Vehicle registration in Finland Hanna Hakanen Head of Unit / Vehicle Registration Vehicle Administration International Motor Insurance Forum

AKE operates as an agency of the Ministry of Transport and Communications. AKE promotes traffic safety and environmental awareness, and offers vehicle traffic information services to the general public, the authorities, and the corporate sector. AKE’s responsibilities include the registration of vehicles and driving licences, vehicle taxation, organising driving examinations, and supervising driving schools and inspection operations.

Vehicle registration: registration partners Act on registration services of vehicles (1100/98) AKE acquires the services from their providers Having partners promotes the availability of services the keeping the register real-time the reliability of the information Registration services add value to partners' own business Contract on registration services reliability, expertise, financial soundness Good administrative practise AKE and it's partners negotiate for compensation

Registration partners AKE has 300 registration partners and they provide service in offices all over Finland Inspection companies wide range of registration services the customer gets the registration certificate right away Insurance companies register the vehicles, which are insured at the company Car dealers and financing companies register the vehicles, which the company sells / buys ELV-actors ELV-vehicles' deregistrations Customs issues transfer permits

Registration obligation Vehicles to be registered cars (passenger cars, vans, buses, trucks) mopeds, motorcycles, quadricycles, three-wheelers tractors and motor-driven working machines snowmobiles trailers. Also historic vehicles, vehicles owned/used by the police or state need to be registered. vehicles owned or kept by the state need not be insured The military has it’s own vehicle register All vehicles registered need to have traffic insurance Registration obligation does not apply to other cross-country vehicle than a snow mobile motor-driven working machine constructed or equipped for harvesting or road maintenance a trailer which is intended for coupling to a vehicle of category L, a tractor, a motor-driven working machine or a terrain vehicle a towed device. Vehicles that are used in closed areas only need not be registered

Documents Documents required for first registration Certificate of registration inspection (used vehicle) or prior notification (new vehicle) Insurance (checked electronically from the storage of insurances) Paid taxes if not prior noticed (checked electronically from the customs) Clarification about the ownership if not prior noticed (from the last foreign owner) After the first registration the customer gets registration certificate (directly or by post, depending on the company registrering the vehicle) and the plates Number plates are connected to the vehicle, not owner No stickers used

Time limits Registration notice shall be made within 7 days since the change has happened The vehicle is to be taken off the traffic since the date, when the notice has been left in The notification need not be made after the change of the name or address or the death of a natural person The insurance is to be taken within 7 days since the ownership has changed Registration system sends information to Finnish Motor insurers’ centre about the insurances which have been taken after the time- limit

Insurance Valid insurance is one of the requirements for vehicle registration Insurance companies send information about valid insurances to an electronic storage of insurances Registration system checks that the vehicle is insured and saves the data in the register If the vehicle does not have valid insurance, the registration partner is able to sell a new insurance to the customer In some cases the old insurance can continue The traffic insurance is not time limited Excl. Insurance for export registration or transfer permit If the vehicle is registered but not in use in traffic the vehicle need to be insured (plates attached to the vehicle) the insurance contract expires (plates returned) If the vehicle is exported, stolen, damaged or deregistered, the insurance contract expires

Some figures 2007 Vehicle registrations 3 milj. ownership changes 1,5 milj. First registrations Registration plates Periodic inspections2,2 milj. Fleet of vehicles4,5 milj.

Data streams Manufacturer/Manufacturer's Agent/Importer Inspection companies Car dealers Insurance companies Financing companies Customs Police Ministry of Justice Population Register Centre Inspection companies Car dealers, financing Insurance companies Financing companies The Customs Test recipients Statistics Finland Elisa (text messaging and telephone service) Fonecta (telephone service) Zed (text messaging service) Parking supervision Police Ministry of Justice Tax administration County government State Treasury Defence Forces Border Guard Service Direct marketing resellers Information resellers Members of the public and businesses AKE Vehicle Register e.g.: prior notifications registration inspection first registrations ownership changes periodic inspection thefts change of address deaths

Data streams between the Vehicle register and insurance companies / Motor insurers’ Centre Valid insurances (appl.-appl., on-line) Vehicle registrations (user interface) Unpaid insurance premiums (file, daily) “Off-road” notifications for motorbikes (file, daily) AKE Vehicle Register Changed data (file, daily) Data on exceeded time- limits (file, daily) Type approval -data (file, daily) Vehicle inquiries through Data Resellers (appl.-appl.) Vehicle inquiries (user interface)

Reliable information The number of uninsured vehicles is 0,15 % (according to the Finnish Motor Insurers’ Centre) valid insurance is checked on vehicle registration if insurance not taken within 7 days after ownership change, system sends information automatically to the FMIC to collect the extra fee for uninsured period vehicles with unpaid insurance premiums cannot be inspected Only 1 % of annual vehicle taxes are not paid it is forbidden to use a vehicle in traffic if taxes are unpaid, even if the ownership changes extra vehicle tax, min euros, if vehicle is been used during non-use -period Information in the register is up to date only 4,2 days delay between ownership change and registration notification because of the partners it is easy for a customer to make a registration notification

Right to get information AKE has right to get information from authorities and other parties, eg. Population register centre: deaths, changes of names and addresses Police: stolen vehicles Customs: paid import taxes Manufacturer/importer of the vehicle: data on the approval of vehicles Inspection stations: Vehicle inspections Companies carrying out vehicle registrations (under contract) Finnish Motor Insurers’ Centre and the insurance companies valid insurances failures to pay motor liability insurance premiums periods of non-use of vehicles

The vehicle register is public Information is given in individual cases on the basis of the registration number or chassis number by phone, in writing, by sms or web service Disclosure of public information (also personal data) in electronic form to authorities to a person carrying out inspections to a person carrying out vehicle registrations to the Finnish Motor Insurers’ Centre and insurance companies for the purposes of managing motor liability insurances and the compensation system and maintaining the register of accidents in road traffic Disclosure of information for other purposes, eg. public opinion, market research or direct marketing statistical information, scientific research Data on a natural person may be disclosed when the activity is related to eg. road safety, vehicles or environmental nuisances caused by vehicle traffic.

Vehicle Administration AKE Thank you for your time!