---
key: take-an-asset-out-of-service-or-retire-it
title: Take an asset out of service or retire it
audience: staff
section: operational-assets
routes: ["/assets/:assetUid/:tab?/:itemUid?"]
permissions: ["assets.records.take_out_of_service"]
features: ["operations.assets"]
since: 0.0.1
updated: 0.0.1
status: published
summary: Pull a van, trailer or kit off the road while it is broken, put it back in service when it is fixed, or retire it for good.
keywords: [out of service, broken truck, van in the shop, off the road, retire, sold, scrapped, back in service, decommission]
related: [read-an-operational-assets-page, let-a-blocked-asset-go-out-with-a-readiness-override, check-which-assets-are-ready-to-dispatch, require-a-reason-for-sensitive-actions]
---

In the sidebar, open **Equipment & Fleet**, then **Assets**, and press the asset's name. The page address is `/assets/` followed by the asset. The lifecycle buttons sit in the dark card at the top of the **Overview** tab.

An asset is active, out of service or retired. Out of service means "not now": the asset stays in your lists but dispatch treats it as blocked until someone returns it. Retired means "for good": the asset cannot be dispatched or assigned. Nothing is deleted either way, and the change is kept in the audit history.

## Before you start

- Each button has its own permission: taking an asset out of service, returning it to service, and retiring it. A button your role cannot use is not shown.
- Your organization may ask for a reason before these changes. The dialog shows what it needs; see [[require-a-reason-for-sensitive-actions]].

## Steps

1. Open the asset. Its lifecycle badge sits next to its readiness badge under the name.
2. Press the button for what you want to do:
   - **Out of service** shows while the asset is active.
   - **Return to service** shows while it is out of service or retired.
   - **Retire asset** shows until the asset is retired.
3. If your organization asks for a reason, a dialog opens. Choose a **Reason category** and type a **Business explanation** when they are asked for; some changes also ask you to type CONFIRM. When no reason is needed, there is no dialog and the change happens straight away.
4. Press **Mark out of service**, **Return to service** or **Retire asset** in the dialog to confirm, or **Cancel** to leave the asset as it is.

## What you see

- Nova confirms with "Asset marked out of service.", "Asset returned to service." or "Asset retired." and recalculates the asset's readiness straight away.
- An asset that is out of service shows a red **Dispatch blocked** box on **Overview** with the reason "Asset is out of service and requires a governed dispatch override to operate.", and it moves into the **Blocked dispatch** queue on the asset list.
- A retired asset shows "Asset is retired and cannot be dispatched or assigned." **Out of service** and **Retire asset** disappear; **Return to service** stays, so a retirement made by mistake can be undone.
- Nova keeps the change, who made it and the reason in the audit history.

## If something looks different

- "Failed to update lifecycle state." appears: someone changed the asset while you had it open, or the change is not allowed from its current state. Reload the page and try again.
- You need an out-of-service asset on one more work order before it is fixed: do not return it to service. Ask someone who can override readiness to add a temporary override instead; see [[let-a-blocked-asset-go-out-with-a-readiness-override]].
- The confirm button stays greyed out: the dialog still needs a reason category, a longer explanation, or CONFIRM typed exactly.

[[route:/assets|Open the Asset Registry]]