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How to Bid for COE: Step-by-Step Guide

18 Mar 2026 · 11 min read

Before You Bid: What You Need to Know

Bidding for a Certificate of Entitlement is the gateway to registering a new vehicle in Singapore. While most individual buyers never interact with the bidding system directly (their dealer handles it), understanding the process is valuable whether you are bidding yourself or simply want to know what happens behind the scenes when your dealer secures a COE on your behalf.

This guide walks you through every step, from setting up your account to placing your bid, interpreting results, and avoiding common mistakes. For a broader overview of the COE system, see our What Is COE guide.

Step 1: Set Up Your OneMotoring Account

All COE bidding is conducted through the Land Transport Authority's OneMotoring portal (onemotoring.lta.gov.sg). You need an active account to participate.

Who Can Bid?

Individuals: Singapore citizens, permanent residents, and foreigners with valid work passes can bid for a COE. You must be at least 18 years old.
Companies: Registered businesses in Singapore can bid for COEs for company vehicles.
Motor dealers: Authorised dealers can bid on behalf of their customers. This is the most common route for individual buyers.

Account Setup Process

Visit the OneMotoring website at onemotoring.lta.gov.sg.
Log in using your Singpass credentials. OneMotoring authentication is handled through Singpass, Singapore's national digital identity system.
Complete your profile with the required personal or company details.
Ensure your contact details (mobile number and email) are up to date, as bid confirmations and results are communicated through these channels.

If you do not have a Singpass account, you will need to register for one first at singpass.gov.sg. For foreigners, Singpass registration requires a valid FIN (Foreign Identification Number) issued by ICA.

Step 2: Understand the Bidding Schedule

COE bidding exercises are conducted twice a month, typically on the first and third Monday of each month. The schedule is published by LTA at the start of each year.

Bidding Exercise Timeline

Day	Time	Event
Monday	12:00 pm	Bidding opens
Monday to Wednesday	12:00 pm - 4:00 pm	Bidding window (bids can be submitted or revised upward)
Wednesday	4:00 pm	Bidding closes
Wednesday	~4:15 pm	Results published

If Monday falls on a public holiday, the exercise is shifted accordingly. Always check the official LTA calendar for the exact schedule. You can also follow our Live Bidding page during exercises for real-time updates.

Step 3: Open Bidding vs Closed Bidding

The COE system uses two bidding modes that operate simultaneously during each exercise.

Open Bidding

In open bidding, the current lowest qualifying bid (the provisional quota premium) is displayed in real time throughout the bidding window. Bidders can see where the market is trending and adjust their bids accordingly. The display updates periodically, showing the price at which the last available COE would currently be allocated.

Open bidding provides transparency but also creates strategic dynamics. As bidders react to the displayed price, the premium can move up and down during the exercise. There is often a flurry of activity in the final minutes before the close, as bidders make last-minute adjustments.

Closed Bidding

In closed bidding, no information about other bids is revealed during the exercise. You submit your bid blind, without knowing what others are bidding. You cannot see the current clearing price or how many bids have been submitted.

Closed bidding is designed to encourage bidders to bid their true valuation rather than react to market signals. In theory, this produces more efficient price discovery. In practice, it can lead to more volatile outcomes, as bidders must guess the market clearing level.

How They Work Together

Each bidding exercise has both open and closed components running in parallel. The total quota for each category is split between open and closed bidding. The final quota premium for each category is the lower of the two clearing prices (open and closed). This dual mechanism aims to balance transparency with truthful bidding incentives.

Step 4: Placing Your Bid

Once the bidding exercise opens, you can submit your bid through OneMotoring.

Bid Submission Process

Log in to OneMotoring during the bidding window.
Select the category you want to bid in (A, B, C, D, or E).
Enter your maximum bid amount. This is the highest price you are willing to pay for a COE. Remember: if you win, you pay the quota premium (the lowest successful bid), not your own bid amount. So bid your true maximum willingness to pay.
Provide the required deposit. A deposit is required with each bid, payable via bank account deduction or other approved methods. The deposit amount is set by LTA and is a fraction of the bid amount.
Confirm and submit. You will receive a confirmation of your bid via the portal and optionally by SMS or email.

Revising Your Bid

During the bidding window, you can revise your bid upward at any time. You cannot revise downward or withdraw a bid once submitted. This one-way revision rule prevents gaming behaviour where bidders might bid high to discourage others and then drop their bid at the last moment.

If you are participating in open bidding and see the provisional premium climbing above your comfort level, you have two choices: raise your bid to remain competitive, or accept that you may not win this exercise and try again in the next round.

Step 5: Understanding the Results

When bidding closes on Wednesday at 4:00 pm, LTA processes all bids and publishes results within approximately 15 minutes. The key result for each category is the Quota Premium (QP), which is the price that all successful bidders pay.

How Winners Are Determined

All bids in each category are ranked from highest to lowest.
The top N bids win, where N equals the number of COEs available in that category for this exercise.
The Nth highest bid (the lowest successful bid) becomes the quota premium.
All winners pay this same quota premium, regardless of how much they originally bid.

If your bid is equal to or above the quota premium, you win. If it is below, you do not win this round and your deposit is refunded. You can then bid again in the next exercise.

What If My Bid Equals the Quota Premium?

If multiple bids are tied at the quota premium level and there are not enough COEs for all of them, the allocation is done by ballot (random draw) among the tied bidders. This means bidding exactly at the clearing price does not guarantee success; there is an element of luck at the margin.

Step 6: After Winning a COE

If your bid is successful, the COE is allocated to you. You then have six months to use it to register a vehicle. If you do not register a vehicle within six months, the COE lapses and you forfeit the premium paid.

In practice, most individual buyers coordinate with their dealer so that the car is ready for registration as soon as the COE is secured. The dealer handles the timing to ensure the COE is used within the validity window.

Bidding Strategies and Tips

While the COE auction is fundamentally a market-clearing mechanism, there are strategic considerations that can influence your outcome.

Bid Your True Valuation

The uniform-price auction format means you never pay more than the marginal clearing price. If you bid $120,000 and the premium clears at $108,000, you pay $108,000. There is no penalty for bidding higher than the clearing price. Conversely, if you bid below your true willingness to pay to "save money," you risk losing the exercise entirely. Bid what the COE is genuinely worth to you.

Monitor Trends Before Bidding

Study the results of recent exercises to understand the direction premiums are moving. If Cat A has risen for three consecutive exercises, it may continue upward if no supply changes are expected. Our Results Archive provides full historical data for trend analysis.

Consider Timing Within the Month

There are two exercises per month, and premiums can differ between them. Historically, the second exercise of the month sometimes shows slightly different dynamics as dealers and buyers who missed the first round enter the market. However, this pattern is inconsistent and should not be relied upon as a predictable arbitrage opportunity.

Seasonal Patterns

COE demand tends to be stronger around Chinese New Year (January to February), when buyers want new cars for the festive season, and softer during the middle of the year. These seasonal effects are modest and have become less pronounced in recent years, but they can provide marginal advantage at the edges.

Watch for Quota Changes

LTA announces new quarterly quotas about a week before each quarter begins. A change in quota can shift premiums significantly. If the upcoming quarter has a higher quota, premiums may soften. If lower, premiums may rise. Position your bidding around these announcements when possible.

Avoid Last-Minute Panic Bidding

In open bidding exercises, premiums often spike in the final 30 minutes as bidders compete to secure a certificate. Setting a firm maximum bid and sticking to it prevents emotional overspending. Remember: there will always be another exercise in two weeks. Paying $5,000 more than your budget in a panic benefits no one except the auction mechanism.

Bidding Through a Dealer vs Bidding Yourself

Most individual buyers bid through their car dealer rather than directly. Here is how the two approaches compare:

Factor	Through Dealer	Direct Bidding
Convenience	High (dealer handles everything)	Low (you manage the process)
COE price	Same (QP is fixed by auction)	Same
Admin fee	May include dealer markup	No admin fee
Flexibility	Limited to dealer's bid strategy	Full control over bid amount and timing
Risk	Dealer may bid conservatively	You bear the risk of not winning

For most buyers, going through a dealer is simpler and more practical. The COE price is the same either way; the only variable is the dealer's administrative fee or markup, which you can negotiate.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Bidding too low to "save money": In a uniform-price auction, a low bid does not save you money if you win; it just reduces your chance of winning. Bid your actual maximum.
Not checking the category: Ensure the COE category matches your intended vehicle. Bidding in Cat A for a car that qualifies only for Cat B wastes your deposit and delays your purchase.
Forgetting the six-month deadline: A won COE must be used within six months. If your car is not ready (for example, due to shipping delays or backordered models), you could lose the entire premium.
Assuming premiums will drop: Many buyers postpone purchasing in the hope that premiums will fall. While premiums do fluctuate, the long-term trend during supply-constrained periods has been upward. Waiting can cost more than bidding at today's levels.
Ignoring the full cost: A winning COE bid is just one component of the total car price. Ensure you have budgeted for the full on-the-road price, including ARF, excise duty, GST, and dealer margin, before committing to a bid.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bid in multiple categories simultaneously?

Yes, you can submit bids in more than one category within the same exercise. However, if you win in multiple categories, you will need to pay for and use each COE separately. Most individual buyers bid in only one category per exercise.

What happens if I win a COE but change my mind about buying a car?

If you win a COE and decide not to register a vehicle, the COE will lapse after six months and you forfeit the full quota premium paid. There is no refund for unused COEs. This is why it is important to be sure about your purchase decision before bidding.

Can I transfer a won COE to someone else?

No. A COE that has been won but not yet used to register a vehicle cannot be transferred to another person. It is tied to the bidder (individual or company) who won it. However, once a vehicle is registered with the COE, the vehicle (and its attached COE) can be sold or transferred like any other car.

How do I know if the dealer is bidding at the right amount for me?

When you authorise a dealer to bid on your behalf, you should discuss and agree on the maximum bid amount in advance. The dealer should document this in your purchase agreement. After the exercise, verify the result. The quota premium is public information published by LTA, so you can confirm that the dealer paid the correct amount. If a dealer bids above your agreed maximum without your consent, this is a breach of your agreement.

Is there any way to get a COE without bidding?

The only alternative to bidding is to renew an existing COE at the Prevailing Quota Premium (PQP), which is available only when your current COE is expiring. For a brand-new registration, the bidding system is the sole method of obtaining a COE. There is no fixed-price option, waitlist, or lottery for new COEs.