Writing off a vehicle

Writing off a vehicle via a processing company

It is the responsibility of the owner of a passenger vehicle and a truck with a gross weight of up to 3500 kg (inclusive) to ensure that it is handed over to a processing company when the vehicle is worn out (End-of Life Vehicles Management Law).

Tricycles and quad bikes can also be handed over to a processing company, but this obligation is not mandatory for the owner of these vehicles.

The processing/disposal company ensures that the above mentioned vehicles can be handed over to the receiving point of the handling company without any cost if it is not missing the most important components – engine, steering mechanism, chassis, transmission, and if the vehicle does not contain additional waste and does not have a write-off prohibition registered.

The owner of the vehicle shall make a separate agreement with the processing company about transporting the vehicle to the processing company, also agreeing on the costs to be borne by the owner. Likewise, the person must agree with the processing company if the vehicle owner wants to keep and use individual components of the vehicle later on.

The processing company accepts a used vehicle for processing (disposal) if the following documents are submitted to the processing company together with the vehicle:

• vehicle registration documents and vehicle number plates, if such exist;
• a document certifying the change of ownership rights, if the vehicle has undergone a change of ownership, but it has not been re-registered in the CSDD (Road Traffic Safety Directorate) in the ownership of the new acquirer. A document certifying the change of ownership rights does not need to be submitted if the change of ownership rights has been formalized by making a mark in the registry.

The vehicle can be handed over to the processing company (disposal plant) by the owner or acquirer of the vehicle or a person authorized by these persons, upon presentation of an identity document (passport, identity card) and submitting the relevant power of attorney or its copy, while also presenting its original. A power of attorney issued by a natural person requires certification by a sworn notary or another person specified in Article 1474 of the Civil Act of the Republic of Latvia.

A throw-away discarded (outworn) vehicle shall be handed over to the processing company as per the procedure stipulated by the October 4, 2005 Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No. 748 „Rules for recognizing used vehicles as abandoned and the procedure for handing over abandoned vehicles to a processing company”.