Maybe it is your late father’s car, a project car sitting in the porch or a second car nobody has driven in years. Now you want it back on the road, but the roadtax ran out a long time ago.
You can still renew it. What you need to do depends on one date: when the last roadtax, officially called the motor vehicle licence (LKM), expired. If that date is more than three years before you apply, the vehicle must pass an inspection before JPJ will renew the roadtax.
This guide explains the three-year rule, the PUSPAKOM and PG10 inspections, the travel permit you need to get the car there and the steps to renew afterwards.
The three-year rule in short
Since September 2020, private vehicle owners whose roadtax has been expired for less than three years can renew without a PUSPAKOM inspection, as reported by Free Malaysia Today. Before that change, the inspection kicked in after only 12 months.
Once the gap goes beyond three years, the inspection comes back. The JPJ vehicle FAQ says a vehicle whose last LKM expired more than three years before the renewal application must undergo and pass a vehicle inspection first.
How long the roadtax has been expired
Inspection needed?
What to do
Less than 3 years
No, not because of the expiry alone
Renew insurance, then renew roadtax
More than 3 years
Yes
Get a travel permit, pass the inspection, then renew at JPJ
Here the process has more steps, and some of them need a visit to JPJ. Do not drive the car until everything is in place.
1. Check the vehicle record
Confirm the last expiry date and check that the owner details and vehicle details are correct. Settle any blacklist or record issue first, because it can stop the renewal later.
2. Get insurance in force
The car needs valid insurance or takaful before JPJ will issue a travel permit. You also need cover for the roadtax period you plan to renew, so buy a policy that starts now rather than one that only starts after the inspection.
3. Apply for a temporary travel permit
A car without valid roadtax cannot be driven on public roads, including to the inspection centre. According to the JPJ vehicle FAQ, the registered owner or a representative must apply for a temporary travel permit (Permit Perjalanan Sementara, or PPS) at a JPJ office, and the vehicle’s insurance must be in force.
If you would rather not drive at all, you can arrange a tow truck to bring the car to the inspection centre.
4. Book and attend the inspection
Book through PUSPAKOM’s appointment page and choose a centre near you. PUSPAKOM lists “private vehicles with road tax that has expired for more than 3 years” under its Special Inspection, and its inspection types and fees page shows the current charges.
Bring the documents PUSPAKOM asks for when you book, including your identification and the vehicle’s registration details.
5. Renew the roadtax at JPJ
Once the vehicle passes, take the inspection result to JPJ and complete the renewal there, together with your valid insurance and the fee for the roadtax period you choose. If you are handling it on behalf of the owner, check with JPJ first what extra documents a representative needs.
PUSPAKOM or PG10: which inspection applies?
The JPJ vehicle FAQ lists two inspection routes for vehicles whose roadtax has been expired for more than three years:
PUSPAKOM inspection: available for all types of vehicles, so this is the route for cars.
JPJ PG10 inspection: only for motorcycles owned by individuals, as well as motorcycles inspected during JPJ programmes or seized by JPJ.
In short, a car owner will go to PUSPAKOM. Learn more about the other inspection types in our guide to PUSPAKOM vehicle inspections.
What the inspection looks at
PUSPAKOM describes the Special Inspection as a mandatory check that the vehicle complies with regulatory requirements. It covers the vehicle’s legal status, chassis integrity and essential mechanical components.
A car that has been parked for years often has problems you cannot see from the outside. Before your appointment, it helps to send it to a workshop and check these basics:
Headlights, brake lights and signal lights
Brakes and the handbrake
Tyres, which can crack or lose pressure after long storage
Wipers, horn and seat belts
The chassis number and engine number, which must match the registration record
If the car fails, fix the items listed in the report and follow PUSPAKOM’s instructions for a re-inspection. Do not try to renew the roadtax until the vehicle has passed.
Can you renew long-expired roadtax online?
Not at first. When the roadtax has been expired for more than three years, the inspection and the JPJ visit come first. Online renewal works for normal renewals, where the vehicle has valid insurance, no blacklist and no pending inspection.
Once your car is back in the normal renewal cycle, you can renew future roadtax online with BJAK. You can also compare car insurance on BJAK now, since valid cover is needed before the travel permit and the renewal.
Conclusion
A roadtax that has been expired for years can still be brought back. If the gap is under three years, renew your insurance and then your roadtax. If it is over three years, get insurance in force, apply for a travel permit at JPJ, pass the PUSPAKOM inspection and then renew at JPJ.
Doing it in that order saves you wasted trips and keeps you from driving an uninsured, unlicensed car.
Do I need a PUSPAKOM inspection if my roadtax expired more than 3 years ago?
Yes. JPJ requires a vehicle whose last roadtax expired more than three years before the renewal application to pass an inspection first. Cars go to PUSPAKOM, while motorcycles owned by individuals can also use JPJ’s PG10 inspection.
My roadtax expired 2 years ago. Do I need PUSPAKOM?
No. Private vehicle owners whose roadtax has been expired for less than three years do not need a PUSPAKOM inspection just because it lapsed. Renew your insurance first, then renew the roadtax.
Can I still renew roadtax that expired 5 years ago?
Yes. A gap of five years or more is treated the same way as any gap over three years. You need valid insurance, a travel permit to bring the car for inspection, a pass result, and then a renewal at JPJ.
Can I drive my car to PUSPAKOM if the roadtax has expired?
Only with a temporary travel permit (PPS). The registered owner or a representative applies for it at a JPJ office, and the vehicle’s insurance must be in force. Otherwise, use a tow truck.
Do I need insurance before the inspection?
Yes. JPJ needs the insurance to be in force for the travel permit, and you also need valid cover for the roadtax period you renew. Buy insurance before you apply for the permit.
Can I renew roadtax that expired over 3 years ago on BJAK?
Not straight away. The inspection and renewal at JPJ must be done first. After that, you can renew your insurance and future roadtax online with BJAK.
Nabil Farhan· · 6 min read
