Driver's liability for lack of vehicle registration certificate

What are the consequences for traveling without a vehicle?

For driving without an SOP, as well as for the absence of any of the required documents, sanctions are provided under the Code of Administrative Offenses.

• If the driver has all other documents, the inspector can release him without a fine. As practice shows, this happens quite often. It’s another matter if a traffic police officer is faced with the task of improving statistics on preventing violations - then any little thing can become the basis for a monetary punishment.
• Thus, missing registration documents, driver's licenses and insurance policies will lead to receiving a warning from the traffic police or a fine of 500 rubles - under Part 1 of Article 12.3 of the Administrative Code.
• When the reason for the absence of an SOP lies in the fact that the registration of the car after purchase was not carried out within the period allotted by law, the motorist faces punishment under Part 1 of Article 12.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses - a fine of 500-800 rubles, and under paragraph 1.1 of the same article - if stopped again for that same violation, the driver will be fined 5 thousand rubles, or the driving license will be confiscated for 1-3 months.

Evacuation of a car in the absence of STS

In addition, if the driver does not have a vehicle registration certificate, the car will be forcibly evacuated to an impound lot under Part 1 of Art. 27.13 Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

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Part 1 Art. 27.13 Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation

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If you manage to bring the vehicle registration certificate before the tow truck with the car loaded on it moves off, then the car must be returned to you.

The detention of a vehicle is terminated directly at the place where the vehicle was detained in the presence of a person who can drive this vehicle in accordance with the Traffic Rules, if the reason for the detention of the vehicle is eliminated before the start of movement of the vehicle intended to move the detained vehicle to a specialized parking lot.

Part 1.1 Art. 27.13 Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation

If the car was nevertheless moved to a special parking lot, in addition to the fine for the lack of vehicle parking, you will also have to pay for the services of a tow truck and the cost of storing the car at the impound lot.

What documents should the driver have?

In the section of general responsibilities of drivers in the traffic rules (clause 2.1.1) it is stated that the list of mandatory documents includes:

• VU or its temporary analogue;
• registration documents (STS);
• MTPL policy (it is allowed to present it electronically or show a printed copy of it, from October 29, 2021).

This package of documents must be presented at the request of State Traffic Inspectorate employees and, accordingly, must always be with you. Previously, this included a maintenance ticket, but now the clause about this has been removed from the Administrative Code.

What should a driver have with him?

The legislation clearly establishes a package of documents that the driver must present to the inspector when requesting:

• driver license;
• vehicle registration certificate;
• OSAGO policy.

These rules are regulated by s.2.1.1. Traffic rules All documents must be valid.

A very common question from a beginner: “Is it possible to drive a car without one of the specified documents?” Many are especially interested in whether a car’s passport will replace its STS.

We can say with complete confidence that using a car only with a title can only happen in 2 situations:

• The car has just been purchased. That is, another 10 days have not passed since the execution of the purchase and sale agreement. This period is necessary to complete all documents. It is necessary to enter the license plate number of the new car into the MTPL policy, register it and receive the plates if the old plates were sold along with the car or there were no plates at all.
• By car transit numbers. They are installed until the car arrives at its destination and is registered.

None of the other reasons is a good reason for the lack of STS, compulsory motor liability insurance and a driver’s license. If one of the documents is missing, then at least an administrative fine will be imposed.

Reasons for driving without a registration document

There can be many reasons for missing evidence - as with any forgotten thing. Most often, traffic police officers hear the following excuses:

• left at home (for example, in other clothes or a bag);
• lost and not yet restored;
• one vehicle is used by several family members included in the MTPL, and one of them retains the certificate;
• a power of attorney was issued, but they forgot to give the STS (for example, when the car is a right-hand drive “designer” and cannot be re-registered, therefore it is sold exclusively by power of attorney).

What could be the reasons for driving without STS?

The main reason for driving without STS can be called the confidence of some drivers that this is completely acceptable. In addition, many motorists who are familiar with the list of documents required for a driver do not attach much importance to driving a vehicle without a license and consider this violation to be frivolous and the situation itself to be easily correctable.

Also, the driver often drives his car without STS for the following reasons:

• The car is not registered in the prescribed manner and the STS is simply missing;
• Forgot the certificate at home;
• Left in some other place (most often on vacation);
• Lost it and didn’t have time to restore it, but you need to use the car;
• I asked relatives or friends for a car, but did not take the certificate;
• The car is registered, for example, in the name of the husband, and the STS is registered in the name of the wife, and they take turns driving it.

Most often, such situations arise due to the fact that drivers simply do not know: administrative penalties are provided for driving without a registration certificate. In some cases, it can even result in the deprivation of a driver's license .

In what cases is it allowed to travel without a registration certificate?

If the car has just been purchased, the new owner has 10 days to register it. During this period, he can travel by car without an insurance policy and vehicle insurance.

However, you must understand that if an accident occurs due to the fault of the driver, the injured party will have to compensate for losses from their own funds. Therefore, the first thing after purchasing is to register the car and take out an insurance policy.

Also, instead of the specified documents, the motorist must carry with him a purchase and sale agreement and a title with the details of the new owner and the date of purchase entered into it.

According to Article 19.22 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, a driver who fails to complete registration actions within the specified period will be issued a fine, which will have to be paid upon registration:

• 1.5-2 thousand for individuals;
• 2-3 thousand for civil servants;
• 5-10 thousand for legal entities.

Until 2013, it was possible to obtain temporary transit numbers and use them before registering and receiving STS within 20 days (but some continued to travel after the period had expired).

After re-registration became possible at any traffic police department, such a privilege was retained only for 3 categories of owners:

• legal entities;
• IP;
• individuals living in another country and transporting vehicles there.

Is it allowed to drive a car without having a certificate (STS)?

The answer to this question can be quite unequivocal - no. Moreover, you can drive a car only in a situation where, in addition to the STS, you have a license and a valid auto insurance policy.

The only exception in this situation is the ten-day period that is given to the motorist to undergo re-registration/registration of his vehicle. During this time, instead of a certificate, he can use the car’s passport, but after it is registered, having an STS with him becomes strictly mandatory.

Can the STS be replaced by the PTS when stopped by an inspector?

Some drivers are convinced that driving without a vehicle is unlikely to have serious consequences, especially when they have the rest of the necessary documents with them - license, insurance and vehicle passport. Sometimes people are so convinced of the interchangeability of PTS and STS that they even manage to convince the inspector of this and avoid a fine.

The fact is that more than 10 years ago, technical passports, common in Soviet times, were still issued for cars. They really were the “harbingers” of the SOP. Now they can still be found, but they must be replaced whenever you contact the traffic police department. And yet, the SOP is an analogue of a technical passport, and not a modern PTS. You can learn more about “Do you need to take your PTS with you” from this article.

Procedure for receiving and replacing STS

The fundamental difference between PTS and STS is the validity period of the documents. The PTS is issued by the manufacturer for the vehicle upon its release. The technical passport contains the same information as the STS, but does not change when the owner of the vehicle changes. A new registration certificate must be obtained every time the car has a new owner. It is issued upon registration of the car along with the license plates. If a document is lost, damaged, or in other situations, you can make a duplicate of it.

This is what a duplicate PTS looks like

When do you need to replace your registration certificate?

The STS is replaced when the data entered in the document changes. In addition to a change in the owner of the vehicle, this may be a change in the data of the owner of the vehicle:

• first or last name;
• registration addresses.

Reference. The STS is also replaced after installing a new engine on the car.

The same procedure for replacing STS is established for legal entities. Business entities must obtain a new registration certificate when changing the company name or legal address. You can replace the STS in 3 ways:

• in the traffic police;
• through the State Services portal;
• at the MFC.

Video - How to replace STS

Step-by-step instructions for replacing STS at the traffic police

Step 1. We prepare a package of documents necessary to replace the vehicle insurance: passport, compulsory motor liability insurance policy, old vehicle insurance policy, PTS, receipt of payment of the state duty.

Documents for replacing STS

Step 2. Submit the prepared package of documents and an application to the traffic police.

Traffic police document acceptance window

Step 3. We receive a new STS in the same window.

Procedure for replacing a vehicle certificate

You can obtain a vehicle registration certificate when the owner of the car performs certain actions. After purchasing a car, he must:

• take out MTPL insurance;
• undergo a technical inspection of the vehicle;
• pay the state fee.

Receipt for payment of state duty,

form

The size of the latter depends on the type of vehicle. For trucks it has a higher rate. You can save 30% of the fee by paying through the government services portal. You can entrust receipt of the certificate to third parties. This right is granted to them on the basis of a power of attorney issued by the owner of the car. Individuals register it with a notary. Legal entities issue a power of attorney drawn up on a standard form. Such a document is signed by the head of the business entity and certified with a seal.

You can find out more about how to register a car by reading the article on our website.

If the registration or legal address of the vehicle owners changes, they are required to make changes to the document within 10 days from the date of the event. The same period is established for replacing the certificate when changing the surname or changing the name of the organization. A new document is issued by the traffic police within one day. In case of a delay in its issuance, car owners are provided with certificates confirming the replacement of the certificate. They are drawn up on a regular sheet of paper and certified with the stamp of the traffic police.

STS check

Is it possible to evacuate a car for lack of SOP?

Such a measure as evacuation (Part 1 of Article 27.13 of the Code of Administrative Offenses) is used quite rarely and, as a rule, there must be a good reason for it. The reason may be the provocative behavior of the car owner or the presence of other related violations.

In this case, the driver will have to go to get documents, pay fines and towing, and pick up the vehicle. If the STS is lost, the situation becomes somewhat more complicated. You will need to spend more time and money - go to the State Traffic Inspectorate office, write a statement about the loss, wait for a new document to be issued, and only then pick up the car from the parking lot, where the tariff, after the first free day, is 30-60 rubles per hour.

However, for the very fact of the absence of STS, they do not resort to evacuation of the car.

What to do if the driver forgot his car passport at home?

What is the penalty in 2021 if the registration certificate is left at home while the driver is in a hurry getting ready for work? He may not carry it if he drives carefully and does not attract the attention of the traffic police. It makes no sense to go in the other direction, i.e. home, since there is also a possibility of a stop on the way back.

Upon arrival at work, you can call one of your relatives or during your lunch break go home to get the document on public transport. Someone takes a risk and goes home without him, and very often gets there without incident.

It’s good if the driver noticed the absence of STS after driving several kilometers away from home. He will be more careful and avoid being stopped by a traffic policeman. It’s much worse when they see that the absence of STS will be revealed after a stop by a traffic police inspector. There are several options for the development of events:

• Verbal warning.
• Fine.
• Continuation of movement due to a clear explanation of the reason for forgetfulness and failure to put pressure on the traffic police officer.

Important! Other documents - a driver's license or PTS will not replace the missing certificate in accordance with the traffic rules.

More often, it is possible to reach an agreement with a traffic police officer before the tow truck arrives and issues a receipt for payment of the fine. If the document is left at home and the driver is sure of it, you can ask him to take an hour off to go and bring it.

Sometimes a verbal agreement is enough, and sometimes you have to make a corresponding entry in the protocol. A verbal conversation, a driver's license check and a theft check of the vehicle will precede departure. When talking with the inspector, it is important to demonstrate your adequacy.

Registration Guide

We found out what punishment a driver will face for driving without an STS in one case or another. How to register a car so as not to face the above consequences?

The car registration guide looks like this:

1. Prepare documents for further actions. They vary depending on the reason for registration.
2. Pay for the production of car certificates.
3. Contact the authorized body with a petition in the established form.
4. Wait until the traffic police inspector conducts a vehicle inspection.

It is done! Now the citizen will be able to pick up the registration documents for his car. If you carry them with you, there will be no problems with law enforcement agencies for the lack of a registration certificate.

Additional measure

But that is not all. What is the fine for driving without an STS if you have the document but have forgotten it, we figured it out. And how to avoid punishment, too.

It is worth paying attention to the fact that a driver who does not have a driving license may face more than just a fine. In addition, the car has the right to be sent to an impound lot.

To return your car, you will need:

• present a valid certificate of registration with the traffic police;
• close the fine if it was issued;
• pay a “ransom” for the car (pay for the time spent in the impound lot);
• pay for calling a tow truck.

Only after this will the citizen be able to get behind the wheel of his car again. In the future, it is better to avoid such violations.

How to fix the situation

A fine for driving without an STS is not always issued. Occasionally, citizens may be given a warning. This measure takes place if the driver simply forgot the house registration certificate.

To correct the violation, you can:

• ask loved ones or relatives to bring the missing paper;
• go for a certificate yourself.

In the second case, the person will have to leave the car at the traffic police post. Some leave some kind of deposit as confirmation that they will return. For example, a passport. Therefore, it is better to ask your loved ones for help.

As soon as the STS is presented to the traffic police officer, the driver will be released. Instead of a fine, he will be given a warning and nothing more.

Is it possible to drive a car without a vehicle passport, but with a certificate?

Clause 2.1.1 The traffic rules inform about the list of documents that a motorist must have in his glove compartment. The vehicle's passport is not included in this list.

PTS, as a document that is quite difficult to restore, is generally recommended to be stored in a safe place and not to be taken with you again when traveling by car, so as not to lose it.

Details about PTS and STS and their differences can be found here.

If there are also no license plates on the new car

As we have already found out, you can drive without a PTS. Definitely, the car owner is required to have this document; this paper is one of the most important. But there is no need to take it with you. Is it allowed to drive a vehicle without license plates? Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses directly indicates that driving a car without license plates is a gross violation of Russian legislation .

If the number is simply unreadable (heavily dirty or damaged) or installed incorrectly, the vehicle owner will face a fine of 500 rubles. If for some reason the license plates are missing, the motorist will be punished with a fine of 5,000 rubles or even deprivation of rights for a period of 1 to 3 months. There is an exception. If on the way one of the numbers suddenly falls off and the driver follows to the place of repair or parking in compliance with the necessary precautions (clause 2.3.1 of the Road Traffic Regulations).

However, if a purchase and sale transaction has been completed, then within 10 days the new owner of the car has the right to drive it without license plates. Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia dated June 26, 2018 N 399 speaks specifically about a period of 10 days: until this time expires, the car must be registered.

If you drive without license plates after purchasing a car, have a sales contract with you to avoid a fine. On the eleventh day, if registration has not been completed, the traffic police officer has the right to issue a fine.

Is it permissible under a purchase and sale agreement?

You have the right to drive without a PTS even without having a sales contract with you. PTS is not a mandatory document that traffic police officers may require from the driver when stopping.

The rest of the package of documents must be in perfect order.

What kind of ride will it be without this important paper?

The legislation does not provide for any measures for failure to present a vehicle passport to a traffic police officer. The absence of a driver's license plate in the car is not a violation .

About registration authorities

To prevent a person from being fined for not having a registration certificate, he often just needs to register his car on time and then carry the car certificates with him. Better - along with copies.

Where is a vehicle registered? You can cope with this task through:

• MREO;
• "Government services";
• traffic police department;
• traffic police;
• multifunctional centers.

To work with State Services, you first need to undergo mandatory registration and then confirm your account. Only after this will electronic services become available to the user.

How long to travel without documents

Only the complete absence of a vehicle registration certificate is not always a violation. At the moment, citizens can travel by car without documents for some time. The exception is a driver's license. Anyone who gets behind the wheel must have them.

Driving without documents is not considered a violation if the citizen received a license to a movable object no later than ten days ago. This is exactly how much time is allocated for registration actions with the vehicle. On the eleventh day, driving without STS will be regarded as an administrative violation.

Documents for registration

Driving without a license and STS are violations that are quite common in Russia. To register a car, the car owner needs to prepare:

• application in the prescribed form;
• passport or other identification document;
• vehicle registration certificate;
• a check confirming payment of the state duty;
• title papers for the vehicle.

Additionally, the following elements may be useful:

• old certificate of registration;
• a police certificate about the theft or loss of car documents;
• marriage/divorce certificate;
• extracts from the registry office about changes in personal data.

It would be enough. It is advisable to prepare copies of the listed certificates in advance.

Type of responsibility

What are the dangers of driving without STS? First of all, you need to understand what liability will be for the corresponding violation and whether it actually exists.

Yes, for the absence of a certificate of vehicle registration in Russia, the driver will be held accountable. The punishment is administrative in nature and is most often accompanied by fines of various sizes.

In certain circumstances, possible sanctions can be avoided. The main thing is to know when the driver has the right to do this. We will discuss the relevant situations below.