Vehicle registration certificate - where to look at the number, find out the vehicle registration number by PTS, by VIN, by license plate number

What is the document for?

STS is one of the required documents for a car. The certificate is used in various transactions. Taking into account current traffic regulations, the owner has no right to drive if the car has not passed the registration procedure.

The document reflects basic information about the characteristics of the car and information about its owner. If, when driving a car, the driver does not have a vehicle registration certificate, this entails administrative liability. Punishment in the form of a fine also faces persons who use an invalid STS or a document whose authenticity is in doubt.

What is STS?

To begin with, it’s worth saying a few words about what a vehicle registration certificate is. This document is issued to each motorist after registering the car with the traffic police. In principle, the document duplicates the vehicle passport.

What information is contained in the STS?

It is worth mentioning what data is indicated in the vehicle registration certificate. The following is a list of what can be learned from the STS:

The license plate assigned to the vehicle;
VIN – code. This set of characters is an individual number that is given to each car at the manufacturer's factory. It can also be said that the character set is not simply arbitrary. Using this individual number you can find out the model and make of the car, as well as other additional information about the vehicle;
Body type, color, and year of manufacture of the vehicle;
Information about the number plates of the vehicle;
Information regarding the vehicle passport;
Information about the owner of the car;
As well as some information regarding the authority that issued the document to the owner of the vehicle.

It should be remembered that each vehicle registration certificate is strictly individual . According to the information contained in this document, you can find out about the history of the car, as well as the fines that are assigned to the car owner.

Of course, you can indicate as an additional fact that this document must be carried with you at all times. If a motorist is stopped by a traffic police officer, the owner must present the STS. In the event that the document is missing, the motorist will pay for the offense by imposing a fine on him. In this case, the car may be sent to the impound lot.

What does it look like?

Questions regarding the type and content of STS are most relevant for novice drivers or citizens who have recently moved to the territory of the Russian Federation. You can get detailed information and see a sample at the nearest traffic police department or by using the Internet.

External description

The document is a plastic card filled out on both sides. Size - 8 x 11.5 cm. The certificate contains the title (front) and back (back) pages. Each one has marks with the series and PTS number, which must match.

Filling

The title page of the STS is almost completely identical to the front side of the PTS. It contains the main information and characteristics described in the data sheet. The document contains the following notes:

Individual registration plate.
Identification number (TIN is a combination of 17 characters).
Car make, model.
The category that includes a registered vehicle.
What year was the car produced?
Engine serial number.
Body type.
Chassis, frame designation (used for trucks or SUVs).
Car color.
Engine characteristics (power indicators, displacement).
Series and number of PTS/PSM.
Maximum load capacity indicator.
Weight of an unloaded vehicle.

Below, under the listed marks, is the vehicle registration certificate number. It is indicated by red numbers.

On the second side of the document there is information about the owner:

FULL NAME.
The address specified during registration.
Code of the traffic police department where the car is registered.

The upper part of the back side contains the vehicle certificate number, which must correspond to the one on the front page. At the bottom of the document there is a special column “special notes”. It can contain abbreviated information about the purchase of the car, the date of registration, OGRN, information about the conversion of the car, and insurance.

It is important to know! When registering a vehicle, a stamp is placed on the document. Without it, the certificate has no legal force. Also at the bottom is the last name and the electronic signature of the owner.

For what reasons may you need an STS number?

Despite such difficulties in recovering data about the number itself, in fact, information from the vehicle registration certificate in most cases is not needed by ordinary drivers.

According to the experience of most car enthusiasts, such things are only needed during the purchase and sale of a car , when the relevant papers are signed and responsibilities for driving the car are transferred. In other situations, the number and series may be required by police officers solely to check the vehicle using the traffic police electronic database. So the traffic police inspector or other responsible persons have the right to use the mentioned data to:

control the issuance of a compulsory car insurance policy (according to current legislation and regulations No. 40, a citizen can provide a PTS or STS to obtain this document);
complete the preparation of the diagnostic card (the form is issued immediately after the driver undergoes a technical inspection of the car based on Law No. 170 - here information about the STS is also required, although a technical inspection or PTS can be used as an alternative);
check the penalties imposed by the traffic police (the most complete information about the STS is required when the car owner wants to find out about issued fines through the official website of the traffic inspectorate, State Services and other portals) - there unified information is entered into the appropriate window, after which the citizen receives the necessary data on sanctions;
pay traffic police fines (to transfer funds to the recipient yourself through an ATM, Internet banking or other methods of transferring money. To do this, you will have to enter all the information about the plastic card into the electronic form).

Moreover, some of the actions described above may be useful for ordinary car owners (for example, checking penalties). Since the number of cameras located on roads throughout the country is quite large, law enforcement agencies are not always able to timely track information about violations that come for violating traffic rules.

It is for this reason that using the STS number and its series, you can also obtain up-to-date information about fines (date and amount) of a particular driver directly online.

How to find STS number?

The question of where the vehicle registration certificate number is located is relevant for anyone who has encountered difficulties deciphering the document. Both pages have the same set of numbers. This code is the STS number under which the car is registered and entered into the database.

It is important to know! It is important to take into account that the certificate contains other sets of numbers: state number, vehicle passport number. Therefore, when considering what a document looks like, you need to carefully study the information indicated on the surfaces of the card.

Working and non-working methods to find out the STS number

There are several ways to verify this information. When choosing an option, you need to consider that some of them do not work.

Through the State Services portal

You can find out information about the certificate through this site if the user previously specified the document details in his personal account. The system remembers the information and provides it to the citizen upon request.

To enter information about a plastic card, proceed as follows:

Log in to the official website.
Log in to your personal account - to do this, you need to write your login and password in the appropriate windows.
Go to the data, contacts section.
Open the vehicle menu.
Click on the inscription “Add vehicle”.
Provide information about the certificate.
Remember information.

After this, you can view the registration document number on the State Services portal. Procedure:

They open the site. Click on the “Login” button located on the right side. Enter the login and password specified during registration.
Next to personal data, click the arrow.
Go to the documents section.
Select the required certificate.

On the insurer's website

This method can be used if the driver issued an MTPL policy electronically, and a registration certificate was used for this.

Average cost of passing a car inspection

To view the STS number, you need to do this:

Log in to the website of the insurance company where the policy was issued.
Log in to your personal account.
Download the document.
They find information about the certificate in the paper and look at the number.

Using VIN code

The VIN number does not provide information about the STS. This means that you cannot view information about the certificate using it.

It contains only the following vehicle data:

production number;
manufacturer;
model;
basic technical information.

Even online services do not provide the registration certificate number by VIN code. It provides other information. Thus, using the VIN, you can view information about the MTPL policy on the website of Russian auto insurers.

On the official portal of the traffic police you can find out by VIN code:

car involvement in accidents;
ban on vehicle registration;
whether the car is wanted or not.

You won't be able to view any other VIN information. The data is not presented on unofficial sites either. On some portals, using the VIN code, you can find out the mileage of the car, whether the vehicle was used for commerce, what repairs were performed at service centers, etc. Information about STS is not provided.

By state number

You will not be able to view information about the certificate online this way. Information is not provided by either official or third-party portals.

By the license plate they will only learn about the STS through the traffic police when contacting the traffic police in person. To do this, the owner must visit the division of the authorized body. You need to have a Russian passport, title documents for the car, and an application with you. The STS number is provided upon official request. The answer is given in writing.

By PTS

For a vehicle passport, information about the certificate is not provided online. This applies to third-party and official portals. You can find out the STS number only at the traffic police when you personally visit the traffic police department.

To do this, the owner provides the inspector with:

statement;
identification;
title papers for cars.

The citizen receives an official response in writing.

In the owner's documents

The STS number can be viewed directly on the card itself. Information is presented on the front and back sides. Since driving a vehicle without a license is prohibited, the driver is always required to carry it with him.

If you don’t have a plastic card at hand, you can look up its number in other documents. Relevant information is presented in the following documents:

diagnostic card;
compulsory insurance policy.

Information about the STS is provided here only if the certificate was used when preparing the forms.

At the traffic police

As already mentioned, you can obtain information about the corresponding number through the traffic police. To do this, you need to visit the authorized body in person. This procedure can be entrusted to a third party, but you will have to draw up a power of attorney and have it certified by a notary.

To find out the STS number through the traffic police, you need to follow this procedure:

Fill out an application. It asks for information about the certificate. The paper is addressed to the head of the department.
Collect a package of documents. It includes an application, identification card, paper proving ownership of the car.
Take the kit to the nearest traffic police department.
They are waiting for an answer. This is usually provided in writing immediately after the application.

The registration certificate number is indicated on the front and back sides of the plastic card. If the document is not at hand, information about it can be found in the MTPL policy, on the State Services portal, etc. The traffic police will also find out the information, but to do this they will personally contact the traffic police.

Difference from PTS

Given the large number of similarities, drivers often wonder what the difference is between STS and PTS. Both documents contain information and technical characteristics of the vehicle. The differences are as follows:

The vehicle passport is provided by the manufacturer, while the certificate is issued by the traffic police upon registration
PTS is a title document, in the absence of which it is impossible to officially sell a car or perform other legal actions
The STS must be issued for each owner of the vehicle, while the passport can be changed only if it is impossible to make a record of the change of owner due to lack of free space
The certificate is always presented when checking by traffic police officers, while the PTS is not required to be shown
The driver has the opportunity to find out about the presence of fines using the STS number

How to verify authenticity

Drivers who do not know how to check and where to look for the vehicle registration certificate number may encounter forgery of documents. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon, so you need to remember about ways to confirm that STS is real.

This can be done using the following methods:

Inspection of the document. The authentic certificate contains a hologram. When illuminated with ultraviolet light, a protective mesh is visible on the surface of the form. You should also pay attention to the print quality.
Help at the traffic police department. The driver has the right to contact the inspection unit where the registration was carried out. They are required to check the authenticity of the document free of charge.
Internet resources. The car owner can use the services of the State Services portal. With its help, the STS number is checked against the database. A similar procedure can be completed on the traffic police website.

Attention! To check against the current database, you need to know where to look for the series and PTS number. The driver must also provide personal passport information.

Registration certificate

Registration with the traffic police is a mandatory procedure. Documents required for registration :

vehicle passport;
a document that confirms the right to own the car (certificate of inheritance, power of attorney, certificate of invoice from the dealership, purchase and sale agreement);
general passport;
OSAGO policy;
application on a form.

Before contacting the traffic police, you need to pay the state fee . Cost - 850 rubles (500 rubles extra for the state registration certificate + 350 rubles for making changes to the PTS).

You can provide all documents to the territorial department of the traffic police. On the traffic police website you can find out where to register your car: https://www.gibdd.ru/gosuslugi/reg/reg/. You can also make an appointment online here.

The traffic police officer accepts the application and then conducts an inspection . The numbers on the engine and chassis are checked against the information specified in the vehicle title.

Instead of an inspection, you can provide a technical inspection report, which is valid for only 20 days.

If the vehicle data does not match the information from the vehicle passport, or the numbers are not readable, the inspector may order a forensic examination.

If everything is in order, the car owner receives a certificate of state registration of the vehicle.

Replacing a document

Corrections cannot be made to the document . If any personal information or information about the car has changed, the document is replaced completely.

You can sign up for registration and replacement of a certificate through the Public Services portal.

If you change your certificate due to a change of name, place of registration or damage to the document, an inspection of the car by the traffic police is not necessary.

If changes have affected the design of the car, you need to inspect the car at the State Traffic Inspectorate.

Replacement of the document may be required if:

an error was detected in the data;
the data specified in the STS has changed;
The document is damaged and the information cannot be read.

To replace it, you must also contact the traffic police, bring an application and a passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation. Receipt of payment of state duty, certificate.

State duty at a discount

Until January 1, 2021, the state fee can be paid with a 30% discount . Then the fee will be 350+245 rubles.

To receive a discount you must:

log into your account on the State Services portal;
select “Electronic service”;
fill out an application electronically and enter the required data;
select a date for visiting the State Traffic Inspectorate, submit an application for inspection;
pay the state fee by bank card, using an electronic wallet (Webmoney, Yandex.Money, Qiwi) or a mobile phone account.

If you purchased a new car, then you need to register it with the traffic police by paying 3 state fees in order to:

made changes to the PTS;
issued a certificate of registration;
numbers were issued.

For the traditional payment method you will have to pay 350+500+2000 rubles. Total: 2850 rubles. With discount: 245+350+1400. Total: 1995 rubles.

Fine for driving without a license

According to Article 12.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, driving a vehicle without registration documents is punishable by a fine of 500 rubles.

When is replacement needed?

Changing or restoring the STS is a procedure that is mandatory in certain cases. First of all, the certificate must be reissued if lost or damaged. If the old document has become unusable or was deliberately damaged, it is considered invalid. Replacement is required in the following cases:

Change of owner's last name.
Car repainting.
Change of address after registration.
Vehicle re-equipment.
Change of number.
Expiration of the STS validity period.

To replace the certificate, you need to contact the traffic police. There, the owner is required to fill out an application and provide all documentation for the car. After this, the state duty is paid, and the driver receives a new vehicle with individual license plates.

Issuing a vehicle registration certificate is a mandatory procedure. Drivers who do not have such a document cannot legally drive a car. STS contains information about the owner and the main characteristics of the vehicle. A replacement certificate is required for each new vehicle owner.