The Certificate of Entitlement (COE) premium for Category A cars has hit a new record of S$133,009.
The premium rose by S$4,508, or 3.5%, from S$128,501 in the previous exercise, according to results from the latest bidding round on Wednesday, 9 September.
It surpassed the previous Category A record of S$129,000, which was set just two months earlier on 8 July 2026.
COE Prices Rose Across All Categories
It was not just Category A motorists facing higher premiums this time.
Category B, for larger and more powerful cars, rose 3.1% from S$131,001 to S$135,001.
Category C, which covers goods vehicles and buses, increased 3.4% from S$90,002 to S$93,101.
Motorcycle COEs recorded the largest percentage increase. Category D climbed 11.1% from S$11,301 to S$12,556.
Meanwhile, the Open Category, or Category E, rose 2.1% from S$135,000 to S$137,890. Category E COEs can be used for any vehicle except motorcycles, although they are generally used for larger cars.
A total of 4,776 bids were submitted in the exercise, while 3,253 COEs were available.
What Counts as a Category A Car?
Under the current rules, Category A covers non-fully electric cars with engines of up to 1,600cc and a maximum power output of up to 97kW, or 130bhp.
Fully electric cars can fall under Category A if their maximum power output does not exceed 110kW, or 147bhp.
More powerful cars fall under Category B.
A COE gives its holder the right to own and use a vehicle in Singapore for 10 years.
LTA Points to Three-Week Gap Between Bidding Exercises
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said after the latest exercise that COE prices remained high because three weeks had passed since the previous bidding round.
The longer-than-usual interval meant there was an additional week for vehicle orders to accumulate before dealers returned to the bidding exercise.
LTA urged both buyers and dealers to exercise prudence when bidding for COEs.
The current COE quota for the August to October 2026 period is 19,085, just 0.2% higher than the 19,052 available in the preceding May to July quarter.
LTA had earlier announced that there would be a three-week interval between the second August exercise and the first September exercise.
The next COE bidding exercise is scheduled to begin on 21 September and close on 23 September.
