Driver's licenses with electronic chips are being introduced in Russia. What will they look like

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.

Electronic driver's license - what is it?

This is a certificate that should replace the paper version, as well as other “driving documents”. For example, now, according to the Traffic Rules, the driver is required to have with him and, in cases established by law, present to the traffic police inspector such documents as a driver’s license, a Vehicle Certificate (VVC), as well as a Compulsory Auto-Civil Liability Insurance (MTPL) policy.

Did you know that compulsory motor liability insurance policies can be purchased online for a long time. So-called electronic policies have already existed for more than 3 years.

Likewise, a driver’s license, STS, PTS will gradually turn into archaism in the near future, since this package of documents is included in the government program “Electronic Document”. It is understood that most of the documents - passport, driver's license, personal identification number, tax identification number - will turn into one plastic card with a special chip.

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.

What will the electronic driver's license look like?

It will represent one common map, most likely combined with other documents. The form can be like a regular bank card with an electronic chip. It is assumed that this plastic does not have to be presented to the traffic police inspector, since all information will be stored in the database. And in order for a police officer to be able to make an identification, it will be enough to take a photograph of the driver and the database will automatically determine who is driving. For this purpose, traffic police officers will be equipped with special tablets that will connect to the database. Also, tablets will be able to recognize the driver by voice, which will reduce the likelihood of error.

Tablets began to be actively implemented in St. Petersburg and Moscow, but now they have limited functionality. For example, to find out who is driving, the inspector must manually enter the driver’s data: driver’s license number or passport number, as well as name and date of birth.

In addition to all this, traffic police vehicles are equipped with special cameras that read vehicle license plates and automatically check for violations.

Manual input into a tablet computer will also remain; for example, you can transfer your data in words or show a photo of an “Electronic document” with a name and number on it. Probably embedded chips in plastic cards can be scanned right on the spot. This is how the database will store:

Driving license – open categories (B,C,E, etc.), validity, authenticity
Fines (unpaid)
Vehicle information (STS data)
Special marks (Wanted, theft, etc.)
Information about OSAGO

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 and where to get a new driver's license?

A new type of license can be obtained in three ways:

Contact any traffic police department.
Through the government services website (https://www.gosuslugi.ru/10056/2).
At any public assistance center “My Documents”.

It will be most convenient for citizens to use the second and third options. This way you can avoid queues. To submit documents for a new driver's license, you will need:

Passport.
Old ID (if not lost).
Matte photographs 35 by 45 millimeters, b/w or color.
Medical certificate in form No. 003-В/у
Receipt for payment of state duty in the amount of 2000 rubles. If you apply for new rights electronically, there is a 30% discount on the government services website (1,400 instead of 2,000 rubles).

If you are applying through My Documents or the traffic police department, you will be asked to fill out an application.

It is also important to remember that obtaining a new driver's license does not exempt you from the need to obtain an international driver's license if you intend to travel by car in all countries where it is required.

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.

Who can get a new license?

If you still have the old type of license, you should not immediately run and change it to a new one. They will be valid until the date specified in the certificate itself.

A driver's license is valid for 10 years from the date of receipt.

You can exchange rights if:

You have changed your personal data (last name, first name or patronymic).
You have lost your valid driver's license.
You have added a driver's category.
Your rights have been damaged.
The previous ID has expired.

If you have been deprived of your rights, then unpleasant news awaits you. From October 20, 2021, in order to get your license back after deprivation, you need not only to bring a receipt for full payment of the fine, but also to retake the exam at the traffic police.

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 is a license with a biometric chip?

Biometric documents are becoming more and more popular, but not everyone fully understands what they are. In this case, a biometric license is a regular driver’s license containing a special chip that contains biometric (physiological) information.

The development of biometric rights in the Russian Federation began in 2015 through the joint efforts of Sberbank and the Ministry of Digital Development. The goal of the project is to develop and implement a computer chip for a driver's license. The chip will contain data about the driver:

photo;
information about registration at the place of residence or stay provided by the FMS;
data on marital status provided by the registry office;
information from military records;
blood type;
fingerprints;
signature in electronic format.

Is it worth making licenses with a chip?
In addition, a common identification system was created, where data about each driver will be entered, and a unique electronic signature was developed.

Upon receipt of a license, the driver’s data and his electronic signature will be entered into the general system and in the future will significantly facilitate the work of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate. Thus, by reading data from the microcircuit with a special device, you can find out all the necessary information about the owner.

Today, a similar system is used in foreign passports, which contain a chip with data about the owner. This technology is used to create any biometric documents, which increases the efficiency of their use and reduces the level of fraud.

The presence of an electronic signature in the microcircuit will allow you to use your license not only as a document confirming the driver’s qualifications, but also as a full-fledged document confirming your identity (with all possible operations with it).

When will they start issuing

Sberbank and the Ministry of Digital Development have already agreed on the project with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and began a test launch, while the start of issuing full-fledged biometric rights is scheduled for December 1, 2021. What is required to obtain such rights? From now on, driving licenses will be obtained in the usual manner:

studying at a driving school;
passing a medical examination;
Exams passage.

This video explains why your license will have a chip:

But with minor changes: when submitting the necessary documents to obtain a driver’s license, you will also need to provide biometric data (signature, photo, etc.). The project developers promise to issue documents as usual without delays.

Citizens who already have rights will need to contact the traffic police in order to replace old documents with new ones, and during the exchange process also provide biometric data to be entered into the microcircuit. Over time, it will be possible to obtain a license (and later a biometric passport) at the MFC.

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.

Decoding the categories of the new driver's license

In 2021, Russian driving schools and the traffic police will begin taking exams according to a new scheme. The most important change is the unification of the site and the city. This particular change was postponed several times; the last start date was October 1, but the pandemic and quarantine postponed the reform to April 21, 2021.

To obtain a VE, you must pass an additional exam, since the certificate belongs to a separate group.

That is, they are already taking money for new licenses, but who knows when they will start issuing them? Or, before the release of new rights, can you still take the old ones at the same price?

Letter A1 allows you to drive only motorcycles. These licenses are issued for driving a scooter or ATV. Transport must meet the following characteristics:

power up to eleven kilowatts;
engine capacity from 50 to 125 cubic meters;
lack of a motorcycle trailer.

Of course, for those drivers who do not intend to leave the country, there is no need to obtain such a license. But this document is extremely important for those people who often visit other states. It is international rights that make it possible to drive a vehicle here.

The 2021 model permit allows a citizen of the Russian Federation to enter the territory of most countries with their own car, as well as rent a car. At the same time, it is advisable to study the peculiarities of traffic rules of those countries to whose territory the citizen is going to travel.