Read the authorisation certificate timeline correctly and decide where to start preparing your fleet, records and deposit processes.
For a car rental business, preparing for a new regulation is not just about paperwork. The vehicles in the fleet, responsibilities in the team and the information given to customers need to be considered as one plan.
Rather than repeating every article of the regulation, this guide aims to clarify the timeline first and then build a practical preparation list. We keep legal obligations separate from our own operational suggestions. It applies to businesses operating in Türkiye.
| Date | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | The regulation takes effect |
| 1 July 2027 | Deadline for existing businesses to obtain an authorisation certificate |
| 1 January 2028 | End of the transition period for certain fleet conditions for existing businesses |
Source: Ministry of Trade — transition timeline (in Turkish). The 2028 date does not mean every obligation is postponed. Confirm the transition conditions that apply to your business separately.
It is sounder to build the preparation plan forward from the time needed to close each gap than backward from the final deadline. Do not pause other checks while waiting for one document; set a separate owner and target date for each item.
Chamber and tax registration, premises conditions and professional competence are among the topics the Ministry lists. See the authorisation certificate announcement (in Turkish).
The announced limits are 6 years of age (with an exception for classic vehicles) and, in general, 180,000 km, or 300,000 km for electric vehicles. Minimum fleet and registration conditions vary by location. See Ministry of Trade — fleet conditions (in Turkish).
For example, a high total in a 70-car fleet does not mean the preparation work is done. If current mileage is missing, you cannot even tell which car to look at first. We suggest building the table below per vehicle; it is an internal control method, not a list of legal requirements.
| Area to check | Preparation question |
|---|---|
| Age and mileage | Is the data current; which car needs review first? |
| Registration and vehicle type | Can we see the fleet mix in one list? |
| Maintenance, inspection and insurance | Who will act on upcoming dates? |
| Renewal plan | If a replacement is needed, are the budget and booking plan ready? |
The goal is not to replace the whole fleet at once, but to identify early the cars that need a decision. That way you can plan renewals without disconnecting them from existing bookings.
The deposit cap is announced as three days' rental for rentals of 1–6 days, and seven days' rental for rentals of 7–29 days. See Ministry of Trade — deposit announcement (in Turkish).
Our operational suggestion is to track the rental price, outstanding balance and deposit without mixing them up. The record should stay clear when the person doing the handover is not the one taking the return. It should be visible what the customer was told and who will complete any pending step.
Walk your team through a sample booking from start to finish: the customer request, vehicle assignment, handover preparation, payment check and return. At each step, ask where the information is kept. If the answer is one person's phone, the process needs a shared record. Our article on digitising handovers and returns is a useful companion to this exercise.
Tracking fleet, bookings, maintenance and payment information together in Rent Okey can help bring order to this preparation. Using software does not, on its own, make a business compliant. Business-specific conditions and documents must be assessed separately. Our 2027 compliance page sets out, requirement by requirement, where Rent Okey helps and where it has no role.
We do not recommend leaving preparation to the deadline. In the timeline above, the effective date and the transition dates serve different purposes. Identifying your gaps now and clarifying them with the relevant authority gives you a safer plan.
No. The Ministry lists long-term rentals, short-term rentals to non-consumers and camper vehicles as out of scope. See the scope announcement (in Turkish).
You can use the preparation methods, but do not treat this Türkiye timeline as a legal obligation timeline for Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Assess local conditions with the relevant authorities separately.
Keep the reservation calendar, vehicle status, handovers, returns and fleet-level reporting connected. Try Rent Okey with your own vehicles and team for 21 days.
