> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Archive or restore a vehicle
> Hide a sold or departed car from your daily inventory while keeping photos, activity, and billing history on file.
When a vehicle leaves your care—or you no longer need it on your daily floor map—you usually should **not** delete the record. **Archive** hides the car from the normal Cars list while keeping its history, photos, notes, and billing context available for questions later.
Use this guide when a customer sold a car, moved out, or you want a clean active inventory without erasing the past.
## What you will accomplish
You will archive one vehicle so it no longer appears in your default Cars list, and you will know how to **Restore** it if the car comes back under storage.
**Expected outcome:** The car shows an **Archived** badge on its record. Staff who filter for **Active** cars no longer see it in day-to-day work—but managers can still open it when needed.
## When to archive vs. other options
* **Archive** when the vehicle left your facility or sold, but you may need photos, activity, or billing history later.
* **Remove from spot** (see [Move a car](/docs/cars/move-a-car)) when the car is still your customer’s record but no longer sits on your parking map today.
* **Delete permanently** (see [Delete a vehicle record](/docs/cars/delete-a-vehicle-record)) only when the record should not exist at all—duplicate, test data, or a manager-approved permanent removal.
**Archive is usually the safer choice**
Most storage facilities archive departed cars instead of deleting them. Deleting removes photo sessions and activity tied to that vehicle. Archiving keeps that story on file.
**Collection billing note**
If your facility uses **Private Collection** billing, archived cars may still count toward per-car platform billing until they are permanently deleted. Ask your owner or billing manager before archiving if you are unsure how your account is set up.
## Before you start
* Confirm with a manager when the car has open invoices, signed contracts, or active recurring billing.
* Open the correct vehicle from [Cars](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/cars).
* Your role must allow archiving cars. If you do not see **Danger Zone**, ask an admin about permissions.
*Start on [Cars](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/cars). Click **View** on the vehicle you need to archive—double-check year, make, model, and plate first.*
## Step 1: Open the car record
Go to [Cars](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/cars) and click **View** on the car you need to archive.
**Expected result:** The car detail page opens. Read the banner title and **VIN** in **Vehicle Details** before you scroll down.
Scroll to the very bottom of the page, past **Vehicle Details**, **Activity Feed**, and **Notes**.
Look for the **Danger Zone** heading with the subtitle **Irreversible and destructive actions**.
***Archive Vehicle** sits above **Delete Vehicle Permanently** in Danger Zone. Use **Archive** when you want to hide the car—not erase it.*
## Step 2: Archive the vehicle
In the **Archive Vehicle** row, read the short explanation under the heading. It reminds you that archiving keeps history on file.
**Why this matters:** This is different from **Remove from spot**, which only clears parking on the map while the car stays in your active inventory list.
Click the **Archive** button on the right side of the **Archive Vehicle** row.
**Expected result:** The page refreshes the archive state. You may see a short success message at the top of the screen.
When your facility uses signed storage agreements, the app may ask whether to update the customer’s contract because the vehicle left.
Read the prompt carefully. Choose the option your manager trained you to use.
**Why this matters:** Keeping contracts aligned with reality prevents billing and legal surprises later.
*After archiving, an **Archived** badge appears on the car page so anyone who opens the record knows it is hidden from the default inventory list.*
## Step 3: Confirm the car is hidden from the active list
Open [Cars](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/cars) from the sidebar.
By default, the list shows **Active** cars only. The archived vehicle should no longer appear unless you change the archive filter.
**Expected outcome:** Your daily inventory list looks shorter and matches cars still in your care.
Click **Filters & Settings**, find **Archive status**, and choose **Archived** or **All**.
**Expected result:** Archived vehicles appear again—with an **Archived** label in the table when that column is visible.
*Use **Archive status** in **Filters & Settings** when you need to review departed vehicles or confirm an archive worked.*
*When **Archived** is selected, you can still open old records for customer questions without mixing them into daily floor work.*
For more filter help, see [Find and filter cars](/docs/cars/find-and-filter-cars).
## Restore an archived vehicle
When a customer brings a car back into storage, restore the record the same day you start work again.
On [Cars](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/cars), set **Archive status** to **Archived** or **All**, then click **View** on the vehicle.
**Expected result:** The page still shows the **Archived** badge near the top.
Scroll to the bottom of the car page to **Danger Zone**.
In the **Restore Vehicle** row, click **Restore**.
**Expected outcome:** The **Archived** badge disappears. The car returns to the default **Active** Cars list.
***Restore** brings the car back to your active inventory without creating a duplicate record.*
Click **Assign location**, **Zone:**, or **Spot:** at the top of the page and park the car on your map.
**Expected result:** [Parking Spots](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/parking-spots) and the car record agree on where the vehicle sits today.
## Common mistakes to avoid
* Do not delete permanently when you only need to hide a departed car—archive instead.
* Do not assume archiving cancels monthly billing automatically. Check [Payments](/docs/payments/overview) or ask your billing manager.
* Do not forget to restore the record when the same customer returns with the same vehicle.
## Troubleshooting
**I do not see Danger Zone**
Your account may be read-only or missing archive permission. Contact a facility owner or admin.
**The car still appears in Active list**
Refresh [Cars](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/cars). Confirm **Archive status** is set to **Active** and look for an **Archived** badge on the row. If the car is still active, open it and click **Archive** again.
**I archived the wrong car**
Open the record, scroll to **Danger Zone**, and click **Restore**. Then archive the correct vehicle.
## What to do next
* Export a snapshot of your inventory for records with [Export your vehicle inventory report](/docs/cars/export-your-vehicle-inventory-report).
* Update parking with [Move a car](/docs/cars/move-a-car) when an active car changes spots.
* When a record truly should not exist, read [Delete a vehicle record](/docs/cars/delete-a-vehicle-record) with a manager first.
## Related topics
- [Delete a vehicle record](/docs/cars/delete-a-vehicle-record.md)
- [Export your vehicle inventory report](/docs/cars/export-your-vehicle-inventory-report.md)
- [Cars overview](/docs/cars/overview.md)
- [Find and filter cars](/docs/cars/find-and-filter-cars.md)
- [Set up vehicle service plans](/docs/settings/set-up-vehicle-service-plans.md)
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