Step-by-step instructions for deregistrating a car - what does this mean for the new owner and what does it mean for the old owner?

Sometimes, the former owner himself has to register the deregistration of the car in his name with the traffic police. The reasons for this may vary, but sometimes they do not correspond to what is stated in the application.

Few people know that a frivolous choice of grounds for suspending registration can lead to serious problems, including criminal proceedings and actual prison terms.

In the article I will explain what termination of registration is, under what circumstances it is applied and how to carry out this procedure correctly, without unnecessary complications.

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What does deregistration of a car mean?

The concept of cancellation, termination of state registration of vehicles was officially introduced in 2011. From time to time, the processes of deregistration and termination of registration sometimes designated one procedure, sometimes they differed. After the latest legislative changes in January 2021, they again have their own meanings.

In fact, cancellation of state registration is a mandatory procedure that the owner has the right to carry out in relation to a car after its sale. It is purchase and sale that is the most common reason for termination of registration.

Statute of limitations

In the previously effective Order No. 1001, there was a rule: if a car is registered in violation of the law, but has been registered for more than 5 years, cancellation does not apply to it. This measure has now been cancelled.

Attention. A car can be forcibly deregistered at any time (even after 10 years) if it turns out that it was carried out with violations.

At the same time, the car owner has the right to sue the decisions of the traffic police and challenge the cancellation. It is also possible to restore registration by eliminating the violations that led to its cancellation.

How is it different from deregistration?

Here it is necessary to separate the designations of such concepts.

• Termination of registration involves temporary deregistration of the vehicle with the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate, i.e. the vehicle’s state registration is canceled for a short period of time. All information about the car remains in the State Traffic Inspectorate database.
• Deregistration is carried out when the car is no longer registered with the traffic police, and the data from the operational databases is deleted into the archive. In fact, the vehicle ceases to exist.

According to the law, a vehicle can be deregistered only in strictly established cases: when exporting a car abroad or after disposal. Whereas registration is terminated upon sale, theft or loss of the car.

The possibility of suspension is given when the previous owners do not have access to the car. The difference between the procedures for deregistration and termination of state registration is very significant, and they do not pursue the same goals, so it is important to distinguish them.

Useful tips

• The 10 days allotted to the buyer for re-registration of the car after signing the contract are calculated in calendar mode - along with weekends and holidays, keep this in mind.
• It is better to contact the MREO that registered the sold vehicle - this can speed up the PRU process and minimize possible problems.
• Do not confuse the concepts of deregistration or suspension with cancellation of registration. Cancellation is applied when the DCT is declared void (for example, when challenging the sale of joint property) and restoration of registration in this case is not provided.

In what cases is it possible to terminate registration?

Federal Law No. 18 on state registration of vehicles indicates when state registration is allowed to be stopped;

• based on an application from the owner of the car;
• upon an appeal from the former owner of the car, when the buyer did not re-register the purchase within 10 days;
• if the owner of the vehicle has died;
• when custody of the car owner will be terminated;
• upon liquidation of a legal entity that owns a vehicle;
• when the period for state registration of the vehicle has expired;
• if you find out that the car was registered using documents found to be invalid/forged.

Each case is unique and characterized by atypical features, therefore registration is stopped according to different schemes depending on the reasons.

At the request of the car owner

When the owner independently wants to cancel the registration of the vehicle, it is impossible to prohibit such actions. There is no need to look for special reasons or justification for this procedure.

State accounting is terminated:

• when the car has not been used for a long time, and the owner does not want to spend money on transport taxes;
• if the car is lost;
• when a car is stolen;
• when a citizen wants to sell a vehicle and keep the license plates for himself.

These provisions refer to reasonable grounds for stopping registration.

On the initiative of the traffic police

Without an owner, state registration can be terminated on the initiative of State Traffic Inspectorate employees. This is allowed only under certain conditions:

• there is no license plate on the engine or body;
• when the temporary registration period has ended;
• changes were made to the design of the vehicle without approval from the traffic police;
• it became known about the death of the owner;
• if the engine or the car itself is wanted;
• cars were registered using fake papers;
• the owner of the vehicle is 16 years old;
• when the engine in the vehicle was replaced, but this fact was not included in the registration documentation.

In such a situation, State Traffic Inspectorate employees have the right to take the initiative to terminate the registration of the vehicle.

Selling a car

When the car has passed to another owner on the basis of a purchase and sale agreement, and the new owner is in no hurry to re-register it in his name, the former owner can stop registering the vehicle 10 days after the transaction.

Hijacking

If a car is stolen, the owner needs to write a statement to the police. Then contact the traffic police with an appeal regarding termination of registration. When the car is found, the registration can be renewed to the previous owner.

Lost car

This term refers to a condition in which the vehicle cannot be operated. The reason is a serious accident, after which the vehicle cannot be restored, or the car has not been running for a long time and has simply fallen apart from old age.

In such a situation, deregistration will help eliminate unnecessary tax liabilities. If you need state accounting, you can restore it again.

End of temporary vehicle registration

Such state accounting, by definition, presupposes the end of the period. Typically, legislation limits registration to 6 months, although at the initiative of the owner it can be renewed twice. The procedure is relevant in relation to vehicles imported into Russian territory by internally displaced persons, foreigners or refugees.

The car leasing agreement has expired

When the agreement ends, the relationship between the lessee and the lessor ends. At the same time, the registration of the vehicle issued in the name of the recipient is stopped.

Features of the procedure

The registration of a vehicle is suspended under the circumstances specified in the regulations of the Russian Federation.

Let's name all the main circumstances for this:

1. Car theft.
2. The car received significant damage in the accident. They think that this is the loss of the car for some time, because it cannot be used to its full extent. The necessary document can be issued to the owner of the car by a service station that has a state license, then it is possible to deregister the car.
3. Termination of temporary registration period. If a car is imported into our country for a period exceeding six months, it must be registered. The vehicles of diplomats, as well as leased vehicles, must also be registered.
4. If the lease agreement has been terminated or is terminated. If the vehicle is registered with the lessor, the registration is terminated.

Of course, the suspension of reg. transport accounting for a certain time is a useful legislative tool.

Step-by-step procedure for deregistration

If the owner of the car decides to terminate the state registration of the vehicle, he needs to take two actions: submit an application to the traffic police department and receive an STS of the car with a special note about termination of registration. The application can be submitted in person or remotely through the State Services portal.

The application process involves several steps:

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1. Determine the reasons for termination of registration.
2. Identify the owner of the vehicle.
3. Select a traffic police department.
4. Prepare a set of documents.
5. Submit an application, attaching documents, to the MREO.

Termination of registration is not a complex procedure and will not take time, but compliance with all stages is mandatory.

Finding out the legal owner of the car

The application will have to indicate the reason that prompted the owner to terminate registration. Here it is important to honestly indicate why you decided to complete state registration. If the exact owner of the car is not known, then you need to first determine it, for which you can use the traffic police database.

The vehicle is searched through the database to find out who it is officially registered to. If the owner is known, then we skip the procedure for determining the owner.

Selection of MREO

It wouldn’t hurt to check out the nearest State Traffic Inspectorate offices in advance to understand where it’s best to go. You can go to the traffic police office, where all addresses, telephone numbers and official names of institutions are listed.

According to the new rules, car owners can contact any branch of the State Traffic Inspectorate to stop registration, even one located in another city, region or region. The legislation does not limit this issue in any way.

Preparation of documents

To terminate registration, you will need to collect a set of certain papers, the list of which includes:

• applicant's passport;
• application to the State Traffic Inspectorate for termination of registration;
• at the request of traffic police officers, an explanatory note from the owner may be required;
• a document explaining the reasons for stopping registration;
• number plates;
• registration certificate and vehicle certificate.

There is no state duty for such actions, so you do not have to attach any receipts.

Completing an application and submitting documents

The appeal is written in free form, but traffic police officers recommend using the forms established for this, which are issued directly at the State Traffic Inspectorate office. It is better to fill out the application on the spot, so that if difficulties or incomprehensible moments arise, you can contact an employee for help.

1. The fields must be filled in by hand with blue ink, although computer filling is also permitted.
2. You will have to sign with a pen.
3. No typos, corrections or blots are allowed in the application, so you must fill out the document carefully.
4. Once completed, the application is rechecked and submitted, along with a set of required papers, to a State Traffic Inspectorate employee.
5. If a traffic police officer asks you to write an explanatory note, it is recommended that you honestly state the reasons for refusing registration.

When all the papers are checked, the originals will be given to the applicant. The application procedure will now be completed. In the State Traffic Inspectorate database, the vehicle will no longer be listed as the previous owner.

Procedure for re-registration of transport

To register a car and enter information into the traffic police database, data about the new owner will be required, which must be entered in the vehicle passport. Therefore, re-registration can only be performed after purchasing the car:

• first, a vehicle purchase and sale agreement and settlement are concluded;
• then personal data about the new owner is entered into the vehicle passport;
• the new owner undergoes re-registration of the car.

The buyer is given 10 days to register the vehicle. However, this period is enough to collect the necessary documents and contact the nearest traffic police department.

Grounds for refusal

If the actions are carried out correctly and the entire set of required documentation is provided, the vehicle will quickly be deregistered. But in some situations, traffic police officers may refuse to provide such a service.

There are several reasons for the negative decision:

• The vehicle is listed as wanted according to the operational database.
• The documents are not provided in full, or they contain false or unreliable information.

The new owner may be denied re-registration due to the lack of compulsory motor liability insurance or unregistered changes in the design of the car, or if a ban on actions with the vehicle is discovered.

What documents to pay attention to

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We will tell you about the intricacies of the legislation, help you understand it and tell you what to do in controversial situations.

Is it possible to drive a car with deregistered registration?

If, after purchasing the vehicle, the new owner did not manage to re-register it in his name within 10 days, then he will have to pay a fine under Art. 19.22 Code of Administrative Offences.

If the former owner independently stopped registering, and the new owner was stopped by traffic police officers, then he will be informed that the vehicle is listed in the database as wanted by its numbers. Employees of the State Traffic Inspectorate will take away the license plates and vehicle registration certificate, handing over a document confirming the seizure.

You cannot drive a vehicle whose registration has been deregistered. This is an offense for which administrative liability is imposed in the form of a fine of 1,500-2,000 rubles. In case of a repeated offense, the penalty amount increases to 5,000 rubles, or the driver’s license will be taken away for 1-3 months.

How to register a car again

To restore the registration of a car after suspension, you need to write an application to the relevant services to register the vehicle again.

The following documentation must be attached to the application:

• a copy of the car owner's passport;
• copy of PTS;
• it is necessary to attach papers about the circumstances that caused the suspension.

After submitting the application, you must present your car for technical inspection at the traffic police. The traffic police officer will check the compliance of the technical parameters of the car with those written in the application. At the end of the inspection, the person will be given a conclusion, which must be attached to the submitted documentation. If the traffic police makes a positive decision, the car owner is issued a registration document.

To restore registration, a citizen will need to pay government services in the amount of five hundred rubles.

What are the consequences of deregistration of a vehicle?

Stopping state accounting upon reaching 10 days from the date of the transaction entails certain consequences for both the seller and the person who has become the new owner of the vehicle on the basis of a purchase and sale agreement.

To the new owner

The new owner, having overstayed the deadline for re-registration, forces the previous owner to terminate state accounting. As a result, the purchase and sale agreement automatically terminates, and the vehicle begins to be officially searched for.

The documents and car are confiscated from the new owner, and the culprit is given fines. Similar actions occur when a vehicle is stolen, only much more severe punishment is applied to the hijackers.

To the seller

There will be no threatening consequences for the seller. The contract for the purchase and sale transaction will also expire, and the search for the car and documents for it will begin. An undoubted advantage for the seller will be the removal of tax obligations on the vehicle. But there is also a serious drawback - all fines for violations committed by the buyer will be paid to the old owner.

With the advent of the ability to independently suspend the registration of a vehicle, the system of purchase and sale and re-registration of a vehicle for the seller has become as simplified as possible. Although buyers often violate the deadlines allotted for registration, incurring fines and taxes on the previous owner. But the ability to terminate registration after a 10-day period allows the seller to avoid unnecessary costs.

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Is it possible to drive a car if it is under arrest?

Well, of course you can! If a car has a steering wheel, wheels and other necessary parts, why not drive it? The only question is the distance of travel.

If the FSSP has established a restriction on the right to use property or its confiscation, your trip will end near the first traffic police officer who decides to stop you to check your documents. After which you will have to go to the seller on your own two feet and say some kind words to him.

If there is a ban on registration actions, coupled with a ban on carrying out a technical inspection, then you can “peacefully” ride while your MTPL insurance policy is in force, to renew which you need to undergo a technical inspection.

We have painted an interesting perspective for you, haven’t we?

Are you going to sell a car that is under arrest?

And this arrest, among other things, contains a ban on registration actions established by the Federal Bailiff Service. However, remember that the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation provides for liability for illegal actions, incl. alienation and illegal transfer, in relation to property subject to seizure with a maximum penalty of up to two years in prison.

Required papers and certificates

Stopping registration, like all such legal events, requires not only the basis for the operation, but also the collection of certain documents. It will be impossible to carry out the process without such documents as:

1. A well-written application form.
2. Passport.
3. Evidence of previous registration of the vehicle.
4. Vehicle technical passport.
5. Official license plates.
6. Power of attorney, if the authority to dispose of the car has been transferred to another person.

Before visiting, you must carefully check all collected papers and, if necessary, make copies. If the driver does not have a permanent place of residence, you will need to put a mark from the address of your actual residence.

All prepared documents must be submitted to the road inspection department. Employees of this organization carry out not only the registration of cars, but all subsequent changes that the owners make to the documents. Termination of the registration process is also carried out at the traffic police department. All that is required from the applicant is to submit all the collected documents into a special registration window.

Through the portal "State Services"

If the Gosuslugi portal is used to terminate the registration of a vehicle in connection with its sale, the seller must do the following:

1. Register on State Services and confirm your identity. Confirmation can be made in special organizations (for example, in the MFC when applying there for some other service).
2. Log in to the portal by entering your username and password.
3. Select the “Services” section.
4. In the “Service Categories” section, select “Transport”.
5. Having moved to the new section, you must click on the link “Vehicle registration”.
6. Select the item “Termination of registration by the previous owner.”
7. Fill out the electronic form by selecting the traffic police department where the application will be submitted.
8. Submit an application.

Unfortunately, as of 2021, there is no completely electronic provision of services yet. After the application has been submitted, you will still need to appear in person and submit documents for verification. However, when applying through Gosuslugi, the applicant will not need to stand in line: he himself chooses when exactly to appear.

An application submitted electronically is registered within 5 minutes. After this, the waiting time in line will be no more than 15 minutes. In this case, resolving the issue itself will take no more than an hour.

How to write a statement correctly?

To carry out the procedure for stopping registration, the owner must draw up a special application form. The form for subsequent filling can be obtained from one of the traffic police departments. Here you are also allowed to take a sample with the correct example of filling out the request. The application must include the following information:

1. Vehicle license plates.
2. Special VIN code of a modern car.
3. Year of production, as well as the make of the vehicle.
4. Body license plate and car chassis.
5. Color scheme of the registered vehicle.

A special line indicates the power of the installed engine, the maximum weight of the permitted load and other characteristics. Information from the technical passport and the official registration certificate must be recorded.

Professionals recommend first downloading the request form for termination of registration from the official website of the State Traffic Inspectorate. If you fill out the required form in advance, you can get a head start on time before others who want to pause the registration process are standing in line.