The Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation has announced a set of regulatory changes that will come into effect on 1 January, aimed at addressing persistent administrative difficulties linked to vehicle deregistration and garage permit requirements.
Under the revised rules, vehicle owners will be allowed to cancel a vehicle’s registration even if annual fees or penalties remain unpaid. Previously, registrations could not be cancelled until all outstanding payments were settled, leaving owners of scrapped or severely damaged vehicles unable to formally deregister them and continuing to accrue liabilities. The Ministry said that while registration cancellation will now be permitted, any unpaid annual fees or penalties will remain payable by the owner.
The changes also introduce adjustments to the garage permit system, which is required for registering vehicles with more than two wheels. To ease ownership transfers, vehicles registered before the introduction of the garage requirement in 2009, as well as vehicles registered later without a valid permit, will be allowed to change ownership within their existing registration zone. This process will require a written statement from the current owner confirming that the vehicle will be parked in a garage, removing the need for additional documentation from local authorities.
In a further revision, garage permits issued by Malé City Council and the Housing Development Corporation will no longer be mandatory for initial vehicle registration. Instead, applicants will be required to submit proof that the parking space is officially registered as a garage, along with a no-objection letter from the owner of the garage.
The Ministry said the amendments are intended to simplify administrative processes and reduce long-standing complications faced by vehicle owners, particularly in relation to deregistering unusable vehicles and transferring ownership.
