How to Cancel Car Rego in QLD (2026 Guide)

Thousands of Brisbane drivers need to cancel car rego in QLD every year — sometimes because they've sold a vehicle, sometimes because it's been written off, sometimes because the car is parked in a shed and never going back on the road. Cancelling rego is easier than most people expect, but the rules around refunds, number plates, and timing trip up plenty of owners. Here's exactly how to do it through the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) without losing money.

The first thing to understand is why cancelling rego matters. Keeping registration on a car you no longer drive is wasted money — QLD rego on a standard four-cylinder private vehicle costs around $840 a year including CTP (compulsory third-party) insurance. Beyond the wasted fee, you remain legally responsible for anything tied to that plate: toll charges on the Gateway and Logan Motorways, parking fines, red-light camera infringements, and even speed camera notices. Sellers who forget to cancel or lodge a disposal notice can end up chasing an unfamiliar buyer months later to clear a stack of unpaid tolls.

There is also a refund angle that most owners forget. If you cancel car rego in QLD with at least three whole months still on the clock, TMR refunds the unused portion on a pro-rata basis. On a 12-month registration, that typically means $150 to $400 back in your account. CTP insurance is refunded separately by your nominated CTP insurer — Suncorp, QBE, Allianz, or RACQ — usually within two weeks of the cancellation being processed.

To cancel rego in QLD you have two main pathways. The first is online through the TMR website if you have a linked QGov account. The second is walking into a TMR customer service centre in person — there are offices at Carseldine, Sherwood, Cleveland, Helensvale, and in the Brisbane CBD, among others. Most drivers find the in-person route cleaner because you can hand in your plates and paperwork at the same counter. Bring your driver's licence, the registration certificate if you still have it, and the number plates from the vehicle.

The paperwork is a single form: a Cancellation of Registration application (Form F3516), available at any TMR centre or as a downloadable PDF. You'll be asked why you're cancelling — sold, written off, unregistered storage, or moving interstate — and where to deposit your refund. Processing takes about ten minutes over the counter. You'll receive a receipt confirming the cancellation, which is worth keeping in case there's a dispute down the track.

Number plates are the step most people overlook. In Queensland, plates belong to the registered owner, not the car. When you cancel car rego in QLD, you must surrender the plates at the same time unless you're transferring them to another vehicle you own. Failing to return plates is a technical offence and can delay your refund. If you're attached to a personalised plate — Q-plates or one of the customised designs — TMR can hold them on your account for use on a future vehicle.

Refunds usually land within 10 to 15 business days. The amount is calculated from the date TMR receives your cancellation, not the date you stopped driving the car. This is why waiting is expensive — every day you delay is another day of registration fees you will not get back. If you've already sold your car and the buyer has submitted a disposal notice, TMR cancels the rego automatically, but the refund period only starts from the disposal date recorded on the form.

A few scenarios are worth calling out. If you're selling the car to a cash-for-cars buyer anywhere across Greater Brisbane — Logan, Ipswich, Caboolture, or the Redlands — you do not need to cancel the rego before pickup. The buyer lodges the disposal notice with TMR as part of the sale, and the cancellation flows automatically. If you're moving interstate, cancel your QLD rego on the day you re-register in the new state, not before. Driving an unregistered car across the border carries the same fines as any other unregistered driving offence.

Avoid these common mistakes. Do not cancel rego and then drive the car to a workshop — that counts as driving unregistered, with a fine of around $709 and zero CTP cover if you crash. Do not forget to cancel tolls and e-tags linked to the vehicle with Linkt on the same day. Do not throw your old plates in the bin; return them or you'll leave money on the table. And do not assume your insurance company has been notified — comprehensive insurance is a separate policy from CTP and needs to be cancelled directly with your insurer to get any unused premium back.

What happens to the car once the rego is gone? Legally, it cannot be driven on any Queensland road. You can still move it by tow truck or trailer, sell it privately as an unregistered vehicle, or book a cash-for-cars pickup. Most Brisbane owners who cancel rego on an older car discover that the cost of getting it roadworthy again — safety certificate, tyres, brakes, battery — exceeds the car's market value. At that point a cash buyer is usually the cleanest exit, because they bring their own tow truck and handle the disposal paperwork with TMR on your behalf.

Cancelling car rego in QLD is a ten-minute job at any TMR centre, but timing makes the difference between a meaningful refund and a missed opportunity. If you know the car is not going back on the road, cancel it the same week you make that decision. Keep the receipt, return the plates, notify your insurer, and put the refund to work somewhere more useful than a driveway in Carindale or a carport in Logan.