The three security codes

You reveal the three security codes (Sicherheitscode) in the form, and you pay at the end. Revealing them cannot be undone and makes your number plates invalid immediately. That is why we check first whether the online route works at your Zulassungsstelle, before you scratch anything open.

Deregister now

The check costs nothing and you reveal nothing during it.

§ 1

Where they are

Two on the number plates, one on the registration certificate. The two on the plates are not the same.

Code 1 of 3

Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I

On the back, under a field with a covering layer. Seven characters.

still covered

Code 2 of 3

Seal at the back

Under the round seal on the rear plate. Three characters.

still covered

Code 3 of 3

Seal at the front

The same at the front, with a different code. Three characters.

still covered

§ 1b

What it looks like in real life

Three pictures, and the middle one shows the mistake almost everyone makes: the number on the green sticker is NOT the security code.

Two close-ups of registration seals on number plates. On the left a film is being peeled off with the fingers, on the right the layer is being rubbed away with a coin, revealing a three-character code underneath. — **On the number plate**On the left a film is being peeled off, on the right the layer is being rubbed away with a coin. Both versions exist. Never use a knife.

Two photographs of the same field on a registration certificate. On the left with a red cross: the green sticker is still in place and only the number on the sticker is visible. On the right with a green tick: the sticker has been removed and the actual security code is visible. — **The most common mistake**Left is wrong: the green sticker is still on, and the number on it is not the code. Right is correct: the real code only appears once you reveal it.

Two photographs of the green sticker on a Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I. On the left the sticker is scratched, on the right it is still closed. Both show only the number of the sticker, not the security code. — **On the registration certificate**On the left the green sticker is scratched, on the right it is still closed. Both show only the number of the sticker, not the code. Uncover the code slowly and photograph it immediately.

Two versions are in circulation

A scratch field and a peel-off film look identical from the outside. You only notice which one you have when you touch it.

With the scratch field, rub with a coin, never a knife. With the film, lift the corner and pull slowly. Photograph the code immediately, before you type it over.

If the code is not legible

A German number plate on a vehicle, with the round registration seal.

§ 2

Why this is irreversible

The seal is destroyed when you reveal the code. From that moment your plates are invalid and you may not drive, even while the deregistration is still running.

That is why we check first and only then ask for the codes, each on its own page. Anyone who stops before revealing them has destroyed nothing, and the payment comes after that.

§ 3

Questions about the codes

My vehicle was registered before 2015.

Then the security codes may not exist, unless the vehicle has been re-registered since 2015. First check whether there is a green sticker on the back of your Fahrzeugschein; the code is underneath it.

The code contains an O or a zero.

The codes never contain the letters I, O or Q. If it looks round, it is a zero.

I scratched too early.

Then your plates are invalid. Deregister the vehicle as soon as you can, and leave it parked until then.

Vehicles registered before 2015

First check whether it works for you

The check costs nothing and you reveal nothing during it.

Deregister now