How To Cancel Vehicle Registration Online in New York in 2026
New York does not provide an online system for canceling vehicle registration. Vehicle owners must surrender their license plates to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) either by mail or in person at DMV offices throughout the state. The Department of Motor Vehicles administers all vehicle registration transactions across New York, including cancellations of registration completed through plate surrender.
Before you cancel the vehicle's liability insurance coverage, you must surrender your plates and registration. Failure to turn in your plates will result in registration suspension and may lead to driver's license suspension.
When Registration Cancellation May Be Needed
Surrendering your vehicle license plates to the DMV becomes necessary under several circumstances:
- Selling your vehicle through private sale or dealership transaction
- Donating your vehicle to a charitable organization or family member
- Relocating your permanent residence to another state
- Completing a vehicle lease term and returning the leased vehicle
- Disposing of your vehicle at a salvage facility or junkyard
- Vehicle declared a total loss by your insurance carrier
- Reporting your vehicle as stolen to law enforcement without recovery
- Storing your vehicle long-term without active liability insurance coverage
- Transferring vehicle ownership through estate settlement or probate
- Permanently removing the vehicle from operational service
In-Person Processing at DMV Office
Vehicle registration cancellation in New York requires the surrender of license plates either at a DMV office or through mail submission. The DMV does not offer online plate surrender services.
At a DMV Office
Vehicle owners may surrender license plates in person at any DMV office throughout New York. County motor vehicle offices charge a $1 processing fee for plate surrender transactions.
Required Actions:
- Remove plates and registration stickers from your vehicle
- Remove plate frames and fasteners—the DMV will not accept plates with attachments
- Destroy the registration and inspection stickers from your windshield
- Complete the Plate Surrender Application (Form PD-7) for each set of plates being surrendered
- Bring the completed application and plates to any DMV office
Processing Information:
The DMV office will process your plate surrender and issue a Receipt (Form FS-6T) immediately. If another person surrenders your plates on your behalf, ensure that person provides you with the FS-6T receipt for your records. This receipt indicates whether you are eligible for a registration fee refund.
By Mail
Vehicle owners may surrender license plates by mail to the New York State DMV. The DMV uses the mail postmark date as the official date that you surrendered your plates.
Required Actions:
- Ensure your address is current on your registration
- Remove plates and registration stickers from your vehicle
- Remove plate frames and fasteners—the DMV will not accept plates with attachments
- Destroy the registration and inspection stickers from your windshield
- Complete the Plate Surrender Application (Form PD-7) for each set of plates
Mailing Instructions:
Mail the completed application with your plates in an envelope (no boxes) to:
NYS DMV
6 Empire State Plaza
Room B240
Albany, NY 12228
Processing Information:
The DMV will mail you a plate surrender receipt (Form FS-6T) as well as a refund check, if applicable. Allow 21 days to receive your FS-6T receipt. If the address on your registration is not current, change your address before you mail your license plates. Vehicle owners who are moving must also file a change of address with the United States Postal Service to ensure proper mail forwarding.
Petition for Refund of Registration Fees
New York regulations permit refunds of registration fees when vehicle owners surrender plates under specific conditions. The DMV refund policy establishes eligibility criteria based on registration type and the timing of plate surrender.
Refund Eligibility
The DMV determines refund amounts based on the type of registration and when plates are surrendered. Refunds apply only to the registration fee—not to vehicle plate fees, title certificate fees, or any other fees or taxes paid when the vehicle was registered.
Full Refund:
Registration fees are fully refunded, minus a $1 processing fee, when plates are surrendered within 60 days of the date the registration was issued, and the registration sticker remains unused. The registration sticker must be unused—if the sticker was attached to the windshield or the vehicle plate, you cannot remove the sticker and apply for a full refund.
Partial Refund:
For two-year passenger vehicle registrations, a 50% refund of the registration fee (representing one year) minus a $1 processing fee is issued when plates are surrendered during the first year of the registration. No refund is available when plates are surrendered during the second year of a two-year registration.
No Refund:
One-year registrations (including snowmobiles, trailers, and motorcycles) are not eligible for refunds regardless of when plates are surrendered. Vehicle owners also cannot receive refunds for vehicle plate fees, title certificate fees, or other fees and taxes.
Refund Application Process
Step 1: Surrender Your Plates
Complete the plate surrender process through mail or in-person visit as described above. The DMV cannot process refund requests until plates have been physically surrendered and the transaction appears in the DMV system.
Step 2: Receive Automatic Refund or Request Specific Refund
When you surrender your plates, your receipt (Form FS-6T) indicates whether you are eligible to receive a refund. If you are eligible for a refund and do not request a transfer receipt, the DMV will process your refund automatically and mail it to you within several weeks.
Step 3: Special Refund Situations
For specific circumstances requiring additional documentation, complete the Request for Refund (Form MV-215). Special situations include:
- Applying for a full refund if the registration was never used (within 60 days of issuance)
- Receiving a refund for the first year's registration fee (if previously received a second-year refund)
- Refund for name change (requires marriage certificate or court documents)
- Refund for deceased registrant (requires death certificate and executor documentation)
Mail your completed application with supporting documentation to the address shown on Form MV-215. The DMV processes refund requests within a minimum of 90 days. If you submitted proof for review, additional processing time may be required.
Governing Laws and Regulations
New York vehicle registration cancellation procedures are established through state statutes administered by the Department of Motor Vehicles:
- New York Vehicle and Traffic Law § 401 establishes registration requirements mandating that no motor vehicle shall be operated upon public highways without first being registered in accordance with the Vehicle and Traffic Law provisions
- New York Vehicle and Traffic Law § 415 addresses surrender of registration documents upon voluntary cancellation of registration and establishes procedures for plate surrender and registration cancellation
Government Agencies
New York State Department of Motor Vehicles
New York State Department of Motor Vehicles
6 Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12228
Phone: (518) 486-9786
Official Website: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles
DMV Offices in Major Cities
Plate surrender must be completed by mail or in person at any DMV office. County motor vehicle offices charge a $1 processing fee for in-person plate surrender transactions. The following DMV offices serve New York's major population centers:
Midtown Manhattan DMV Office
366 West 31st Street, New York, NY 10001
Phone: (518) 486-9786
Official Website: Midtown Manhattan DMV Office
Brooklyn - Atlantic Center DMV Office
625 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11217
Phone: (518) 486-9786
Official Website: Brooklyn - Atlantic Center DMV Office
Jamaica DMV Office
168-46 91st Avenue, Jamaica, NY 11432
Phone: (518) 486-9786
Official Website: Jamaica DMV Office
Buffalo DMV Office
170 Pearl St., Rath Building, Buffalo, NY 14203
Phone: (518) 486-9786
Official Website: Buffalo DMV Office
Rochester Downtown DMV Office
200 E. Main Street, Ste. 101, Rochester, NY 14604
Phone: (518) 486-9786
Official Website: Rochester Downtown DMV Office
Syracuse DMV Office
4671 Onondaga Boulevard, Syracuse, NY 13219
Phone: (518) 486-9786
Official Website: Syracuse DMV Office
Albany DMV Office
855 Central Avenue, Albany, NY 12206
Phone: (518) 486-9786
Official Website: Albany DMV Office
Yonkers DMV Office
1 Larkin Plaza, Yonkers, NY 10701
Phone: (518) 486-9786
Official Website: Yonkers DMV Office
Bronx License Center DMV Office
1350 Commerce Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461
Phone: (518) 486-9786
Official Website: Bronx License Center DMV Office
Richmond DMV Office
1775 South Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10314
Phone: (518) 486-9786
Official Website: Richmond DMV Office
