How the law affects you

A Certificate of Destruction is an official Department of Transport document, which is issued to the registered owner of the car by our recycling centres.

The National Vehicle and Driver File will be updated to show that your car has been correctly disposed of and recycled, meaning that you're no longer responsible for it.

No, a Certificate of Destruction can only be issued by an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF). All CarTakeBack recycling centres are Authorised Treatment Facilities, registered with their Local Authority to recycle your car and issue the certificate.

An official Certificate of Destruction is printed on paper, and has:

• the Government of Ireland logo at the top;

• Gaelic translations of all sections;

• 'Certificate of Destruction' in the header;

• a unique 6 digit certificate number (COD);

• the date that the certificate was issued (Date of Issue); and

• the signature of a representative of the scrap car recycling centre (Authorised Treatment Facility) which accepted your car.

You should sign the certificate within part 3, the 'Details for registered owner of vehicle' section, as soon as you receive it.

Example of a Certificate of Destruction issued by our recycling centres.  Click the image to view it full size in a new window. 

If you drop your car off at the recycling centre, your Certificate of Destruction will usually be issued while you wait.

If we're collecting your car, you'll receive your certificate or a receipt for the collection there and then. If you are given a receipt, your certificate will be sent to you in the post by our recycling centre, or directly by the Department of Transport if we have notified them electronically. Please allow up to ten days for it to arrive.

Simply keep hold of the certificate for your records. The recycling centre will notify the Department of Transport, who will update the National Vehicle and Data File.

If you have a motorbike, or a van with a gross vehicle weight over 3,500kg, you won't get a Certificate of Destruction. Instead, you will get a Notification of Destruction.

If, after discussing with you, the recycling centre believes that it is more environmentally responsible for your car to be repaired instead of being scrapped, you won't get a Certificate of Destruction.

In both of these cases it's your responsibility to get in touch with the Department of Transport in Shannon.

Your Vehicle Registration Certificate (called "Vehicle Licencing Certificate" if issued before May 2004) should be handed over along with your car.

What if I don't have my Registration Certificate?

As long as you receive a Certificate of Destruction, there's no need for you to contact the Department of Transport in Shannon.

However, if your car is to be repaired and returned to the road it's your responsibility to notify the Department of Transport.

What do I need to do if my car is being returned to the road? 

You need your Vehicle Registration Certificate (called "Vehicle Licensing Certificate" if issued before May 2004) to be able to scrap your car.

Don't worry if you haven't got one, you can get a replacement by filling in form RF134 and taking it to a Garda station to be signed. You then simply need to send it to your local Motor Tax Office.

Download form RF134 to get a replacement Vehicle Registration Certificate from the Government website 

Download a list of Motor Tax Offices from the Government website 

No, you won’t get any confirmation from the Department of Transport.

If your car is to be recycled, we’ll send a copy of your Certificate of Destruction to the Department of Transport. If your car is to be repaired and returned to the road, it’s your responsibility to notify the Department of Transport.

If the Department of Transport (DoT) records are not updated correctly, you could get a fine, be liable for any Motor Tax charges and traffic offence penalties, and even be liable to prosecution.

The Certificate of Destruction is proof that DoT has been notified correctly that your car has been recycled.

If your car is to be repaired and returned to the road, you'll need to fill in a simple form to update the Department of Transport's records

If your car is being returned to the road, you should hand over your Vehicle Registration Certificate (called "Vehicle Licensing Certificate" if issued before May 2004) along with your car.

You’ll need to notify the Department of Transport that you’ve sold your car. The recycling centre will supply you with the appropriate form and help you to fill it in.

If your car was registered since 1st January 1993 you'll be given form RF105, which you should send to the Department of Transport in Shannon.

If your car was registered before 1993, you'll be given form RF200, which you should send to your local Motor Tax Office.

Download a list of Motor Tax Offices from the Government website 

What if I don’t have my Registration Certificate? 

A current photocard driving licence is all we need to confirm your name, date of birth and residential address. 

If you don't have a photocard driving licence, you can instead show another form of photo ID, along with separate proof of your address.

If there’s a minimum of three complete months of Motor Tax left on your car, you can get a refund for any complete months that remain.  

Applications for refunds of Motor Tax can be made to you local Motor Tax Office, using form RF120, which should be authorised at a Garda Station. You should send the form to your local Motor Tax Office, along with your Certificate of Destruction.

Download form RF120 and a list of Motor Tax Offices from the Government website

Visit the Department of Transport Motor Tax website for more information on tax refunds