates on the car while the buyer drives off without the change of ownership being settled. As long as the number is registered to you, fines, parking charges and police enquiries come to your address.
Three ways to handle the handover
| Option | How it works | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Go to the road traffic office together | You deregister at the counter, the buyer registers the car on their own plates immediately | Cleanest option for a sale within the canton; plan for an appointment and queues |
| Deregister first, buyer collects | You hand back the plates; the buyer picks the car up on a trailer or with dealer/day plates | A deregistered vehicle may not be driven on public roads – not even «just around the corner» |
| Hand over while still registered | The buyer drives away on their own plates, you deregister straight afterwards | Only with a signed contract and the full purchase price paid; deregister the same day |
If you sell to a dealer or for export, collection is usually straightforward: the buyer brings their own plates or transports the vehicle. Agree in advance who handles the deregistration and when the plates go back.
Insurance and road tax
When you deregister, the road traffic office informs your insurer that cover ends. You normally still have to cancel the policy separately, or transfer it to a replacement vehicle. Premiums paid in advance are refunded pro rata, and the cantonal road tax is also settled from the deregistration date. That leads to one simple rule: do not deregister too early (the car then cannot be moved at all), and not a day too late, because every extra day costs tax and premium.
If your car has been deposited over the winter and you only sell in spring, remember that a deregistered vehicle is not available for test drives – which can slow down a private sale considerably.
Vehicle registration document and sales contract
The Fahrzeugausweis (vehicle registration document) belongs to the car and is usually handed in together with the plates when you deregister; the buyer then receives the paperwork needed to register it again. Practice varies slightly from canton to canton, so check with your own Strassenverkehrsamt – in several cantons deregistration can also be done by post or online.
Record the following in the sales contract: date and time of handover, mileage, chassis number, price, method of payment, and the statement that the car is sold as a used vehicle with all warranties excluded. Both parties sign, each keeps a copy. Photograph the car at handover and keep a copy of the registration document plus the buyer's ID. That is your evidence if a claim surfaces later.
Service booklet, second key, radio code, winter wheels and the last MFK report (MFK is the official periodic roadworthiness inspection) belong with the car. Missing items either reduce the price or trigger renegotiation on the driveway.
Common mistakes
- Leaving the plates on the car because «the buyer will return them next week»
- Deregistering before the full purchase price has been received
- Forgetting to cancel the insurance policy and paying premiums for a car you no longer own
- Skipping the written contract because the buyer is an acquaintance
- Driving to the buyer without valid plates – no cover, and a criminal offence
Get your vehicle valued
Autoankauf St. Gallen buys used cars, accident-damaged vehicles, export vehicles, motorhomes, classic cars and motorcycles from private owners in Eastern Switzerland. Describe your vehicle using the form on this website – make, model, year, mileage, MFK status and any known faults. The valuation is free, and questions about deregistration and handover can be clarified directly with us.