COE expiry: the late renewal window and the rebate you lose
On the COE expiry date your car is automatically deregistered. You get 1 month to renew late with a $50 to $250 fee, and the COE rebate is already $0.
- Deregistered on the date
- 1-month late window
- Rebate on expiry: $0
By Carscrap TeamFigures checked against primary sourcesUpdated
- 12 months left GOV $10,000
- 3 months left GOV $2,500
- Expiry date $0
Automatic deregistration at expiry
What happens if my COE expires
At COE expiry, the vehicle is automatically deregistered and cannot be used on the roads. You have 1 month to renew online at the PQP of the month the COE expired, plus a late fee. After that, LTA says dispose of the vehicle immediately, and no COE rebate is left.
Automatically deregistered on the expiry date
Most guides say "renew or deregister", as if nothing happens until you choose. LTA is plainer: the expiry itself deregisters the car, so decide whether to renew your COE or buy a new car months before.
One car, five dates
The COE expiry clock: before, on and after the date
One hypothetical car, COE expiring 5 August (LTA's own example date). The money runs out before the rules do: by the late window there is nothing left to deregister for.
Check the exact date. A PARF anniversary can change the number.
Expiry clock for a COE ending 5 August
Check COE expiry date Singapore
How do I check my COE expiry date
Use OneMotoring's "Enquire COE validity and PQP rates" e-service (the One Motoring COE check), or download the vehicle log card with Singpass. Both show the exact expiry date, down to the day.
- Read the day, not the month: late fees and the PQP month turn on it.
- Do not count 10 years from purchase; a renewal or lay-up moves the date.
- Apps mirror the record, but LTA's is the one to rely on: start from the LTA COE renewal page.
PARF rebate and the 10-year anniversary
Your COE expiry date and your PARF anniversary are two checks
The COE date decides whether the car stays registered. PARF depends on an eligible car being deregistered before it is 10 years old. Different tests, different records.
- [ ] COPY 1
COE date
After it, deregistered; COE rebate nil.
- [ ] COPY 2
PARF anniversary
After 10 years, PARF nil.
- [ ] COPY 3
No PARF at all
Renewed COE, laid-up car, or an import over 3 years old at registration.
Cohort schedules are in how the PARF rebate is worked out.
Verified LTA guidance
The COE rebate is nil once the COE expires (E13)
Let the date pass and even the small rebate goes
LTA grants a COE rebate only if the vehicle is deregistered before its COE expires. Renewal stays possible for 1 month with a $50 to $250 late fee; after that the vehicle must be disposed of immediately.
A 5-year COE renewal for Category A, B and D is once only, so that car reaches a final date and only unused months come back. Limitation: Category C goods vehicles may keep renewing in 5-year periods, and PQP changes monthly.
- Hypothetical: QP $100,000 with 30 unused months returns $25,000; on the expiry day, $0.
- Question any "COE rebate" on a quote for a car at expiry.
Unused COE
How much COE rebate is left in the last 12 months
Little. On a hypothetical $100,000 QP: $10,000 with 12 months left, $2,500 with 3, $0 on the expiry date. The formula is QP or PQP x unused months / 120 (LTA).
| Unused months | COE rebate |
|---|---|
| 12 | $10,000 |
| 6 | $5,000 |
| 3 | $2,500 |
| 0 (expiry date) | $0 |
Scrub the last year of a COE
Rebates are valid 12 months from deregistration (LTA PARF and COE rebate page). The rest of an offer is itemised in what a scrap quote is really paying.
Price the exit while months remainEarly renewal forfeiture
Renewing early or in the expiry month: the days you forfeit
Renew early and the new COE starts on the 1st of the next month, forfeiting the unused days and any lay-up COE rebate. Renew in the month your COE expires and nothing is forfeited (LTA).
- Early renewal uses the earlier month's PQP; this guide makes no forecast of COE prices or whether they drop.
- Procedure, payment limits and PQP: how COE renewal and PQP work.
Late COE renewal and late renewal fee
How late can you renew a COE
Up to 1 month after expiry, online, at the PQP of the month the COE expired plus a late fee. The car cannot be driven meanwhile. LTA's example: expiry on 5 August, renew by 5 September.
| Vehicle | Fee |
|---|---|
| Motorcycle | $50 |
| Car, 1,000cc and below | $50 |
| Car, 1,001cc to 1,600cc | $100 |
| Car, 1,601cc to 2,000cc | $150 |
| Car, 2,001cc to 3,000cc | $200 |
| Car above 3,000cc; company, goods, public service | $250 |
Late fee by car engine size
Can I renew my COE myself? Yes, via renew COE online on OneMotoring.
What happens when a COE expires: renew or deregister
What should I do when my COE expires
Decide before the date: renew for 5 or 10 years, or deregister while unused months still carry a rebate. Past the date, renew within 1 month or dispose at once.
- [ ] COPY 1
Renew
Pay 50% or 100% of PQP; lose any PARF.
- [ ] COPY 2
Scrap
Rebates left, plus body value.
- [ ] COPY 3
Export
Same rebates; an overseas buyer pays for the body.
5-year COE renewal
Should I renew my COE for 5 or 10 years before it expires
COE for 10 years costs 100% of PQP with no lifespan limit for cars. COE for 5 years costs 50%, but for Category A, B and D it is once only, then the car must be deregistered.
COE expiry scrap
Can I scrap my car before the COE expires
Yes. Deregistering before the date returns a COE rebate on unused months, PARF if eligible, and any body or export value. The earlier you deregister, the larger the COE rebate.
We arrange scrapping, deregistration and export through our partner scrapyard, which quotes each line separately.
Get an itemised quote Ask a question first- PARF GOV nil
- COE rebate GOV $2,500
- Body value BUYER ask
Deregistration and disposal
A planning timeline for the last 3 months of COE
Check date and PARF
Inspection notice may arrive now.
Decide
Collect itemised quotes if deregistering.
Book the last drive
Or weigh early forfeiture against PQP.
Deregister or renew
Disposal documents due within 1 month.
A Bill read on 8 September 2026 would cut the disposal period to 14 days. Proposed, not yet in force as of 2026-09-14.
Road tax and road tax refund
Road tax, insurance and the last drive near expiry
Per the LTA road tax page, expired road tax must be renewed before deregistering; unused road tax is refunded automatically. Insurance refunds depend on the policy.
Keeping or using a deregistered vehicle breaks RTA s 10(3) of the Road Traffic Act: up to $20,000 or 2 years' jail.
An expired COE means a deregistered car. Do not drive it to the yard.
Plan the car's last drive before you deregister it. After the date, it leaves on a tow truck.
Vehicle category and statutory lifespan
Motorcycles, goods vehicles and other categories at expiry
- Same 1-month window; motorcycle fee $50, goods vehicles $250.
- Category C may renew in 5-year periods until its lifespan ends.
- A Category E COE car renews under its own Category A to D.
Sources
How this guide was checked, and what it cannot tell you
Rules from Land Transport Authority (LTA) / OneMotoring pages and the Road Traffic Act, fetched 14 September 2026; table figures are hypothetical inputs. Not modelled: current PQP, body value, loans, insurance.
Carscrap arranges vehicle scrapping, deregistration and export in Singapore through a partner scrapyard. Carscrap itself does not hold an LTA scrapyard appointment; our partner's name and status will be published on our About page. We do not handle rebates or LTA submissions for you.
- More routes: Singapore car scrap and export guides.
Answers first
Frequently asked questions
I renewed my COE for 5 years. What comes back when that COE runs out?
No further renewal for Category A, B or D. The car must be deregistered, and the COE rebate on the end date is nil.
Can I drive my car in the month after my COE expires while I arrange renewal?
No. The car is already deregistered and cannot be used on the roads until the COE is renewed.
If I renew early, do I lose the days left on my current COE?
Yes, plus any lay-up COE rebate. Renewing in the expiry month forfeits nothing.
Which month's PQP do I pay if I renew after my COE has expired?
The PQP of the month it expired, plus a late fee of $50 to $250.
Is my COE expiry date the same as my PARF anniversary?
Not necessarily. One decides registration; the other decides PARF, which needs deregistration before 10 years.
What happens if I do nothing after the 1-month late renewal window?
LTA says the vehicle must be disposed of immediately, with no COE rebate.
Does my road tax need to be valid to deregister a car near COE expiry?
Yes. Expired road tax must be renewed first; unused road tax is then refunded automatically.
Why would a dealer buy a car with only a few months of COE left?
Some rent it out for the remaining COE, then scrap it. The extra is buyer-funded body value.
Should a scrap quote for a car at COE expiry include a COE rebate?
No. On the expiry date the rebate is $0, so ask for rebate lines and body value separately.
How much COE rebate do I get if I deregister one month before expiry?
One 120th of the QP or PQP paid. Check the exact figure with LTA's rebate enquiry.
Next step
Before the date passes, price the exit
Each month waited costs one 120th of the COE rebate. Get an itemised quote