Scrapping Certificate

Official name

What people call a "Scrapping Certificate" is formally a Vehicle Scrapping Certificate

In its guidance on cancelling vehicle registration, the Transport Department uses the name "Vehicle Scrapping Certificate". Its purpose is to certify that the vehicle has been scrapped by the dealer and can no longer be used on the road or re-assembled into a vehicle.

At a glance

Scrapping Certificate basics

Official name	Vehicle Scrapping Certificate
Issued by	The scrap dealer you engage
Key requirement	Must show the dealer's Business Registration Certificate number
When it is used	Submitted as an original when cancelling registration
Related deadline	Cancel registration within 15 days of scrapping

Required items

What must a complete Scrapping Certificate contain?

Under the Environmental Protection Department's prescribed format, the certificate must contain the following 12 items. It is worth checking them one by one before you accept the document:

The 12 items in the prescribed format

Chassis number
Engine number
Registration mark (the licence plate number)
Name of the registered owner
Date of vehicle scrapping
Location of vehicle scrapping
Name of the vehicle scrapping company
Registered address of the vehicle scrapping company
Business Registration Certificate number
Telephone number of the vehicle scrapping company
Signature by a representative of the company, with the company chop affixed
Issue date of the Vehicle Scrapping Certificate

The Business Registration Certificate number is a Transport Department requirement: if it is not shown on the certificate, the application to cancel registration may not be accepted. The company chop and signature are fields on the official form itself, not a separate acceptance condition stated by the Transport Department.

Verification

How do I check that my certificate is valid?

The Transport Department's instruction to vehicle owners is explicit: you must make sure the scrap dealer's Business Registration Certificate number is shown on the certificate. Beyond that, it is worth checking the following:

Business Registration Certificate number — this must appear on the certificate; it is an express Transport Department requirement.
Chassis number — must match your Vehicle Registration Document (the Registration Book).
Registration mark — the licence plate number must match the Registration Book.
Company chop and signature — the prescribed format requires the dealer's representative to sign and to affix the company chop.
Issue date — it is advisable for the certificate to be issued on or after the day you hand over the car (this is good practice; the official form only requires the issue date to be stated).
If anything does not match, raise it with the dealer immediately rather than accepting the document first.

Next steps

Two things still to do after you receive it

First, cancel the vehicle registration. Within 15 days, take the original Scrapping Certificate, the original Vehicle Registration Document, the original Vehicle Licence (if it is still valid), your identity document and a completed form TD 184 to a Transport Department licensing office.

Second, if you want to keep your existing plate, apply separately with form TD 129. The fee is $560, and it can only be handled at the Hong Kong (Admiralty) or Kowloon (Cheung Sha Wan) licensing office.

Cancelling the registration itself carries no handling fee; the $560 is a separate charge for plate retention.

Sources

Official documents referenced on this page

Every statement below is based on public government documents. Where those documents are updated, the latest government publication prevails.

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