How to Bid for a COE Yourself: Channels, Deposits and Deadlines
Follow the official individual bidding route, set a reserve price, understand deposits and check the correct Temporary COE registration deadline.
You can bid for a COE yourself, but first agree how the vehicle will be supplied and registered if you succeed. Buying a certificate without a ready vehicle can expose you to the Temporary COE deadline.
Before the exercise
Confirm the vehicle’s category and your maximum complete purchase cost. Individuals must be at least 18 and may submit only one bid per exercise, using their own identity and bank account. Do not plan simultaneous Category A and Category E backup bids as an individual.
Check the announced calendar. Exercises normally open at noon on Monday and close at 4pm on Wednesday, but public holidays can change the schedule. Use the actual dates rather than a recurring-calendar assumption.
Submit through the correct channel
The individual submission channel listed by LTA is a DBS/POSB ATM. The listed DBS, UOB and Maybank internet-banking submission channels are for corporate accounts. OneMotoring provides bid enquiry and revision; it is not the individual online submission wizard described in the earlier version of this article.
| Category | Deposit |
|---|---|
| A | S$10,000 |
| B | S$10,000 |
| C | S$10,000 |
| D | S$1,500 |
| E | S$10,000 |
The deposit is not the final quota premium. Submission and revision fees may also apply; check the bank and LTA instructions.
Have enough funds for the deposit and applicable administration fee. Select the correct category and enter a reserve price: the most you are prepared to pay for the COE. Keep the receipt and acknowledgement code secure.
During bidding
An accepted bid cannot be withdrawn. You can increase its reserve price before closing, subject to the applicable procedure and fee. The temporary “accepted” status means the bid is currently in the running; it is not a final award.
All successful bidders pay the category’s final quota premium. Your reserve price is a limit, not necessarily the amount payable. Do not raise it simply because other bids have arrived.
After the result
If unsuccessful, LTA states that the deposit less administration fees is refunded one working day after results. A later attempt requires a new bid. If successful, check the TCOE and arrange registration before its expiry.
| Category | Validity |
|---|---|
| A and B | 6 months |
| C and E | 3 months |
| D | 1 month |
An expired unused TCOE results in forfeiture of the full bid deposit. At registration, the outstanding COE amount is settled after accounting for the deposit. The deposit is not an extra premium to add a second time.
If a dealer handles bidding
Read the package’s attempts, top-up, rebate, delivery and refund clauses. Those commercial terms determine your relationship with the seller; the auction rules alone do not promise a guaranteed car package.
Sources and review date
Reviewed on 13 September 2026. Historical results retain their exercise dates; worked budgets are assumptions, not quotations.