Authorities purge 71,749 suspended vehicles from registry
The Transport Administration has removed 71,749 vehicles with long-suspended registrations from Estonia's traffic registry after determining they met the legal definition of missing vehicles.
The Transport Administration reviewed all vehicles with suspended registrations on July 1 whose registry records had remained unchanged for seven years or more. Under the Traffic Act, such vehicles are considered missing, and the agency was required to remove them from the registry on November 1.
While nearly 98,000 vehicles initially met the criteria, the agency said many owners chose to retain their vehicles after being notified. Most of the vehicles ultimately removed were either missing or had been improperly dismantled years ago.
"At the last minute, several vehicle owners decided they wanted to keep their vehicles after all," said Siim Sarapuu, director of the agency's traffic services department.
"Due to the increased number of applications for temporary removal, we ask people to allow for a longer processing period. Once the application has been processed and the vehicle has been temporarily removed, you will receive confirmation by email," he added.
Following the large-scale cleanup, 73,211 vehicles with suspended registrations remain listed in the traffic registry. Of those, 56,397 fall into categories that will become subject to the motor vehicle tax beginning in 2027.
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Editor: Mirjam Mäekivi, Argo Ideon
