In November 2024, GOST 50577-2018, which regulates the appearance of license plates, was amended in Russia. It will come into force on January 1, 2025. Before the New Year, information appeared online that car owners would allegedly face a fine for driving a car with license plates without the Russian flag (only with the inscription RUS) from January 1, 2025. "Pervyy Tekhnicheskiy" investigated the incident.
The authorities made changes to the state standard for car license plates in November 2024. Thus, on January 1, 2025, images of the Russian national flag must indeed appear on registration plates with a reflective coating.
An exception is made for diplomatic license plates in red. In addition, license plates for taxis and buses (yellow), as well as cars of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (blue), may be issued without the tricolor if they are made before December 31 of this year.
From January 1, 2025, license plates of "ordinary" vehicles must have a tricolor. Against this background, a number of Telegram channels began reporting that from January 1, 2025, drivers would allegedly face a fine of 500 rubles for license plates without a tricolor, including those issued by cameras.
Automobile expert, member of the Presidium of the Public Council under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, Igor Morzharetto, clarified the situation. He reminded that the changes to GOST are not retroactive. In simple terms, car owners with license plates without a tricolor will not need to change their registration plates.
If the car owner registered the car and received license plates without a flag before this requirement came into force, they do not need to change the registration plates. New plates will only be required for drivers who register a car for the first time or re-register it after January 1, 2025.
Thus, a fine for license plates without a tricolor is also not threatened to drivers if the registration plates for the car were issued before January 1, 2025.
Recall that currently, license plates for a car in Russia can be obtained both at the traffic police and in private organizations. In the latter, it was possible to order duplicates of registration plates, both with and without a tricolor.
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