"It's time to make room for a different perspective and a new voice," Mr Stokes said in a statement on Friday.
"We now need a contest to elect a new representative to serve the Pittwater community in the parliament of NSW."
The Liberals will have to nominate candidates for at least seven seats before the March election as a number of members leave or face expulsion from the party over two separate scandals.
Mr Stokes, the cities and active transport minister, will have spent 15 years in politics when he makes his exit.
He held numerous portfolios along the way including education, planning, heritage, Central Coast and environment as well as a short stint as transport and roads minister.
Last month Mr Stokes said he was still weighing up whether he would contest the election and had yet to discuss it with his family.
"That's a hypothetical question," he said when asked whether he would commit, saying also that nominations for his seat had yet to open.
A number of Liberal MPs have previously announced they will leave politics at the upcoming election, including Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello, Corrections Minister Geoff Lee, lower house Speaker Jonathan O'Dea, Riverstone MP Kevin Conolly and Vaucluse MP Gabrielle Upton.
Also up for grabs for ambitious new candidates are the seats of Kiama and Drummoyne, which will be vacated by John Sidoti and Gareth Ward.
Mr Sidoti was booted from the Liberal Party and temporarily suspended from parliament after the Independent Commission Against Corruption found he engaged in serious corruption in August.
Member for Kiama Ward was removed from the party after he was charged with sexual and indecent assault.
He remains before the courts.
Both MPs are serving as independents.
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