Car registration rules may change

What changes does the document provide?

The main change is that not only its owner, but also an organization entered in a special register will be able to register a vehicle (TS). To get into it, a company must meet the following requirements:

be a manufacturer of a vehicle or a seller (dealer) that has an agreement with manufacturers;
have special premises and full-time qualified employees who will be engaged in this.

Previously, only the owner himself or his representative acting under a general power of attorney could register a vehicle.

Will there be a charge for registering a car through a dealer?

Yes. But the cost of this service has not yet been determined in the bill. It is only indicated that the maximum tariffs for vehicle registration will be regulated by the decision of the Federal Antimonopoly Service.

Are there any innovations regarding license plates?

In the previous version of the bill, it was possible to choose a "nice" number for your car. Now it has been removed.

In addition, the document introduces two concepts:

State registration number - a combination of numbers and letters assigned to the vehicle.
The state registration plate is the plate itself, which is attached to the vehicle.

The traffic police will now determine the registration number, and the car owner (or dealer) will have to contact the manufacturer for a sign. A special register will also be created for such companies. Legal entities or entrepreneurs registered in the Russian Federation who have structures or premises for the production of license plates, appropriate equipment and security, technical capability and software for keeping records will be able to get into it.

What else can car owners expect?

The bill proposes to introduce an electronic vehicle passport, as well as an age limit for vehicle owners - they must be at least 16 years old.

Rail Gizyatov Leading Lawyer of the European Legal Service

This norm is rather dubious. There are a number of other regulatory legal acts that allow those who have not reached the age of 16 to purchase and register a vehicle. Yes, and according to the Civil Code, it is impossible to restrict a person in this right.

When will the new rules be approved?

The bill changing the rules for registering cars was adopted by the State Duma in the first reading back in December 2013. Since then, many revisions have been made to the document. Many of them (for example, the opportunity to get "nice" numbers) were excluded.

It is planned to consider the bill in the second reading on July 17. In case of final approval of the document by the State Duma, it will be transferred to the Federation Council and for signature by the President of the Russian Federation. Most likely, the new vehicle registration rules will enter into force in 2019.

Why are all these amendments needed? The explanatory note to the bill says that this will free the state from performing a number of unnecessary functions, contribute to an increase in the quality of the vehicles put into circulation, and also exclude vehicles with a criminal history from circulation as much as possible.