Cancel your vehicle registration (license plates)

You will need to provide your:

• Vehicle registration (license plate) number
• Email address 

and 1 of the following:

• Driver's license/permit/ID number
• Social Security Number (SSN)
• FID number (If car/truck is registered to a company/corporation)

Once the cancellation is complete, you can download a Registration Cancellation Receipt.

Please keep the Registration Cancellation Receipt for your records and provide a photocopy to your insurance company.

Once you cancel your registration, your car/truck cannot be driven on any public way in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. When your registration is canceled, the RMV will provide you with a registration cancellation receipt.

Once your registration is canceled, you must recycle or destroy your license plates. Plates can be cut in half and discarded; or you can recycle destroyed plates if your town accepts them at the local recycle center.

Excise tax abatements

You may be eligible for an abatement of your local motor vehicle excise if you canceled your registration because you either: 

• Moved out of Massachusetts
• Reported the vehicle stolen
• No longer own the vehicle

You are not entitled to an abatement by just cancelling your registration.

For your local assessors’ office to process your abatement application, you must provide documentation of these and any other actions required by state law.  If have any questions, please contact your local assessor.