Transport Department - Vehicle Licensing & Registration

General Enquiries

		1.	What are the procedures of importing a car for personal use? Which Government department is responsible for the assessment of vehicle taxable value? How is the payable first registration tax for vehicles calculated?
			You may refer to the following link for details. For pure electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, please refer to the following link for details.
		2.	My vehicle licence is due to expire soon. What do I need to do?
			Registered owners may apply for vehicle licence renewal within 4 months prior to the expiry date of the existing licence by submitting a duly completed form "Application for Renewal of Vehicle Licence" (form TD 558) together with required documents as prescribed in the form. A "Certificate of Roadworthiness" or a "Certificate of Fitness" is required in case the vehicle is subject to an examination. The renewed vehicle licence shall take effect from the date of expiry of the existing licence.
		3.	Is additional fee payable if I submit the application for renewal of vehicle licence after the expiry of previous licence? If so, how is such additional fee calculated?
			According to the Road Traffic (Registration and Licensing of Vehicles) Regulations (Cap. 374E), if the Commissioner for Transport receives an application to license a vehicle after the expiry of the previous vehicle licence, unless the Commissioner is satisfied that the vehicle has not been used on a road during the period when it was not licensed, the fee payable for such licensing application shall be the appropriate licence fee and an additional fee (round up to the nearest 10 cents) of 0.33% of the appropriate annual licence fee (excluding TAVA Fund Levy) for each day of the unlicensed period since the previous licence expired. The new licence shall take effect from the date of issue thereof. Note that the payment of additional fee does not mean that the vehicle will be licensed for the period for which such fee is charged.
		4.	Why applicants are required to pay "Traffic Accident Victims Assistance Fund Levy" for the application for a vehicle licence?
			The Transport Department will collect the "Traffic Accident Victims Assistance Fund Levy" from the applicant (i.e. the registered owner) in accordance with the requirement under the Traffic Accident Victims (Assistance Fund) Ordinance (Cap. 229) when processing applications for a vehicle licence (except vehicle licence of trailers).
		5.	Is production of authorized letter required if my application for vehicle licence is submitted by my agent?
			A registered owner may authorize his agent to submit an application for a vehicle licence at any of the Transport Department Licensing Offices. In order to safeguard the interest of registered owners, the agent is required to produce a copy of the registered owner's identity document and his own original identity document when submitting the application for record purpose.
		6.	The registration of my vehicle is cancelled because its vehicle licence has been expired over 2 years, what should I do if I wish to apply for a new vehicle licence?
			The registered owner has to apply for re-registration of the vehicle for obtaining a new vehicle licence. First of all, the registered owner should submit a duly completed form "Application for Registration and Licensing of a Vehicle" (form TD 22) with his original identity document and original vehicle registration document to Counter No.1 of the Hong Kong Licensing Office (HKLO) of the Transport Department for verification of the registered owner's identity and the vehicle particulars. Upon completion of the verification, a referral memorandum will then be issued to the registered owner for arranging vehicle inspection at a specified vehicle examination centre. Upon passing of vehicle inspection, the registered owner may apply for re-registration and licensing of vehicle at Counter No.1 of the HKLO with a completed TD 22 duly endorsed by the vehicle examiner and other supporting documents as prescribed in the application form.
		7.	I wish to surrender the vehicle licence and apply for a refund of a portion of the licence fee paid, how is the refund amount calculated?
			The refund amount of the unexpired portion of licence fee paid equals the annual licence fee times 0.24% times the number of days in the unexpired period of licence. The unexpired period of licence has to be 60 days or more, if the unexpired period is less than 60 days, no refund of the unexpired portion of licence fee paid will be given.
		8.	I have lost my vehicle licence. How do I get a duplicate?
			If your vehicle licence has been lost, you should apply to any of the Transport Department Licensing Offices for a duplicate with the completed form "Application for a Duplicate Vehicle Registration Document/Duplicate Vehicle Licence" (form TD 151), and the required documents as prescribed in the form. In case the registered owner is a company, the agent submitting the application shall also produce the original Certificate of Incorporation (a copy certified by a certified public accountant/solicitor is also acceptable) of the company.
		9.	I have lost my vehicle registration document. How do I get a duplicate?
			If your registration document has been lost, please submit your application to any of the Transport Department Licensing Offices for a duplicate with the completed form "Application for a Duplicate Vehicle Registration Document/Duplicate Vehicle Licence" (form TD 151), the required documents as prescribed in the form. In case the vehicle owner is a company, the agent submitting the application shall bring along a letter of authorization and the Certificate of Incorporation of the company.
		10.	My car has been lost/stolen. Can I apply for a refund of vehicle licence fee for the unexpired period of the vehicle licence?
			If your vehicle has been lost or stolen, and the number of days in the unexpired period of the valid vehicle licence is 60 days or more, the registered owner can apply in writing for a refund of vehicle licence fee. The registered owner or his agent has to submit to any of the Transport Department Licensing Offices the original police report card or memo, original vehicle registration document, a letter from the registered owner requesting for refund, and the identity document of the registered owner (original or copy) for the application. The refund will be made payable by crossed cheque and mailed to the registered owner by the Treasury.
		11.	Can the registered owner notify Transport Department to cancel the registration of his vehicle if it has been stolen?
			We suggest that the registered owner should report to a Police Station if his vehicle has been stolen. According to the law, a registered owner can notify Transport Department for cancelling the registration of his vehicle only if the vehicle has been broken up, destroyed or despatched permanently out of Hong Kong. In case the number of days in the unexpired period of the valid vehicle licence is 60 days or more, the registered vehicle can consider applying for a refund of vehicle licence fee for the unexpired period of the vehicle licence.
		12.	What are the procedures of cancelling the registration of vehicle and retaining registration mark after the vehicle is permanently despatched out of Hong Kong or scrapped?
			If a registered owner has permanently despatched his vehicle out of Hong Kong or scrapped his vehicle and wishes to retain the registration mark of that vehicle for transferring it to another vehicle registered under his name in future, he shall submit to the Hong Kong Licensing Office or Kowloon Licensing Office of the Transport Department the completed form "Application to Transfer or Retain a Vehicle Registration Mark" (form TD 129) and required documents as prescribed in the form for retaining the registration mark and cancelling the vehicle registration. The registration mark retention period is 12 months. If the applicant does not transfer the retained registration mark to another vehicle before completion of the retention period, the Commissioner for Transport may cancel the allocation of the registration mark and reallocate it to any other vehicle.
		13.	How should the field "selling price of the vehicle" / "price of purchase of the vehicle" on the "Notice of Transfer of Ownership of a Vehicle (Except Taxi)" (form TD 25) be filled in?
			The registered owner and the new owner must declare the actual selling price and purchase price respectively when completing the form "Notice of Transfer of Ownership of a Vehicle (Except Taxi)" (form TD 25) or form "Notice of Transfer of Ownership of a Taxi" (form TD 25A). According to the Motor Vehicles (First Registration Tax) Ordinance (Cap. 330), unless prior approval is obtained from the Commissioner for Transport, a registered vehicle owner must not sell a motor vehicle which was first registered in Hong Kong on or after 1 August 1994 at a price greater than the aggregate of the taxable value of the motor vehicle, value of tax-exempt accessories, value of unexpired portion of tax-exempt warranty, and the first registration tax paid. Application for approval of the selling price of a motor vehicle upon transfer of ownership can be made on form "Application for Approval of the Selling Price of a Motor Vehicle upon Transfer of Ownership" (form TD 468). Any person who fails to comply with the above requirement commits an offence and is liable to a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for 12 months.
		14.	If I have moved to a new address, how can I notify the Transport Department?
			According to the law, registered vehicle owners or driving licence holders have to notify the Transport Department within 72 hours of their change of address. If you are unable to submit the valid proof of address, TD may require you to provide the proof of the change within 14 days from the day on which the requirement is made. You shall comply with such requirement; otherwise, TD will consider referring the case to relevant law enforcement departments for follow-up. Any person without reasonable excuse contravenes such requirement commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine at level 1. You may notify the Transport Department of change in address with a copy of your identity document and your proof of new address in writing, through GovHK or by submitting the form "Change of Personal Particulars or Vehicle Particulars" (form TD 559). The address proof should be issued not more than 3 months from the date when submitting the notification. Details of acceptable address proof can be referred to the following link. Transport Department may suspend the processing of updating address record until the production of address proof.
		15.	How can I schedule an appointment with the Transport Department on declarations/ oaths services in relation to vehicle registration and licensing applications?
			You can make an appointment by phone at 2804 2638 to schedule the following declarations/ oath taking services: - Applications for vehicle registration, Movement Permit for a classic car or International Circulation Permit (Non-Mainland/Macau) where the supporting documents are translated in Chinese or English; Application for vehicle registration for the purpose of declaring the vehicle has never been registered outside Hong Kong prior to importation into Hong Kong for sale; and Application for cancellation of vehicle registration, where an original hardcopy of the bill of lading in respect of the vehicle is not available Applicant with appointment shall produce his/ her identity document and any other required documents at Counter 1 of Hong Kong Licensing Office of the Transport Department to make a declaration/ oath of the above-mentioned services.

Enquiries in relation to Unique Business Identifier ("UBI")

UBI has been adopted in many economies over the world, enabling governments and businesses to distinctly identify legal entities in various transactions and regulatory interactions. To implement the UBI in Hong Kong, the Government has decided to adopt the Business Registration Number ("BRN") assigned by the Business Registration Office of the Inland Revenue Department as the UBI of companies and entities, which has been implemented for all business entities since 27 December 2023.

A. Companies incorporated/ registered before 27 December 2023 and is/ was registered vehicle owner ("Existing Companies")

		1.	Following the full implementation of UBI, should existing companies continue to use the Number on Certificate of Incorporation ("CI No.") or Business Registration Number ("BRN") as identity document number in Transport Department ("TD")'s record?
			According to the Companies Registry, Company Number / Company Registration Number ("CRN") has been replaced by the 8-digit BRN with effect from 27 December 2023 following the full implementation of UBI. Existing companies are strongly advised to adopt the UBI and update their identity document number in TD's record from CI No. to BRN by notifying TD of their change. For details, please refer to Q4. As an administrative measure to facilitate the orderly adoption of the UBI by existing companies in TD's record, continue using CI No. as the company's identity document number in TD's record for vehicle licensing applications is allowed in the interim.

		2.	Following the full implementation of UBI, would TD proactively replace the Vehicle Registration Document(s) ("VRD") or the Certificate of Allocation of Personalized Registration Mark ("COA") of vehicles registered by existing companies?
			No. While existing companies may continue to use CI No. as the company's identity document number in TD's records for vehicle licensing applications to facilitate the orderly adoption of the UBI, existing companies are strongly advised to update their identity record at TD from CI No. to BRN by notifying TD of their change. For details, please refer to Q4. The above arrangement aims to bring convenience to registered owners, and to minimize the impact on licensing services by not requiring them to immediately return their VRD and COA to TD.

		3.	If my company has already registered vehicles at TD before 27 December 2023, should I continue to use the CI No. but not BRN, when submitting new applications on vehicle registration or transfer of vehicle ownership?
			Please refer to Q1.

		4.	If my company wishes to update the identity record in TD from CI No. to BRN, what are the procedures and required documents for my application?
			Applicant should complete the Notice of Change of Personal Particulars or Vehicle Particulars (TD559) and submit with the following documents: Original of VRD of all vehicles registered under the company; Original or photocopy of the Certificate of Incorporation ("CI"); Letter issued by the Companies Registry about the replacement of existing CRN by BRN either in original, photocopy, or digital copy (sent by mobile phone or computer) (only applicable to applications submitted at counter); and Original of the COA, if applicable. Once the application is accepted by TD, the identity record of respective company at TD's licensing system would be updated with immediate effect. Applicant should be reminded that the original of all VRDs of the vehicles owned by their company shall be replaced at once. Since the VRD is a valuable asset of the registered vehicle owner, the relevant arrangement aims to ensure that all VRD(s) under the registered owner in name of a company are updated in TD's records. Applicant should be advised that once the identity record has been updated to BRN, it should be used as the identity document number of the company when submitting subsequent vehicle licensing applications to TD, and the CRN/CI No. can no longer be used for licensing transactions. TD will not accept the request for changing back the identity document number to CRN/CI No..

		5.	If an existing company has updated the identity document number at TD to BRN, what documents are required as proof of identity when submitting vehicle licensing applications?
			Once the identity record of existing company is updated to BRN, applicant is required to provide the following documents as identity proof: Original or photocopy of CI; and Letter issued by CR about the replacement of existing CI No. by BRN either in original, photocopy or digital copy (sent by mobile phone or computer) (only applicable to applications submitted at counter).

		6.	If my company has updated the identity document number at TD from CI No. to BRN, do I need to update the cover note of the vehicle with insurance agent?
			According to Section 4 of Motor Vehicles Insurance (Third Party Risks) Ordinance (Cap. 272)(the "Ordinance"), the registered vehicle owner must ensure that there is in force a policy of insurance in respect of third party risks to comply with the requirements of the Ordinance when the vehicle is used on road. In regards to whether updating the identity document number in TD will affect the compliance with the above legislative requirements, please consult the relevant insurance companies directly.

B. Companies incorporated/ registered from 27 December 2023 onwards ("New Company")

		7.	When a new company submits vehicle licensing applications, should BRN be used as the Company's identity number?
			The company should use the number printed on the CI as their identity document number for vehicle licensing applications, which is also the BRN of the company.

C. Companies incorporated/ registered before 27 December 2023 but have never been a registered vehicle owner

		8.	My company was incorporated/ registered before 27 December 2023 but have never been a registered vehicle owner. Should I use CI No. or BRN as my identity document number at TD?
			The company should use BRN as its identity number and produce the following documents as proof of identity: Original or photocopy of CI; and Letter issued by CR about the replacement of existing CI No. by BRN either in original, photocopy or digital copy (sent by mobile phone or computer) (only applicable to applications submitted at counter).

D. Using an Organisational Digital Certificate to Submit Online Licensing Applications to the Transport Department

		9.	If my company has updated the identity record at TD from CI No. to BRN, do I need to update with the Certification Authority that issued my company's digital certificate?
			The company needs an organisational digital certificate issued by recognised Certification Authorities for identity authentication when submitting online licensing applications (including online renewal of vehicle licence) to TD. Hence, before submitting an application, companies should ensure that the company number embedded in the digital certificate is the same as that of TD for verification of the identity of your company by the systems. If the company number embedded in the digital certificate does not match with the record in TD, your company will not be able to pass the identity verification and use the online services for submitting licensing applications. For detailed arrangement about updating the company number embedded in the digital certificate, please contact the Certification Authorities (for example, Hong Kong Post) that issued your company's digital certificate directly.