In Russia, they plan to change the rules for the exchange of driver's licenses

If the document is finally approved, it will be easier for owners of cars and motorcycles to approve documents than drivers of commercial vehicles.

< p> The bill, which proposes to make changes to the system for obtaining a driver's license, was introduced by the Cabinet of Ministers to the State Duma of the Russian Federation in 2022. It was approved in the first reading in November and has now passed the second and main reading; the third (final) reading of the draft will take place next week. According to Kommersant, the initiative was supplemented for the second reading, and these amendments were not publicly discussed.

The document assumes that those citizens who do not have experience in driving a car or truck for a period of one year or more will be prohibited from applying for category D rights. Also, according to the amendments, drivers with open categories B and CE (truck with a trailer) will automatically receive the category BE (car with a trailer) if the driving experience of a “passenger car” is one year or more.

Initially, the initiative assumed that the period of validity of rights issued abroad is one year after receiving a residence permit or a Russian passport; after that, you need to get a Russian driver's license. According to recent amendments, this rule will not apply to citizens of Belarus with a residence permit in the Russian Federation, as well as Russians with Belarusian rights.

The document says that drivers who want to exchange foreign rights for Russian most massive categories and subcategories will not have to take a practical exam, they will only need to confirm their knowledge of “theory”. Note that we are talking about categories M, A, B and subcategories A1, B1. For drivers of trucks and buses with foreign rights, the procedure is different: they will need to pass an internal exam at a driving school before contacting the traffic police department of the Russian Federation.

Also in the bill there is an amendment concerning driving schools. Now companies in this area must obtain an educational license, for this they need a conclusion from the traffic police on compliance with the requirements of the educational and material base; however, there is no need to subsequently confirm this document. The document proposes to oblige driving schools to obtain a permanent conclusion and update it regularly.

According to the first deputy chairman of the Duma Committee on Transport Pavel Fedyaev, to whom the publication refers, during the development of the amendments, the deputies «worked closely with the Ministry of Internal Affairs.» It should be noted that if the government bill is finally approved, the new norms will come into force on April 1, 2024.

Recall that in the spring amendments were made to the theoretical exam for obtaining a driver's license in the Russian Federation. These changes were related to the recently enacted traffic regulations regarding users of electric scooters and other SIMs (i.e., “individual mobility aids”). In addition, the «theory» now has new questions about the duration of the «parking» signs, new traffic lights, etc.