Is deregistration still free?

Dropping the plate in the collection boxes in Brussels is free. Postage remains at your expense. bpost, which used to deregister plates, no longer does so since 1 August 2025.

Can I keep my plate for my next car?

Yes, if the new vehicle is in the same category. You have four months to re-register it with the same plate: in that case, do not deregister.

How do I prove my plate is deregistered?

There is no longer a paper certificate. Go to

When should I cancel my motor insurance?

Only once you have the proof of deregistration. We handle it: suspension, cancellation or transfer to the new vehicle. Never cancel before that.

My plate was stolen: do I have to deregister it?

No. The police report cancels the plate automatically and immediately. Nothing to send to the DIV; simply check the status on My vehicle, my plate.

When does deregistration take effect?

On the day of drop-off in Brussels, or the day the DIV receives it by post, not the posting date. To stop the road tax from the following month, send the plate at least five days before the end of the month.

Guide · Vehicle registration

Deregistering a number plate.

The procedure changed on 1^st August 2025: bpost no longer deregisters plates, only the DIV does. And before you deregister, one question decides everything: are you going to buy another vehicle? If so, it is usually better to keep your plate.

Page reviewed on 16 September 2026 Sources: FPS Mobility and Transport (DIV), bpost.

Sources: FPS Mobility and Transport (DIV), bpost.

First of all

Deregister, or keep the plate?

What happens to the vehicle?

Do not deregister

Keep your plate.

You have four months to re-register a vehicle of the same category with the same plate. Deregistering now means losing the plate for good.

Tell us about the change of vehicle: we move the motor liability cover to the new one, with no gap in cover.

The two official channels

Where to hand in the plate

Free
Drop-off in Brussels

FPS Mobility and Transport, rue du Progrès 56, 1210 Brussels. Collection boxes in the hall, or the DIV desk.

Deregistration takes effect the day you drop it off. The hall box is open Monday to Friday, 8.30 to 18.00.
Postage at your expense
By post

Via bpost: DIV, 1212 Brussels. Via another carrier: DIV, Centre de Radiation, rue du Progrès 56, 1210 Brussels.

Plate folded but not cut, securely packed, with sufficient postage. Deregistration takes effect on the date the DIV opens the envelope, not the date you post it.

Proof of deregistration: no certificate is sent automatically. You check it and download it from the portal “My vehicle, my plate”. It is this proof that triggers the suspension or cancellation of your motor liability cover.

Ordinary post or registered post? Ordinary post is cheaper, but leaves no proof of posting. Registered post costs a little more and leaves a record, which matters since deregistration only takes effect when the DIV receives it.

What you need

The papers, and who provides them

Item Detail Who

Official rear plate The one bearing the DIV logo, not the front plate. You
A recent police report Only in case of loss or theft. The police report already cancels the plate: nothing to send to the DIV, you keep the certificate. You
Certificate of destruction If the vehicle is scrapped, issued by the approved centre. Approved centre
Proof of deregistration To be downloaded from the portal
“My vehicle, my plate”.
You
Insurance coordination Suspension, cancellation or transfer of the liability cover after deregistration. Cinassur

The procedure

Five steps, in this order

01 Check whether you should keep the plate If you are buying another vehicle of the same category, do not deregister: you have four months to re-register with the same plate. Deregistration is required if you change category, give the vehicle up for good, have an old-format plate, or when the four months after an erasure notice are running out without reuse.
02 Retrieve the official rear plate Only the rear plate, the one with the DIV logo, is taken back. If it is lost or stolen, the report to your local police is enough: it cancels the plate.
03 Choose the channel Drop-off in Brussels for same-day, free deregistration, or by post to the DIV with postage at your expense.
04 Download the proof of deregistration No certificate is sent. Check
“My vehicle, my plate” to confirm the deregistration and download the proof.
05 Sort out the insurance with us With the proof in hand, we suspend or cancel your motor liability cover, or move it to the new vehicle. Never cancel before you have the proof.

On the ground

Four common pitfalls

Deregistering when you are buying again

A deregistered plate is lost. If a new vehicle is coming, keep it. This is mistake number one.
Thinking bpost still deregisters

That ended on 1 August 2025. Only the DIV deregisters now.
Cancelling the insurance too early

Wait for the proof of deregistration before touching the insurance, otherwise you risk a gap in cover or a dispute.
Sending the wrong plate

It is the official rear plate, with the DIV logo, and it must not be cut.

Key figures

The deadlines to know

4 months

to reuse the same plate on a vehicle of the same category, provided you do not deregister it: a deregistered plate is lost for good. After a sale, they run from the date on the erasure notice.
Day of drop-off

the deregistration date if you drop it off in Brussels. By post, it is the day the DIV opens the envelope.

After a sale

The erasure notice: four months to decide

When the buyer registers the vehicle in their name, the DIV sends you an erasure notice. From the erasure date shown on it, you have four months to deregister the plate or register another vehicle under that number, if it is in the European format. An old-format plate must be deregistered. Without action, the DIV cancels it automatically. And above all: never leave the plate on a sold vehicle. DIV: erasure notice.

Road tax: by post, deregistration dates from receipt by the DIV. Send the plate at least five days before the end of the month to stop the tax from the 1st of the following month.

Special cases

Deregister or keep, depending on your situation

SituationWhat we do

Selling, then buying again soonWhat we do · We do not deregister: the plate is reused within four months for a vehicle of the same category.
Selling without buying againWhat we do · Deregistration, then proof on My vehicle, my plate. Then we cancel or suspend the motor liability cover.
ExportWhat we do · The Belgian plate is deregistered; a temporary export plate (X plate, valid 30 days) may be needed. Not every insurer covers that period: talk to us first.
ScrappingWhat we do · Approved centre, certificate of destruction, then deregistration.
Total loss after a claimWhat we do · Standard deregistration once the vehicle is unfit for the road, unless you reuse the plate for a new vehicle.
Death of the keeperWhat we do · The plate can be transferred within four months to the surviving spouse or legal cohabitant, a child or a first-degree direct relative. Otherwise: sale and deregistration. Transferring a plate.
End of business, company vehicle not taken overWhat we do · Deregistration, then closing the contract.
Plate lost or stolenWhat we do · Nothing to send: the police have already cancelled the plate. Lost or stolen plate guide.

Frequently asked questions

Your questions about deregistration

Is deregistration still free?

Dropping the plate in the collection boxes in Brussels is free. Postage remains at your expense. bpost, which used to deregister plates, no longer does so since 1 August 2025.
Can I keep my plate for my next car?

Yes, if the new vehicle is in the same category. You have four months to re-register it with the same plate: in that case, do not deregister.
How do I prove my plate is deregistered?

There is no longer a paper certificate. Go to
“My vehicle, my plate” to check the status and download the proof.
When should I cancel my motor insurance?

Only once you have the proof of deregistration. We handle it: suspension, cancellation or transfer to the new vehicle. Never cancel before that.
I have received an erasure notice: what should I do?

You have four months from the erasure date on the notice to deregister the plate or register another vehicle under that number (European format only). Without action, the DIV cancels it automatically.
My plate was stolen: do I have to deregister it?

No. The police report cancels the plate automatically and immediately. Nothing to send to the DIV; simply check the status on My vehicle, my plate.
When does deregistration take effect?

On the day of drop-off in Brussels, or the day the DIV receives it by post, not the posting date. To stop the road tax from the following month, send the plate at least five days before the end of the month.

Check for yourself

Official sources (in French)

DIV: deregistering a plate · erasure notice · keeping your plate · 1 August 2025 announcement · My vehicle, my plate

The insurance is our job

Do not cancel your motor liability cover too early.

With the proof of deregistration in hand, we suspend, cancel or move the cover to your new vehicle. You are never left uninsured.

Send us the proof → +32 83 23 17 23