In Russia, vehicle inspection is now optional and conducted on a voluntary basis. The State Duma approved these changes in December 2021, and they came into force immediately after being signed by President Vladimir Putin on December 30. Let's delve into the nuances that every driver should know.
What is a vehicle inspection and why was it canceled
Vehicle inspection is a check of a car or motorcycle for safety. Specialists check if everything is in order with the car and record problems in the diagnostic card. The car owner has 10 days to fix these problems. After the repair, you need to come for a vehicle inspection again, and if everything is done, the driver will be issued a card confirming that the car is in good condition.
Until the end of 2021, vehicle inspection was the only official confirmation of the vehicle's serviceability. But most drivers preferred to buy "gray" diagnostic cards without actually visiting the vehicle inspection station. The card could be ordered in any region, and only the most conscientious car owners came to the official stations, because each vehicle inspection had to be paid for at the regional rate.
Unfortunately, it was impossible to track the purchase of "gray" cards. At the beginning of 2021, the authorities decided to tighten the procedure. It was planned to introduce mandatory photo fixation before and after the vehicle inspection at a licensed station, and all data was to be transmitted through the EAIS TO system.
The traffic police and the Russian Union of Motor Insurers warned that "gray" vehicle inspection cards and those issued without inspection would be canceled. Vehicle inspection stations were required to update equipment and obtain a license under the new rules. Operators began talking about raising prices due to additional costs. The FAS also began developing new tariffs.
But in July 2021, the Ministry of Internal Affairs proposed abolishing mandatory vehicle inspection for cars and motorcycles. The head of the traffic police, Mikhail Chernikov, noted that some regions do not have enough vehicle inspection stations. At the same time, he stressed that drivers are still obliged to monitor the condition of their cars. According to the traffic rules, before departure, the driver must check the technical condition of the car.
Who needs to undergo vehicle inspection in 2025
At the end of 2021, the vehicle inspection rules changed. Now it needs to be carried out only in a few cases:
- When registering a car older than four years.
- When changing the owner of a car older than four years.
- When changing the design or replacing key parts of the car.
- For taxis, buses and trucks.
- When entering other countries in a personal car.
- If the car shows obvious technical malfunctions that threaten road safety.
For all other drivers, vehicle inspection has become voluntary. Now you can come to the station if you wish, but this is not necessary.
Who does not need to come for vehicle inspection in 2025
For cars and motorcycles owned by individuals, mandatory technical inspection is not required. However, these vehicles must be used exclusively for personal purposes. Owners do not have the right to provide passenger and baggage transportation services in a passenger taxi, as well as use these vehicles for official purposes.
Vehicle inspection prices in 2025
From January 1, 2025, prices for vehicle inspection increased in Russia. The minimum cost of the service will increase depending on the inflation rate. The further the region is from Moscow, the higher the tariffs will be.
In St. Petersburg, TO will cost 1856 rubles, in Norilsk — 1878 rubles, and in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug — 1620 rubles. The lowest tariffs are in the Ivanovo and Kemerovo regions — about 1000 rubles.
In the Moscow region, the cost of vehicle inspection will be: 1130 rubles for cars, 386 rubles for motorcycles and 2537 rubles for trucks.
Fines for not passing vehicle inspection
From March 1, 2022, for private drivers driving vehicles for which vehicle inspection remained mandatory, a fine of 2,000 rubles was introduced for its absence. It was planned that cameras on the roads would record such violations for vehicles for which vehicle inspection remained mandatory on a daily basis. But in practice, this did not happen: road cameras cannot track the absence of vehicle inspection, and traffic police inspectors do not check diagnostic cards for ordinary drivers.
Since August 22, 2021, drivers have had the opportunity to issue OSAGO policies without a diagnostic card.
Earlier, the FAS prepared draft amendments to the departmental order regulating the methodology for calculating the fee for conducting technical inspection of vehicles. New amendments to the Tax Code will lead to the inclusion of VAT in the cost of vehicle inspection.
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