Skip to content
Ciney · Dinant · Eghezée · Brussels: serving you across Belgium FREN+32 83 23 17 23 info@cinassur.be
Cinassur, back to home
Appointment
Guide · Vehicle registration

Deregistering a number plate.

The procedure changed on 1st 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 11 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

    DIV, 1212 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, and less than fifteen days old. If it is older, it has to be redone. 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 You
  • Insurance coordination Suspension, cancellation or transfer of the liability cover after deregistration. Cinassur
The procedure

Five steps, in this order

  1. 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 only required if you change category or give the vehicle up for good.
  2. 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, go first to your local police to file a report.
  3. 03 Choose the channel Drop-off in Brussels for same-day, free deregistration, or by post to the DIV with postage at your expense.
  4. 04 Download the proof of deregistration No certificate is sent. Check
    “My vehicle, my plate” to confirm the deregistration and download the proof.
  5. 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 after deregistration, provided you stay in the same vehicle category.
  • 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.
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.

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.

FSMA-registered broker no. 111917 Jacis SRL, trading as Cinassur · RPM Liège, Dinant division