How to Deregister a Car in Germany: English Guide to the Abmeldung
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The essentials
Deregistering a car in Germany, called Abmeldung, is the step that officially takes your vehicle off the road: insurance and vehicle tax stop automatically once it is done. You need it when you sell a car privately, scrap it, put it into long storage, or leave the country for good. The process itself is quick, but the official online portal runs in German only: a deregistration needs no German eID, only the security codes, yet the forms and error messages are German. In practice you have three routes: visit the registration office in person, use the official i-Kfz portal yourself, or let a registration service file the paperwork for you in English. Whichever route you choose, you will need the vehicle registration certificate part 1 and both license plates with intact seals. This guide walks through each route, the documents, and the traps that catch most newcomers.
zulassungsautomat.de files the online deregistration for you, with service in English, German, Arabic and Turkish: €19.49 total, official fee included, no appointment and no trip to the office. We check your details before filing, and the confirmation arrives by e-mail. Deregister your car online
When do I have to deregister my car?
The four classic cases: you sold the car privately and do not want to stay liable for it, the car goes to the scrapyard, you want to pause insurance and tax for a vehicle you will not drive for months, or you are leaving Germany permanently. After a private sale you can also leave the re-registration to the buyer, but until the buyer acts, insurance and tax keep running in your name. Deregistering yourself right after the handover is the clean way to cut that risk.
What documents do I need?
Two things, physically in your hands: the Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil 1 (the vehicle registration certificate that lives in the car) and both license plates with their round seal stickers undamaged. For the online route you also need the hidden security codes: one under a scratch field on the certificate, one under each plate seal. Cars whose documents were issued before 2015 do not carry these codes, which means the online route will not work with the old papers.
Can I do it online without speaking German?
The official i-Kfz portals are German only, but a deregistration needs no electronic ID: the portal waives the identification once the security codes of both plate seals and of registration certificate part 1 are entered (§ 24 Abs. 4 FZV), and it takes the keeper data from the central vehicle register. The hurdle for internationals is the German-only forms and error messages, not an eID. Registrations and transfers are different: there the German eID with its PIN and the AusweisApp stay mandatory. The alternatives for a deregistration are going in person, bringing a German-speaking friend, or using a private registration service that operates in English and files through the official channels on your behalf.
i-Kfz error messages and their fixes (German guide)
Source: Section 24(4) FZV, internet-based deregistration (gesetze-im-internet.de, in German)
Further guidance: Official online deregistration guidance, City of Stuttgart (English). Fees and procedural details on that page are Stuttgart's own and do not apply nationwide.
Do I need an appointment?
For deregistration, in most cities no. Many offices still take walk-ins for simple deregistrations, and the online routes work without any appointment at all. Availability varies a lot by city, though: some registration offices are booked out for weeks. We publish daily waiting-time data for registration offices across Germany, so you can check how your city is doing before you decide on a route.
Waiting-times index: daily data for registration offices across Germany (German)
What happens after the deregistration?
You receive a confirmation, your insurer and the customs office that collects vehicle tax are informed automatically, and both stop billing you. Keep the confirmation with your records, especially if you are leaving the country: it is your proof that the car is off your name. If you deregistered a car you still own, the plates usually stay reserved for you for a limited period in case you want to re-register it.
Registering a car instead? How to register a car in Germany: the full guide in English
Frequently asked questions
Can someone else deregister the car for me?
Yes. You do not have to attend the registration office yourself. Under section 16(1) FZV, a third party presenting the required documents and plates is treated as authorised to apply for deregistration. With our online deregistration service, you can enter the required vehicle details and security codes before payment or complete them afterwards. We submit your application only once all required information is complete; no digital power-of-attorney signature is required for deregistration.
Source: Section 16(1) FZV, deregistration (gesetze-im-internet.de, in German)
I lost a plate or the registration certificate. Can I still deregister online?
No. The online route depends on the security codes on exactly those items. With a lost plate or certificate you will deal with the registration office directly, usually with a declaration about the loss, and in some cases a police report.
I am leaving Germany with the car. Do I deregister or export?
Those are different procedures. If the car leaves with you, you will usually want export plates and the export procedure instead of a plain deregistration. If the car stays behind, sold or scrapped, the normal Abmeldung is the right step.
Deregister your car in English
We file the deregistration for you through the official channels, Germany-wide. Enter your licence plate number and choose whether to provide the required vehicle details and security codes now or after payment. We submit your deregistration application only once all required information is complete, and send the confirmation by email.