Why you can’t drive a car if you change your license at the MFC

Electronic driver's license - will it be introduced in 2021?

No. A digital driver's license is not yet practiced in Russia. And if you want to get electronic control rights, then nothing will work out for you. As of 2021, the traffic police issue only old-style plastic vehicles, and no new laws have been introduced in this regard.

And we propose to try to find “proofs” in the official way, moving from the opposite:

new forms of electronic documents are introduced by relevant government regulations - then try looking for them on the official portal for the publication of legal acts on the issue of electronic driver's rights... there are no innovations here,
such changes are also, as a rule, announced on the official websites of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate, but here too there are no new laws introducing an electronic driving license,
and, finally, the third source of legal information is the road safety section of the Russian Government website, there is also no news here.

Thus, there are no new laws on the introduction of electronic car rights as of 2021.

Replacement of a driver's license at the MFC

Medical examination of drivers is carried out by an ophthalmologist, psychiatrist, and narcologist. A conclusion on the driver’s permission to drive a vehicle is drawn up by a therapist based on the results of an examination by specialists.

New rules for issuing a medical certificate from January 1, 2021 provide for the introduction of laboratory tests to determine the driver’s use of drugs and alcohol. This innovation will not apply to all drivers: those in whom a narcologist discovers signs of chronic alcoholism or symptoms indicating the use of psychotropic substances will be sent for testing.

To undergo a medical examination, you must contact an institution licensed to conduct medical examinations of drivers. Examinations by narcologists and psychiatrists are carried out in state psychoneurological dispensaries.

You can replace rights in three ways:

When contacting the traffic police in person
. This is the fastest way, despite the need for personal presence. You need to come to the traffic police department with a prepared package of documents - it all depends on the workload of the employees, but in most cases you can get a new license in a couple of hours.
Through MFC
. The method is convenient, since the MFC is now at every step, but it is suitable for those drivers who are willing to wait a little. Accordingly, you should not go to the MFC on the last day of validity of your old rights. From the moment you submit your application until you receive a new certificate, it takes about 10-14 days. This is explained by the fact that MFC employees send the received documents to the traffic police and then receive them back.
Through State Services
. To do this, a person must be registered on the portal.

To replace your driver's license you will need:

citizen's passport;
application (filled out on site or electronically through State Services);
receipt of payment of state duty;
medical certificate in form No. 003-В/у;
driver's photograph;
current rights (to be replaced).

All documents must be originals. Copies are not accepted.

The state fee for replacing a driver's license upon expiration is 2,000 rubles.

A driver's license becomes invalid in the following cases:

your driver's license has expired;
the personal data specified in the rights have changed;
the driver's license has been damaged in such a way that it is impossible to read the information on it;
the certificate was obtained in violation of the law;
the licenses are false;
the information on the certificate is false;
the person wrote a statement that the document was lost or stolen;
the person has received a new driver's license;
the person has medical restrictions on the right to drive a vehicle.

If there is at least one of the presented cases, the driver’s license must be replaced.

Attention! The fine for driving with an expired driver's license or no driver's license ranges from 5,000 to 15,000 rubles, depending on the length of the delay (Article 12.7 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation).

When it will be?

No exact dates are known yet. However, according to news from October 2021, there is information that the government is actively working on this issue. In addition, he is actively promoting the possibility of introducing electronic rights and the traffic police.

In particular, at the moment it is said that the transition to a digital ID is possible by 2021 - both technical implementation and the formal legislative component of this possibility.

How much will it cost?

This issue is regulated by Article 333.33 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation. But here, of course, no precise details have yet been announced.

Today, the cost of new rights is presented in the form of state duties, and the current ones include:

2,000 rubles for replacing or obtaining a plastic license,
3,000 rubles for a new generation plastic license - but here we are not talking about an electronic driver’s license, but about a license with a special chip, which, by the way, has not yet been introduced,
1,600 rubles for an international driver's license.

How can I get it?

It's quite simple:

first you submit an application (through State Services or in person) and pay the fee for issuing electronic rights,
then on the chosen day you come to the traffic police, where they take a photo of you for your new license,
after that, information about your receipt of a new license or about replacing old ones with electronic ones after their expiration date is entered into the electronic database of the State Traffic Inspectorate.

And it's all!

At the same time, the head of the traffic police assures that even when digital driver’s licenses can be officially obtained, the opportunity to issue a plastic card will still remain for motorists. That is, the transition to electronic V/U will be optional.

But what should you show to the traffic police inspector?

And here two options are being considered, which have not yet been approved and have the status of initiatives.

The easiest way

It was proposed by the head of the traffic police. But the point is that after a driver is stopped by a police officer, the latter will simply check the database of the car (more precisely, its license plate number) to determine whether the driver has the right to drive.

The plot of such a check will look like this:

a traffic police inspector stops you and demands documents for verification,
you say that everything you have is electronic: a driver’s license, an MTPL policy and even a STS (they are also going to “digitize” it along with your license),
then 2 options are possible: either the policeman takes out a tablet, gets into the database and checks whether you have these documents (today it is already possible to check insurance in this way), or asks for your passport in order to prove your identity,
The employee finds your license plate with your photo, checks visually whether you are driving and lets you go on your way (or issues a fine for any violation, because stopping without reason is still not possible everywhere).

Method number 2 - from the phone

This method was also considered by the head of the traffic police, Chernikov, as well as the deputy head of the department.

And its details are that, in fact, a digital copy of your electronic rights will be stored on your smartphone:

similar to the first option, an inspector stops you and asks for documents,
you present your smartphone, and the employee reads information about your ID using a special medium - much like your bank cards are read, that is, the same NFC technology will probably be used.

But in this case, quite reasonable questions arise:

what to do if the driver has a phone without NFC,
if you have a push-button device,
and if you don’t have a means of communication at all, did you forget it at home?

There is only one answer: since the initiative for electronic rights in 2021 implies their voluntary issuance and replacement, then if your technological capabilities do not allow you to present a digital copy of your license to the traffic police inspector, then be so kind as to get the old plastic version.

And if you have everything to present new rights in electronic form, you have issued them, but forgot your smartphone at home, then a fine for lack of rights may be quite logical and legal. That is, responsibility can also be placed on the driver.

Something else useful for you:

The obligation to pay fines to return your license after deprivation has been abolished - is this true?
What are the changes to traffic tickets in 2021?
Marks AT, APS, MC, GCL, HA/CF on your license - what do they mean and what is the fine for them?

What documents are needed to replace rights through the MFC in 2021

The validity period of the document giving the right to drive a vehicle is established by law and is 10 years from the date of receipt. If you continue to drive with an expired driver's license, you can receive a rather large fine ( 5,000 - 15,000 rubles ). Therefore, it is better to change your driver’s license, especially since it is very easy to do. The law provides for the following grounds for replacing the holder of a license:

Loss, theft, damage to ID
Document expiration
Unreadability of information on rights
Changing a citizen’s personal data (change of last name, etc.)
Physical, chemical and other damage to the ID material
Getting a new category
Availability of a large number of traffic police marks

A new document is issued immediately for 10 years . Now you don’t have to wait for the expiration date, you can do everything in advance, you just need to provide a medical report.

As for the restoration of rights after deprivation, you will be able to obtain documents again only after you have fully paid the fine for such deprivation and passed the exam for the right to drive a vehicle. For those who have lost their license due to drunk driving, it is also necessary to have a medical certificate that confirms their fitness to drive a vehicle. An application for a new certificate must be submitted at least 30 days before the end of the deprivation period.

I would also like to draw your attention to the grounds for refusal to issue a driver’s license:

There are medical restrictions that prevent you from driving a car
Your record contains multiple traffic violations, as well as a related criminal record.

So we recommend not to violate traffic rules and follow the traffic rules when driving a vehicle in order to avoid further problems.

Before going to the traffic police department, collect the following documents:

Application for replacement of the driver's license : it can be obtained locally and also filled out in advance;
Identification;
Old VU : if not lost;
A document with a mark on the place of registration or temporary residence : usually in a passport or other document (temporary registration);
Photos for a driver's license : often taken on site at the traffic police, but sometimes matte photos 3.5 * 4.5 cm are required;
Medical certificate in form No. 003-В/у;
Receipt or check for payment of state duty : the tax code sets the amount in the amount of 2000 rubles , for international rights - 1600 rubles.

By submitting all of the above documents to the traffic police department, you will be issued a new license on the same day . As you can see, there is nothing complicated here, you just need to spend time collecting the necessary documents, go to the traffic police and get a new license.

also change your driver’s license in 2021 at the MFC - this service has become available since February 1, 2017. The production time for licenses in such centers is 5 days . You can pick up your new ID there. These multifunctional centers for the provision of various government services, including the replacement of rights, are available in all regions of the country .

How to use this method? It's simple:

Visit the nearest office and get to a specialist in the electronic queue.
Make an appointment for a specific time: - through the terminal in the selected MFC; - by calling the number of a specific branch.

The procedure for replacing rights in the MFC:

Direct visit to the MFC via appointment or in turn;
You submit documents along with your application to an MFC employee.
Then you just have to wait for the documents to be ready. You may be notified of this via call, SMS or email.
Pick up a new driver's license.

Interesting!

The time frame for replacing a device at the MFC ranges from 3 days to 9 days with rare exceptions.

Last year, the procedure for replacing USSR licenses with Russian ones was simplified, but now, starting this year 2021, the procedure for replacing licenses that were issued in the USSR (before January 1, 1992) has become exactly the same as for any foreign certificates. To exchange a driver's license issued in the Soviet Union, the following documents are required:

Application for exchange of rights
Document proving your identity
Medical certificate of health and fitness to drive a vehicle
USSR driver's license
Receipt for payment of state duty for issuing new licenses

Next, you need to go through all stages of the exams: theoretical and practical parts. After successfully passing the exams, as well as providing the above documents, you will be given a new Russian license to replace the old USSR license.

The package of documents required for this procedure remains the same. The applicant must provide the following:

written application for replacement of rights;
identification document;
personal photo;
old rights;
medical certificate;
receipt of payment of state duty.

Obtaining a medical certificate

A medical certificate is perhaps the most time-consuming document when replacing a license. A medical report is required when renewing a certificate both after its expiration date and when a citizen’s personal data changes.

The approximate cost of such a certificate varies from one to three thousand rubles and includes the cost of services of the following specialists:

narcologist;
psychiatrist;
ophthalmologist;
therapist;
ENT doctor;
neurologist;
surgeon

It is noteworthy that the order of the Ministry of Health determines the fixed cost of such a procedure - it should not be higher than 1,667 rubles , however, this is only relevant for subordinate institutions.

How to go abroad?

Another logical question: if the driver has a new generation of electronic licenses, how will they be accepted abroad? The answer here is clear and simple: no way!

The fact is that if Russia even introduces a driver’s license in digital format in 2021, it will be the first country in the world with such an innovation. Therefore, it is quite natural that in this case you will face punishment in other countries.

But here we also remember that the Ministry of Internal Affairs plans to introduce the possibility of obtaining electronic licenses as an option. But it is also possible that the driver will be able to have both options at the same time, that is:

when you first receive or replace your license, you will be given an old-style plastic physical license,
but they will also add this document to the database in electronic form.

And then you can either take it with you or leave it at home - in the latter case, the inspector will simply punch it through the database. And when going abroad, you will definitely need to take a plastic device with you.

Categories in the new driver's license

A citizen can only drive the vehicle in which he completed his training. All cars are divided into groups or categories, which are usually designated by Latin letters. There are 7 of them in the new type of license. The list includes motorcycles, public transport, cars and trucks. In addition, the latest sample added 9 subcategories.

Motorcycles and scooters

A license for these types of transport is obtained from the age of 16. Permission to drive a motorcycle, no matter with or without a sidecar, is given by group A.

When a driver has permission to drive the main type of this vehicle, he automatically receives it to the subtypes:

A1 – driving motorcycles with an engine capacity of up to 125 cm3, scooters.
M – control of a moped, light ATV.

Passenger cars

To drive a car weighing up to 3500 kg, you need to get a category B license. The number of passengers in a passenger car is no more than 8 people. A trailer up to 750 kg can be used. In this case, the total weight of no more than 3.5 tons is taken into account.

If the trailer is heavier than 750 kg, then group BE is required. The total weight should also not be more than 3.5 tons. If you plan to drive a small car up to 550 kg, which has an engine capacity of 50 cm3, subcategory B1 is enough. The speed of such a car is limited to 50 km/h.

Freight vehicles

To drive a car weighing more than 3.5 tons, you must have a category C license. Such vehicles are classified as cargo vehicles. Permission is required when driving a vehicle with a trailer weighing up to 750 kg. If it has a large mass, CE approval is required.

When it is necessary to drive a truck under other conditions, a citizen must obtain a driver's license with new subcategories:

C1 – a vehicle from 3500 to 7500 kg, equipped with a trailer up to 750 kg. The total weight must not exceed the permissible maximum.
CE1 - approval allows you to drive cars with a total weight of no more than 12 tons. The trailer can weigh over 750 kg.

Buses

Drivers of such vehicles are required to obtain a Group D license. The weight of the bus does not matter, but the number of passenger seats is over 8. It is permissible to use a trailer weighing no more than 750 kg. If it is overweight or is an accordion bus, a DE approval will be required.

To drive public transport under special conditions, you must pass exams in the following subcategories:

D1 – small buses, minibuses for transporting 9–16 people. There is a trailer weight limit of 750 kg.
D1E - the total weight of the bus is limited to 12 tons, and the trailer is over 750 kg. It is important that it does not exceed the mass of the bus.

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Trams and trolleybuses

The list of categories in the new certificates has been supplemented with the types Tm and Tb. They are needed by drivers of trams and trolleybuses. In previous versions of the document, such types were not distinguished. They simply made special marks giving them the right to operate these types of public transport. Today, all professional trolleybus and tram drivers are required to have licenses with new categories.