What is the fine for driving without a front or rear license plate on a car?

Good afternoon, dear reader.

Currently, every car owner must receive license plates for it within 10 days after purchasing a car, install them and not remove them until the vehicle is sold.

This article will discuss traffic police fines that may be imposed if license plates are not available in the designated places:

• Deprivation of license for driving without license plates.
• Penalty for not having a license plate on the front or back.
• Driving without license plates in a new car.

How much is the fine for driving without license plates in 2021?

5,000 rubles. It is provided for in Part 2 of Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. But the subtlety is that according to the same standard of punishment for driving without registration marks, deprivation of rights for up to 3 months can be provided.

2. Driving a vehicle without state registration plates... entails an administrative fine in the amount of five thousand rubles or deprivation of the right to drive vehicles for a period of one to three months.

But the punishment for driving a car without license plates is not imposed by the road inspector - he is not authorized to do so. Prosecution occurs as follows:

• A traffic police officer stops you on the road, noticing from afar that you are driving without license plates,
• draws up a protocol regarding you as a driver, gives it to you for signature and then transfers the case materials to your boss (clause 5 of part 2 of article 23.3 of the Administrative Code),
• Having received the case, the head of the traffic police decides whether to impose a fine on the driver or transfer the case to court for deprivation - in the first case, the police officer himself issues a decision with a fine of 5 thousand rubles; and in the second, he transfers the case to the magistrate’s court at the place where the violation was committed, since the traffic police cannot deprive rights on their own,
• Having received constantly traveling case materials, the judge decides whether to fine the motorist for driving without a license plate or deprive him of his rights.

A little later we will talk about what affects a specific punishment: deprivation or a fine for driving without registration plates according to judicial practice in 2021.

Is there a discount?

Yes, the fine for driving without license plates can be paid with a 50% discount in the first 20 days after the decision is issued, that is:

• within 20 days after the head of the traffic police reviews the case and issues a decision with a fine,
• after the judge makes the appropriate decision, if the first one sends the case to court.

Please note, do not confuse the date of issuance of the fine and the entry into force of the resolution - these are different dates, and despite the fact that in most terms the legislation of 2021 operates precisely on the date of entry into force, with a discount there is an exception to this rule.

But about what to do if the letter with the fine arrived too late and you found out that you were given a fine for driving without a license plate after 20 days, we wrote a special article about missing this deadline.

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• Will a fine for driving under a “brick” be shown on camera? What is the size and is there a risk of deprivation of rights?
• Is it possible to order and legally drive without a fine with license plates without the Russian flag?
• Fine for non-working rear license plate light in questions and answers

Without rear license plate

Separately, the punishment for the absence of a rear GRZ should be considered. In general, Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses refers to numbers in the plural - that is, it does not see the difference whether you are missing one number or both. The same thing happens in practice. Do you like to drive without license plates? Will you receive imprisonment or a fine? How much will the last one be? No, not half of 5,000 rubles, as might seem logical if you are driving without one rear license plate, but the same 5 thousand. This is what judicial practice says (paragraph 4 of the Resolution of the Plenum No. 20 of June 25, 2019):

When considering cases of administrative offenses provided for in Part 2 of Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, it is necessary to take into account that the objective side of this administrative offense, in particular, is formed by the actions of a person driving a vehicle without state registration plates (including without one of them) ...

Another thing is that an inspector on the road will be less likely to detect a missing rear license plate than a front license plate. Therefore, the risk of running into a fine is lower.

Without front

Another thing is driving without a front number plate. Regardless of the reason for his absence, the same fine of 5 thousand will be issued, or the driver will be imprisoned for 1-3 months.

And the absence of a front registration plate is much easier to identify - such a car can be seen from afar.

Can they write me off on camera?

Of course not. It’s easy to guess that photo and video cameras on Russian roads identify vehicles by license plates. And if they are obviously absent, then how will the camera be able to recognize who to issue a fine to?!

You can argue that, for example, if a driver passes 2 fixation complexes: one removes the car from the back, and the other from the front, but only one license plate is missing, then theoretically a fine can be issued. Technically, yes, but the most that auto-fixing systems have learned to do in 2021 is measure the average speed. And then, at the same time, Avtodoriya cameras work in pairs, filming the car in one direction - either the front or the rear.

If the car is used at a wedding?

This is a fairly common practice. A sign “groom”, “bride”, “witnesses” and the like is hung at the place where the license plate is installed.

This is also illegal; there are no exceptions in the legislation today for weddings, anniversaries and other events.

Driving without a front or rear registration plate

When there is only one registration plate, the driver is not relieved of responsibility. In Art. 12.2 of the Administrative Code there is no mitigation of punishment when only one identifier is lost.

A motorist operating a vehicle without rear license plates is subject to a fine of 5 thousand rubles. The situation is dangerous because traffic police inspectors mainly pay attention to the front element.

A driver who drives without front license plates is subject to similar liability. When assigning punishments, they are guided by the above article of the Administrative Code.

Penalties for traveling in a vehicle with one license plate amount to 5 thousand rubles.

Important! The absence of a front registration plate is determined more quickly by the traffic police service.

There is no license plate because there is no bumper - what is the fine?

Same. The fact is that the traffic police officer is not at all concerned about the reason why you are driving without license plates. It has traffic regulations that stipulate that they must be installed in designated places. And the logic here is primitive: if there is no license plate in the designated place, you will receive a fine of 5,000!

By the way, you can’t drive without a bumper according to the same traffic rules. True, the fine for this is less - only 500 rubles under Part 1 of Article 12.5 of the Administrative Code.

Therefore, we strongly recommend that even if there is no bumper, you secure the number so that it is installed approximately in the place where it would be on the bumper. Although, formally, there is also a violation here that falls within the scope of the rule of deprivation of rights or a fine for driving without license plates, in practice this method will help to avoid a fine in almost all cases.

Expert opinion

Yuri Panchenko

Driving instructor, human rights activist, author of books. 10 years of experience.

According to clause 12.2 of Appendix No. 8 of the technical regulations on the safety of wheeled vehicles, registration plates must be placed in places provided for by the design of the vehicle. Specific requirements are given in Section 4 of Appendix No. 7. If, for example, the intended location for the design is a bumper, and it falls off, then there is no place to install a registration plate.

Then attach the sign in accordance with Section 4 of Appendix No. 7. There is only one requirement for the front sign: it must be fixed vertically. Nothing is said about the location of the sign along the axis of symmetry, to the right or to the left. The rear registration plate must be installed along the axis of symmetry of the vehicle, but it is allowed to install the sign to the left of the axis of symmetry of the vehicle in the direction of movement of the vehicle.

To be fair, according to GOST 50577-2018, if the front number plate cannot be secured along the axis of the vehicle, then it should be attached to the left in the direction of travel of the vehicle.

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Can it be mounted under glass?

No. You cannot install a license plate number either under the windshield or under the rear window - this will be equivalent to driving without a license plate with all the ensuing consequences. This is what the judicial practice of 2021 prescribes in the form of PPVS No. 20:

When considering cases of administrative offenses provided for in Part 2 of Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, it is necessary to take into account that the objective side of this administrative offense, in particular, is formed by the actions of a person driving a vehicle: in the presence of state registration plates installed in violation of the requirements of the state standard for places not provided for by the design of the vehicle (including only one of them).

Grounds for fine

In accordance with paragraph 2.2 of Section 2 of the Traffic Regulations of the Russian Federation, a vehicle operated on public roads must have license plates of the state in which it is registered. The exceptions are trams, trolleybuses, and mopeds.

The basis for drawing up an administrative protocol and imposing a fine on a vehicle driver may be:

• driving without one or both license plates on the vehicle;
• installing numbers in places not intended for this;
• use of counterfeits or license plates that do not correspond to standard forms;
• inability to recognize a license plate due to contamination, or the use of means that prevent recognition.

I was caught without license plates: will I be fined or deprived of my license?

This will depend on a number of circumstances. But the main thing is that you have received traffic fines for the last year and even a slightly longer period, including paid ones.

The presence of previously imposed fines is a kind of aggravating circumstance that most often plays against the driver, since many motorists have such decisions.

The Supreme Court in its Resolution indicated (paragraph 22) that in the presence of homogeneous violations, one should be guided by the punishment of the person against whom the case is being conducted. And this exposure is calculated for a period of 1 year after full payment of the fine.

At the same time, violations from the same area of ​​legislation are considered homogeneous. In our case, driving without license plates will be a homogeneous violation of traffic rules, which entails punishment under the entire 12th chapter of the Code, including speeding, not allowing a pedestrian to pass, a seat belt, prohibited overtaking and other traffic police fines.

Thus, if you have previously issued fines, even if they have been paid, you may be subject to deprivation of your license for driving without a license plate. In this case, as we already mentioned above, first the head of the traffic police will send the case materials to the court on this basis, and then the judge will decide on a fine or imprisonment for up to 3 months.

But there are also special mitigating and aggravating circumstances, which are listed, respectively, in Articles 4.2 and 4.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences.

Controversial situations and ways to avoid punishment in such cases

1. Fines are sometimes issued unreasonably when a traffic police officer tries to convince the driver that his license plates, covered with dirt or blurred, are the same in terms of responsibility as those that are missing.
   In this case, you should try to convince the inspector that they are blurred due to weather conditions, rain, or damaged by dirt, and the driver will take all necessary measures at the first opportunity. Most often, there is a chance to avoid having to pay several thousand rubles to the state budget.
2. One of the possible controversial situations is this. When replacing the chassis on a vehicle, the registration numbers remain with the driver. A traffic police inspector may notice a discrepancy when checking the license plates with the vehicle documents.
   In this case, a report on driving a car with false license plates may be drawn up. The driver can challenge the decision in court by providing relevant documents to prove the driver’s innocence.

   This could be a chassis purchase and sale agreement with receipts attached, documents confirming repair work. Finding the driver not guilty of using false license plates can seriously reduce the amount of the fine or even turn it into a warning. The reason will be the operation of a vehicle with a malfunction.

How can the traffic police prove your guilt?

To prove the guilt of a driver driving along the road in violation of the car registration regime, traffic police officers can provide photographs and video materials. Many inspectors also try to attract witnesses when drawing up a protocol.

The circumstances leading to the loss of a mark may vary markedly. Each case is considered by the court on an individual basis. The existing standards of punishment can only be used as a guide - the court may decide to impose a more severe or lenient punishment.

How to avoid responsibility?

Obviously, it is necessary to put a license plate on the car. But this is only possible if you deliberately drive without registration signs, in order, for example, to hide from traffic police fines.

In other cases, there are certain reasons for movement without a road protection device.

• If you simply lost one front or rear license plate, then, unfortunately, the only option to avoid a fine and deprivation for this is not to drive this car to get a duplicate of the others. Please note that you do not need to register with the traffic police to receive a duplicate, nor do you need to show the car itself for inspection. This is done at special points for the production of registration plates, and for this you need your passport and vehicle registration certificate.
• If you are driving a new car and have not yet received license plates for it, then in the first 10 days from the date in the purchase and sale agreement you have every right to drive without registration plates. Although, some traffic police inspectors think differently. We will discuss this issue in more detail below.
• If you don’t have a bumper on your car, and there’s simply nowhere to hang the number, then... you still need to install it approximately in the place where it should be.

Expert opinion

Dmitry Tikovenko

Automotive law expert. 7 years of experience. Areas of specialization: civil law, disputes over compulsory motor liability insurance and road accidents

If you are involved in an accident in which you lose your registration plate, then you are prohibited from moving further to the parking lot. In this case, even if your car was not seriously damaged in the accident, you will need to use a tow truck.

You can, of course, continue driving, but for this you can get a fine or lose your driver's license. And, if you can then recover the cost of the tow truck from the culprit of the accident or his insurance company under compulsory motor liability insurance, then no one will pay you the fine and will not return the vehicle.

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Recovery instructions

If license plates are stolen from your vehicle, you can restore them - this procedure is more convenient than re-registering a car. It is carried out as follows:

1. We are looking for an accredited company that produces duplicate signs.
2. An agreement is concluded with the company. To do this, the owner must provide vehicle registration documents.
3. Then you can get duplicate signs and put them on the vehicle.

If license plates are stolen from your car, it is recommended to re-register the vehicle, which makes it impossible to use the license plates you have lost.

You can also contact the police to report the theft. After submitting the application, the marks will be put on the wanted list and will not be available for use. You will be able to receive new registration plates based on an application submitted to the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate - be sure to keep the notice of application.

If the car is parked or parked?

And in this case, there is no violation in 2021. Under Part 2 of Article 12.2, driving without registration plates is punishable. But the mere fact of lack of license plates does not entail any punishment.

But please note that the exception to non-punished parking without a state license is paid parking in Moscow. They can take any car to an impound lot if it is parked without at least one front or rear license plate.

Punishment for robbers

Relatively recently, a criminal article (No. 325) appeared for theft of license plates from vehicles. The punishment includes:

• fine up to 2000 rubles. or in the amount of salary or other annual income;
• up to a year of correctional labor;
• 360 hours of community service;
• imprisonment for up to a year.

The punishment is tougher if the crime is committed by a group of persons:

• up to 3000 rub. fine;
• up to two years of correctional labor;
• up to 480 hours of community service;
• up to 4 years in prison.

The Administrative Code also has an article for the illegal appropriation of someone else's license plates. It is used when theft did not become part of a criminal offense, but was a type of hooliganism. The fine in this case will be 2000-5000 rubles.

If the numbers are not on the trailer?

A trailer is the same vehicle and is subject to registration with the traffic police. Therefore, it needs its own registration plates with its own alphanumeric designation. According to the rules, one GRZ is installed only at the rear of the trailer.

Therefore, for driving a car with a trailer without license plates, even if they are on the leading car itself, the same sanction is provided in the form of a fine of 5,000 rubles or deprivation of rights for up to 3 months under Part 2 of Article 12.2 of the Administrative Code.

Something else useful for you:

• We drove under the camera at a yellow traffic light: will there be a fine and how to appeal?
• Traffic police cameras in Largus - how legal are they and what violations are they caught for?
• Rooms are covered in snow - fine or deprivation? The inspector threatens to revoke your rights

Cases and permitted period of movement without license plates

The legislation of the Russian Federation establishes several exceptions.

Driving a newly purchased car

Clause 1 of the Basic Provisions for the admission of vehicles to operation states that mechanical types of vehicles must be registered with the State Road Safety Inspectorate or other authorities within 10 days. This period is set for cars with the “Transit” sign. There are penalties for driving an unregistered vehicle. On the 11th day, the violator is subject to a fine of 500 to 800 rubles. If the offense is repeated, the sanctions increase to 5 thousand.

Until January 1, 2021, car dealerships can sell vehicles without license plates and drivers can drive a new model without license plates for no more than 10 days without penalties. From 2021, sales are carried out only with state license plates. Based on Art. 7 Federal Law No. 283 from August 2019, the procedure for registering a car is possible through the point of sale or the traffic police authorities.

Important! In Art. 22 states that dealer centers can issue registration documents only for new equipment that has not been in operation on the territory of the Russian Federation and the Unified Energy System.

Buying a used car

Used cars are sold with old license plates, i.e. the driver will drive with them by default. The only point is the need to register within 10 days. Otherwise, according to Part 1 of Art. 19.22 of the Administrative Code are subject to a fine:

• legal entity - from 5 to 10 thousand rubles;
• individual - from 1.5 to 2 thousand rubles;
• officials - from 2 to 3.5 thousand rubles.

If the previous owner wants to keep the license plate, he writes a statement. License plates are removed and stored by the traffic police for 360 days. The new owner must apply to the traffic police for registration marks within 10 days from the date of conclusion of the purchase and sale transaction.

On a note! If you don’t return for state signs in a year, they will be assigned to another person.

Lost or stolen license plates

If one or both license plates are stolen, it is unacceptable to operate the vehicle. Driving without license plates is punishable by Art. 12.2 Code of Administrative Offences. The only thing that is allowed is to get to the nearest traffic police department, file a statement about the loss of the registration plate and go home. The driver does not have the right to order a new number plate - he will have to install a similar one.

Based on clause 2.3.1 of the traffic rules, the serviceability of the car is checked before departure. If breakdowns occur, you need to fix them on site or go to a service station. If the plate is lost due to mechanical impact, the motorist is not exempt from collection.

Advice! You can take your vehicle home without getting caught by a traffic police inspector on the road using a tow truck.

What other penalties are there for registration marks?

There are quite a lot of them, but they are all listed in the same article 12.2 of the Administrative Code.
Let's look at them! Other fines for license plates in 2021

How are offenders tracked?

Traffic police officers monitor compliance with the rules for using state signs; automatic cameras installed on the roads cannot yet recognize the absence of license plates. If the violation only provides for a fine for the lack of license plates on the car and items falling under this definition, the decision remains with the traffic police officers.

If an alternative to a fine is deprivation of rights, then a protocol is drawn up on the spot and the case is sent to court. The protocol signed by the driver must indicate the reason why there is no state sign on the car or it cannot be read. Experienced motorists are advised to indicate that the car was inspected before leaving and that the license plates were present, and also to make their proposals for solving the problem of recording license plates on vehicles. Sometimes these actions can help you stay behind the wheel for the coming months.

Lost car

To do this, you need to report the loss of transport. The reason is not particularly important, for example, they simply lost the car or forgot where they left it.

After this, a PTS remains, where a mark is placed about the loss and deregistration of the car, it (the car) remains without a license plate, but after that there is still the possibility of resale of the car to another owner.

The hypothetical situation looks like they found the car again and resold it to someone else before the new registration, which is actually not prohibited. This again gives rise to a ten-day period for registration and again the opportunity to run through the scheme with resale.