In Switzerland, your number plates belong to you as the holder – not to the car. When you sell, you keep the plates and either move them to your next car or hand them in to your cantonal road traffic office. Until you do, you stay responsible for the car's insurance and vehicle tax.
Swiss plates follow the holder, not the vehicle. The canton of Geneva puts it simply: as long as the plates are registered to you, you must keep the car insured, pay the vehicle tax and keep up the periodic inspections – and only depositing the plates ends these obligations. That is why you should never let a buyer drive away with your plates.
The principle is the same everywhere, but each canton has its own offices, options and fees. Details as published by the cantons in October 2026 – check the official page before you go.
| Geneva | Vaud | Zurich | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office | Office cantonal des véhicules (OCV), Route de Veyrier 86, Carouge | Service des automobiles et de la navigation (SAN): centres in Aigle, Lausanne, Nyon and Yverdon-les-Bains | Strassenverkehrsamt: Zürich-Albisgütli, Winterthur, Bassersdorf, Bülach, Hinwil, Regensdorf |
| How to hand in plates | At the counter, or by post (allow about 8–9 working days) | At a SAN centre, at a Vaud post office, or via the online procedure | At a counter, or by post with the original registration document and a short note |
| Keeping your number | Ask the OCV about depositing the plates | Plates kept for 1 year, then destroyed; CHF 25 per extra year | Deposit for 1 year: CHF 50; deregistration and destruction are free |
| Official page | ge.ch – déposer les plaques | vd.ch – déposer vos plaques | zh.ch – Fahrzeug abmelden |
Another canton? Every canton has its own road traffic office with the same basic procedure – search for "road traffic office" plus your canton, or ask us when you sell your car.
Handing in the plates is what stops your insurance and vehicle tax – not the sale itself. In Vaud, the canton notes that cancelling the registration document alone does not end your liability insurance; only depositing the plates does.
Once the plates are deposited, insurers usually refund the unused part of the premium, and the canton adjusts the vehicle tax for the rest of the period. Ask your insurer and your canton how they calculate the refund.
We take care of the sales contract and the change of ownership. You keep your plates, and we explain exactly where and how to hand them in for your canton. Leaving the country? Read our guide to selling your car when leaving Switzerland.
No. Swiss plates are registered to you, so you would remain responsible for the car's insurance and vehicle tax. Always remove the plates at handover.
Yes. Most cantons let you deposit your plates for a period. In Vaud they are kept for one year (CHF 25 for each extra year); in Zurich a one-year deposit costs CHF 50. In Geneva, ask the OCV.
It depends on the canton. In Zurich it comes back within about 5 working days by post, or immediately at the counter. In Geneva, allow about 8–9 working days when you send the plates by post.
Usually yes. Once the plates are deposited, insurers normally refund the unused part of the premium, and the canton adjusts the vehicle tax. Send your insurer the confirmation from the road traffic office.
Hand them in before you leave, at the counter or by post. If you sell your car to SellCar, we tell you exactly how to do this for your canton.
The registration document, ID, keys and service records – what each is for, what goes in the contract and what to do if something is missing.
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