How do you take a vehicle temporarily out of circulation (deposit the plates)?

Instead of fully de-registering a vehicle, the keeper can deposit the licence plates with the cantonal road traffic office. The vehicle then counts as “out of circulation”; on returning the plates, the office informs the liability insurer.

In the Canton of Zurich, for example, the licence plate is stored for one year and the deposit can be extended annually; a fee is charged (CHF 50 per year in the Canton of Zurich). When a vehicle is permanently taken out of circulation or replaced, the registration document must be cancelled under Art. 81 VZV.

The terms and fees for depositing plates are governed cantonally — deadline, extension and costs can differ from canton to canton.