VEP replacement tag: what to do if yours is lost, stolen or damaged

To get a VEP replacement tag for an RFID tag that has been lost, stolen or damaged in an accident, JPJ's own FAQ asks for three things. You update the vehicle's status on the VEP portal, you produce a police report to JPJ when you collect the new tag, and you pay an administration fee. The FAQ does not ask for a fresh VEP application, and it does not publish the fee.

The new tag goes on the headlight, and it has to be activated before the car crosses into Malaysia again. Since new tags moved to the headlight, a cracked or replaced headlamp takes the tag with it, and a car without an activated tag can be fined RM300 at a JPJ check. This page covers which of JPJ's two replacement rules your case falls under, what the portal will and will not let you do, where the police report fits, and how the new tag gets fitted.

Key takeaways

• JPJ's VEP FAQ, for a tag that is stolen, lost or damaged in an accident: update the vehicle status on the online portal, produce a police report to JPJ when you collect the new tag, and pay an administration fee. The FAQ gives no amount for the fee.
• A faulty tag, meaning one the reader at the CIQ cannot detect and JPJ staff confirm, falls under a separate replacement policy. Malay Mail reported in September 2024 that JPJ replaces those at no charge. A tag that has been removed or tampered with is not covered, and JPJ charges a fee to reissue it.
• The Deactivate button in the portal's vehicle list opens a notice about cars you have sold, transferred or scrapped. You do not report a lost tag there.
• Do not drive into Malaysia while you wait. Since 1 July 2025 JPJ has fined cars without an activated tag RM300, and since 15 November 2025 the fine has to be paid before the car leaves Malaysia.
• Replacement tags go on the headlight. We fit and activate them for S$50 at Danga Bay or Sunway Big Box in Johor Bahru, or at our Bishan office.

Which of JPJ's two replacement rules applies to you

JPJ's FAQ on the VEP portal deals with replacement in two separate answers, and they cost different amounts. Question 6 in the RFID tag section covers a tag that is stolen, lost or damaged in an accident. Question 7 covers a faulty tag. Work out which one you are in first, because the police report and the fee depend on it.

The last row is our reading, not JPJ's wording. The FAQ has no answer for a headlamp changed for some reason other than an accident, such as a fogged lens or an upgrade. The nearest rule is the one for a tag that has been removed, and JPJ says its replacement policy does not apply to those. If the headlamp was changed after an accident, you are in the accident row and you need the police report.

If the tag is still on the car, undamaged, and the gantry will not read it, start with our guide to a VEP RFID tag that is not working. Linking problems and the other faults covered there do not need a new tag. This page is for a tag that is gone or broken.

A cracked or replaced headlamp

Since October 2026 new tags are fitted on the headlight only. The headlamp now carries the tag, so whatever happens to the lamp happens to the tag. When a workshop replaces the lamp, the tag leaves with the old unit.

Before the old lamp goes:

• Log in to the portal, press the Tag button next to the car and write down the tag serial number. The same window shows the tag's expiry date.
• Photograph the tag on the old lamp, damaged or not. If JPJ asks what happened to it, you have the answer on your phone.
• Leave the tag where it is. Peeling it off to stick on the new lamp makes it a removed tag, which JPJ's replacement policy does not cover, and if it will not read on the new lamp you pay for a new one anyway.

A lamp with a small crack and a tag that still reads at the gantry needs nothing yet. Keep an eye on it, and have the tag replaced when the lamp is replaced.

An older tag on the windscreen

Tags fitted on the glass before October 2026 still work. Change that glass, though, and the tag goes with it. The replacement is fitted on the headlight, since that is the only place new tags go now. If the glass broke in an accident, the accident rule and its police report apply.

How to get a VEP replacement tag, step by step

1. Log in at vep.jpj.gov.my and open Manage Vehicles. If the login itself is the problem, our VEP login help covers password resets and the usual errors. In the Vehicle List, the Tag button shows your tag serial number and expiry date. Note both.
2. Update the vehicle status, which is what the FAQ asks for. The portal makes this harder than the FAQ suggests. For a car with an active tag, the row shows Tag, Deactivate and either View or Renew, and none of them is labelled lost, stolen or damaged. If you cannot find where to record it, write to the VEP support team at aduanvep@jpj.gov.my, the address the portal itself gives, with the plate number, the tag serial and what happened.
3. Make a police report if the tag was stolen, lost or damaged in an accident. JPJ wants it produced when you collect the new tag. The FAQ does not say whether a Singapore police report is accepted or whether you need a Malaysian one, so ask JPJ before you rely on either.
4. Get the new tag. The FAQ says you show the police report when you collect it, and that an administration fee is charged.
5. Have it fitted on the headlight and activated. A fitter activates it on the spot. If you fit it yourself, activation happens in JPJ's tag system, VEPAMS (vepams.jpj.gov.my): select the vehicle, enter the tag serial number, fit the tag the way JPJ's video guide shows, upload a photo of the fitted tag and submit. JPJ notifies you by email once the tag is active. The full walk-through is in how to activate a VEP RFID tag.

Why the Deactivate button is the wrong one

The red Deactivate button looks like the place to report a lost tag. Press it and the portal shows a notice from the VEP Support Team about cars you no longer own because you sold, transferred or scrapped them. That deactivation is done by email to aduanvep@jpj.gov.my with your NRIC and LTA documents, and JPJ staff examine them before anything changes. The notice says nothing about a lost or damaged tag.

If you have sold the car, that is a deregistration job, and our deregistration service handles it. If you still own the car and want a new tag, leave Deactivate alone.

Can you drive into Malaysia while you wait?

No. Plan the next trip for after the new tag is fitted and activated. We know of no temporary permit that covers a lost or replacement tag, and JPJ's checks look for an activated tag on the car.

The rule has been enforced since 1 July 2025. Malaysia's Ministry of Transport said in its release of 4 June 2025 that from that date summonses would go to foreign vehicle owners who had not registered or activated their VEP, under Section 66H(7) of the Road Transport Act 1987. In the first hour of enforcement JPJ fined 10 Singapore cars RM300 each. The first driver fined, a 19-year-old student, told The Straits Times he had already registered for the VEP and the tag was being delivered to him (reported by Malay Mail, 1 July 2025). A registration with the tag still in transit did not count.

Since 15 November 2025 the fine cannot wait until you are back in Singapore. JPJ's director-general said that owners must settle fines, and complete VEP registration where it is missing, before they leave Malaysia, and that enforcement now covers the whole country, not only Johor (Bernama, 1 November 2025). Payment is cashless, at JPJ counters, JPJ mobile counters or online through MyEG (MOT, 4 June 2025).

A Touch 'n Go RFID tag, the kind Malaysian cars use in toll lanes, does not stand in for the VEP tag either. JPJ's FAQ says foreign-registered vehicles must get the VEP RFID tag from JPJ.

Getting the new tag fitted on the headlight

We fit a replacement tag the same way we fit a first one. It goes on the headlight, it is activated, and it is linked to your Touch 'n Go eWallet, for S$50. You can have it done on the spot in Johor Bahru at Danga Bay or Sunway Big Box, or at our Bishan office in Singapore. If the old tag is still stuck to the car, damaged, we take it off first. The details are on our RFID installation page.

If you would rather fit it yourself, we can post the tag to you. Postage takes about 2 to 3 weeks, and you then do the VEPAMS activation described above, photo and all. If the car has to be in JB soon, the fitting in Johor Bahru is quicker, because nothing waits on the post.

What we cannot do for you

We cannot waive JPJ's administration fee or skip the police report JPJ asks for. We also cannot get the car across before the new tag is active; JPJ decides that at the check, and a car without an activated tag can be summonsed. What we can do is tell you which rule your case falls under before you spend anything, and have the new tag on the headlight and reading before you drive in.

What to have ready before you message us

• The car's plate number, and whether the car is registered to you or to a company.
• Your VEP portal login, or at least the email address the account uses.
• The police report, if the tag was stolen, lost or damaged in an accident.
• A photo of the old tag or the damaged headlamp, if you still have one.
• The tag serial number from the Tag button, if you can get into the portal.

With those in hand we can tell you whether you are under the accident rule or the faulty-tag rule, or whether the tag is fine and the problem is somewhere the troubleshooting guide covers.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a VEP replacement tag cost?

JPJ charges an administration fee for a tag that is stolen, lost or damaged in an accident, but its FAQ does not say how much. Fitting and activating the new tag on the headlight with us is S$50, including Touch 'n Go linking.

Do I need a police report to replace my VEP tag?

Yes, if the tag was stolen, lost or damaged in an accident. JPJ's FAQ says you produce the police report to JPJ when you collect the new tag. A faulty tag that JPJ staff confirm at the CIQ is a separate case, and the FAQ does not mention a report for it.

Can I move my VEP tag from the old headlamp to the new one?

We would not. JPJ's FAQ says its replacement policy does not apply to a tag that has been removed or tampered with, and that a fee is charged to reissue one. If the moved tag fails, you pay for a new tag anyway.

Do I have to apply for a new VEP if my tag is lost?

JPJ's FAQ does not ask for one. It asks you to update the vehicle status, bring a police report and pay an administration fee. Selling the car is different: that is a deactivation, done by email to JPJ with LTA documents.

Can I drive into Malaysia while I wait for a replacement VEP tag?

No. A pending replacement is not a permit, and since 1 July 2025 JPJ has fined cars without an activated tag RM300. Since 15 November 2025 the fine has to be paid before the car can leave Malaysia.

Sources

• JPJ Vehicle Entry Permit portal, Frequently Asked Questions, VEP RFID Tag questions 6 to 8 (read 1 November 2026)
• Ministry of Transport Malaysia, media release: enforcement of VEP from 1 July 2025 at the Malaysia-Singapore land border (4 June 2025)
• Malay Mail: Driving into Malaysia from Singapore? Here's what you need to know about VEP (30 September 2024)
• Malay Mail: Malaysia kicks off VEP enforcement at Johor border, fines 10 Singapore drivers within first hour (1 July 2025)
• Bernama: Singaporean vehicle owners, drivers to be barred from leaving Malaysia over unpaid VEP fines (1 November 2025)

Radiant VEP Solutions is not affiliated with JPJ. You can apply yourself for free at vep.jpj.gov.my, and you can handle a replacement yourself the same way. If you would rather hand it over, send us the plate number and what happened to the tag and we will tell you which rule applies and when we can fit the new one.