A vehicle registration in Montenegro lasts one year and is renewed with the Ministry of the Interior, in person or through a technical inspection station you authorise. Before that the vehicle must pass the technical inspection, at the earliest 30 days before the registration expires, and the application also needs the compulsory insurance policy and proof that taxes and charges have been paid. Since August 2026 a new passenger car has its first technical inspection only two years after first registration, the registration certificate form costs 5 euros and new plates for a car cost 10 euros.
The rules come from the Law on Road Traffic Safety, amended in July 2026, the Rulebook on the Registration of Motor Vehicles and Trailers, the Law on Compulsory Traffic Insurance and the Decision on the annual road charge. This guide explains who registers a vehicle and where, what goes with the application, what it costs, what the fines are and what applies to vehicles on foreign plates.
Who has to register a vehicle, and where?
Every motor vehicle and trailer used on the road must be registered. Without registration a vehicle may only move on trial plates, for example from the place where it is collected to the place where it will be registered, with a certificate valid for no more than 15 days.
- A vehicle is registered in the owner's name. If it has several owners, it is registered in the name of one of them, as they agree.
- A private individual registers a vehicle at their place of residence, and a foreigner at their place of temporary or permanent residence in Montenegro.
- The registration certificate is issued for one year. On request it can be issued for a shorter period, but not shorter than three months.
- For a moped, a tractor, a working machine and a light trailer the certificate is valid for five years.
The letters on the plate show the registration area: PG for Podgorica, BD for Budva, KO for Kotor, TV for Tivat, HN for Herceg Novi, BR for Bar, UL for Ulcinj, NK for Nikšić, CT for Cetinje, ZT for Zeta and TZ for Tuzi, along with the other municipalities.
When is the technical inspection due?
The regular annual technical inspection is done before you apply for registration, at the earliest 30 days before the current registration expires. The proof of roadworthiness you submit must not be older than 30 days.
The July 2026 amendments changed the exception for new vehicles: a new passenger car and a goods vehicle up to 3,500 kg skip the regular technical inspection for two years from first registration. The period used to be three years. Rent-a-car vehicles go for a technical inspection every six months. A vehicle whose vital parts were damaged in an accident must have an extraordinary inspection before it goes back on the road.
What goes with the registration application?
Your identity is checked against a photo ID. A vehicle can be registered if there is:
- proof of ownership, when the vehicle is registered for the first time or changes owner;
- proof of roadworthiness no older than 30 days, except for a new vehicle in its first two years;
- proof of compulsory third party motor insurance;
- proof that the vehicle's taxes have been paid, that customs duties have been paid for a vehicle registered for the first time, and that the form, the fee and other prescribed charges have been paid.
A vehicle also cannot be registered if the owner is listed in the register of fines as fined for a traffic offence, so settle any unpaid fine before you register. You submit the application to the Ministry in person or through a technical inspection station, which you can authorise on the application form to collect the registration certificate and plates on your behalf.
The law used to provide for a certificate of the submitted application that allowed you to drive for up to 30 days. The July 2026 amendments deleted that provision, so renew your registration on time.
How much does registration cost?
| Item | Amount |
| Registration certificate form | 5 euros |
| New number plates for a car | 10 euros, or 12 euros if the front and rear plates have different dimensions |
| Motorcycle plate | 6 euros |
| Moped plate | 5 euros |
| Personalised plates | 600 euros for a car, 200 euros for a motorcycle or moped |
| Annual road charge | Until 30 June 2027 under the 2005 decision, from 1 July 2027 under the new table below |
| Compulsory third party motor insurance | Under the tariff of the insurer you choose |
| Technical inspection | Paid to the technical inspection station |
You do not pay for plates if the vehicle keeps the plates it already has, even when the owner changes, or when plates are transferred from another vehicle of yours.
How much is the road charge from 1 July 2027?
In June 2026 the Government adopted a new decision on the annual road charge, which applies from 1 July 2027. The charge is calculated by multiplying a base of 5 euros by a coefficient for the type of vehicle:
| Passenger car with an internal combustion engine | Annual charge |
| up to 900 cm³ | 5.00 euros |
| 901 to 1,350 cm³ | 10.50 euros |
| 1,351 to 1,800 cm³ | 16.00 euros |
| 1,801 to 2,500 cm³ | 21.50 euros |
| 2,501 to 3,150 cm³ | 27.00 euros |
| more than 3,150 cm³ | 32.50 euros |
For passenger cars with six to nine seats the amount is multiplied by 1.3, and for plug-in hybrids by 0.8. For electric passenger cars the charge depends on motor power and runs from 3.75 euros (up to 55 kW) to 25 euros (over 115 kW), and for motorcycles from 1.50 to 2.50 euros by engine size. The charge is paid in advance for 12 months at registration, proportionally for a shorter registration, and a new owner does not pay again until the period already paid runs out. The new road charge decision is analysed in more detail by the law firm RoNa Legal.
What are the fines?
| Offence | Fine |
| Driving an unregistered vehicle or one whose registration certificate has expired | 200 to 400 euros |
| An owner lets someone else drive an unregistered vehicle or one with an expired certificate | 150 to 400 euros |
| Plates not removed after registration expires, or a change to the certificate data not reported within 15 days | 100 to 300 euros |
| The driver does not carry the registration certificate or does not show it to the police | 100 to 300 euros |
| A person resident in Montenegro drives a vehicle registered in another country | 150 to 400 euros |
These fines apply since the amendments that took effect in August 2026. If you do not renew the registration, you must take the plates off the vehicle.
What applies to a car on foreign plates?
A vehicle registered in another country may be driven in Montenegro if it has a valid foreign registration certificate, plates and the international country sign. There are two important limits:
- A person resident in Montenegro may not drive a vehicle registered in another country, unless they hold residence in that country for longer than six months or are driving a rent-a-car vehicle.
- Vehicles of foreigners granted temporary or permanent residence in Montenegro, and of Montenegrin citizens who return to live in Montenegro for good, may be driven only if they are registered in Montenegro.
Once you have residence, the first registration of an imported vehicle also requires proof that customs duties have been paid. The order of the steps from address registration to plates is set out in our guide to the first 90 days in Montenegro, and how long you may drive on a foreign licence is explained in our article on the driving licence for foreigners.
What happens when the owner changes?
The new owner submits proof of ownership, and the owner must report any change to the data in the registration certificate within 15 days. The compulsory insurance policy passes to the new owner and runs until the end of the current insurance period. The buyer of a used vehicle pays a 5% sales tax, and how a sale runs from the contract to the transfer is explained in our article on selling a used car. What compulsory insurance covers and how to report a claim is described in our guide to car insurance and the European accident report.
A service, tyres and other work on the car before the technical inspection can also be booked through the Glatko platform.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a vehicle registration valid in Montenegro? The registration certificate is issued for one year, and on request for a shorter period, but not shorter than three months. For a moped or a tractor it is valid for five years.
How early can I go for the technical inspection? At the earliest 30 days before the registration expires. The proof of roadworthiness must not be older than 30 days.
Does a new car need a technical inspection? Since August 2026 a new passenger car and a goods vehicle up to 3,500 kg skip the regular technical inspection for two years from first registration.
How much do number plates cost? New plates for a car cost 10 euros, or 12 euros if they have different dimensions, and personalised plates cost 600 euros. The registration certificate form costs 5 euros.
Can I drive a car on foreign plates in Montenegro? A tourist can, if the vehicle has a valid foreign certificate and plates. A person resident in Montenegro may not, except in the cases the law lists, and a foreigner with residence must register the vehicle in Montenegro.
What is the fine for driving an unregistered car? The driver is fined 200 to 400 euros, and the owner who handed over the vehicle 150 to 400 euros.
Sources
Registration is governed by the Law on Road Traffic Safety (Official Gazette of Montenegro 33/2012, 58/2014, 14/2017 and 66/2019, amended by 111/2026, Articles 264, 268 to 286 and 320 to 323) and the Rulebook on the Registration of Motor Vehicles and Trailers (Official Gazette of Montenegro 10/2015 as amended, Articles 30a to 30v and 31 to 38). The road charge from 1 July 2027 is set by the Decision on the annual road charge (Official Gazette of Montenegro 95/2026), and insurance by the Law on Compulsory Traffic Insurance (Official Gazette of Montenegro 44/2012 as amended, Articles 7 and 32). The legislation was checked on 25 September 2026. Fijaka is a classifieds platform and does not give legal advice; for a specific vehicle, contact the Ministry of the Interior or a technical inspection station.