How long are you allowed to drive without insurance? How long can you drive with a title before registering? When is it allowed to drive without a compulsory insurance policy?

Every driver knows that any vehicle must be insured and registered. But when purchasing a new car, a lot of questions arise: how many days can you drive a car under a purchase and sale agreement (SPA) without compulsory motor liability insurance, do the terms differ for a used and a new vehicle, is it necessary to take out insurance if its term has not expired? All this will be discussed below.

Is it allowed to travel without insurance?

Drawing up a purchase and sale agreement is a mandatory condition for purchasing a used or new vehicle. It is according to this document that the buyer receives the car, and the seller receives the money. After this, the new car owner is required to take out insurance and only then visit the traffic police department to re-register the owner. However, many drivers are in no hurry to carry out these actions, believing that they can drive a car using the DCT. They are partly right - after purchasing a car, such an opportunity actually exists for some time.

After drawing up the contract, the new owner has 10 days to put the documents in order. But no one will register a car with the traffic police without an insurance policy, so you should first get compulsory motor insurance, and then go to the nearest MREO office.

Any thinking driver may have a completely logical question - should you get new insurance if the car you bought is not new and the policy on it has not expired? To answer this question, you need to understand that it is not the car that is insured, but the responsibility of its owner. Therefore, a visit to the insurance company is mandatory when changing the owner of a vehicle.

Some resourceful drivers manage to update the date in the sales contract every 10 days. Of course, this will help get rid of complaints from traffic police officers. But you should understand that in the event of an accident, you will have to compensate for its consequences at your own expense. After all, until re-registration and insurance is issued, responsibility for damages lies with the individual.

As in the case of a supported vehicle, a showroom vehicle must be insured within 10 days from the date of drawing up and signing the policy. The only difference is that there is no need to undergo a technical inspection. This simplifies registration of the car - you can get an insurance policy directly at the car dealership.

How long is it allowed to drive without re-registering a vehicle?

Now we need to figure it out - after buying a car, how long can you drive without registering it? For all vehicles (ex-showroom and previously owned), as in the case of insurance, one period is defined - 10 days. During this period, the car must be registered at the MREO department. On the 11th day, any traffic police officer can fine you for driving without the necessary documents (this will be discussed below).

When purchasing a new car, you can use the service of a car dealership to register it on your behalf. You will have to pay extra for this, but you can avoid paperwork.

How can you legally drive a car without insurance and registration?

There are several ways to legally drive a car under a purchase and sale agreement:

On transit numbers. Although this option has lost its relevance since 2013, it has not ceased to be legal. Currently, transits are issued to individual entrepreneurs and legal entities, as well as individuals for moving cars abroad. Temporary numbers are not cheap and are issued for only 10 days. Extension of numbers is prohibited by law.
On old license plates, if the car is not new. Of course, after 10 days all documents must be reissued. If this is not done, fines will fall on the previous owner of the car. But for some time you can drive with a DCT and PTS, in which the name of the new owner must be entered.
According to the MTPL policy of the previous owner, if there are no restrictions on the owner. Or the car seller can enter the buyer as authorized to drive. Naturally, this option is more suitable if the transaction is carried out between close relatives.
Driving a car from the showroom. Without license plates you are allowed to travel for no more than 10 days.

Another way is to manipulate the contract. It should be said right away that this option cannot be considered absolutely legal. Moreover, you cannot act without the consent of the previous owner. There are 2 options:

If the transaction is carried out between strangers, you should not take advantage of their kindness for a long time. After all, until the car is re-registered, all fines and transport taxes will be sent to the address of the previous owner. In the end, he may get tired of this, and without informing you, he will stop registering and simply .

Fines and liability

If you bought a car and do not want to be held administratively liable for late paperwork, do not put it off for a long time. You have 10 days to insure and register with the traffic police. Otherwise, you will face the following fines:

For lack of numbers - 5,000 rubles (clause 2 of article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation). An additional penalty is the deprivation of the driver's right to drive a vehicle for a period of one to three months.
For the absence of compulsory motor liability insurance or its presence with an expired validity period - 800 rubles.
For driving a car in those months that are not specified in the insurance policy - 500 rubles.
For violation of the established deadline for car registration - up to 2,000 rubles.

You shouldn’t overshadow the joy of buying a new “iron friend” with unnecessary fines. It is better to take out insurance on the day of purchase and re-register with the traffic police.

Unfortunately, it is not always possible for car owners to issue an insurance policy in a timely manner, and therefore many motorists are faced with the logical question of how long they can drive without insurance and whether it is even possible to do this, because all motorists should have MTPL insurance.

Answering the question “how many days can you drive a car without insurance?” Most citizens will answer that this cannot be done for a single day, however, this is not entirely true. The legislation provides for cases when driving a car without compulsory motor liability insurance is possible.

Driving without compulsory motor liability insurance

In accordance with Federal Law No. 40, it is possible to travel without a policy, but only in one case, when a citizen has acquired the right to a vehicle - for example, after purchasing, receiving a car as an inheritance, or as a gift (you will need to confirm this fact with documents - by attaching supporting documents - , etc.). But how long is it possible to drive a car?

For car owners, in this case, the period during which they need to obtain insurance is clearly established - 10 days.

It is important to take into account that we are not talking about working days, but about calendar days. The 10-day countdown begins at 0 o'clock on the day following the day on which the person acquired the right to the vehicle. This time is provided to the new owner so that he has time to undergo a technical inspection of the car and receive a If it is not there, the insurance company will refuse. If during this period citizens do not issue insurance policies, they will be held accountable by State Traffic Inspectorate officers.

The legislation also provided for cases in which driving without a policy was allowed, regardless of when the car was purchased:

If the vehicle cannot move at a maximum possible speed of more than 20 km/h. (for example, a citizen asks a question - I ride a moped, which has a maximum speed of no more than 20 km/h, can I not get insurance? The answer will be positive);
If the car is under the jurisdiction of the RF Armed Forces and, accordingly, under the control of the military;
If the vehicle is not wheeled;
If the vehicle was insured by an international insurance company outside the Russian Federation.

If we talk about whether it is possible to drive without insurance for people who did not renew it on time, then the answer will be unequivocal - no. That is why, if a driver’s insurance policy expires, he must immediately contact the insurance company.

Otherwise, he will also be held accountable, but from the first day of delay.

Responsibility for lack of compulsory motor liability insurance

This year, just like last year, a person will be fined 800 rubles for lack of compulsory motor liability insurance. In addition, do not forget that if a citizen commits a traffic accident, he will need to compensate the injured party for damages from his own pocket, and losses, even after a small accident, can be significant.

What to do if there is no money for renewal?

A situation often occurs when a car owner does not have the required amount of money to carry out an extension because... insurance is not cheap - and in 2015, the premium was increased. In this case, a citizen can contact the company and extend it not for 1 year, but for a shorter period of time - for example, 6 months. Each insurance company offers its own conditions - they must be clarified individually.

What to do if there is no time for an extension?

It was already explained above that you can ride without insurance only in certain situations and for no more than 10 days. But how can a person travel if his work day is scheduled and he cannot find time to travel to the insurer? Now there is the possibility of remote registration - but there is a high chance of encountering scammers - which is why it is necessary to contact only trusted companies. An innovation is planned this year, according to which insurers will be responsible for the policy issued on their behalf, but at the moment the amendments have not yet entered into force.

Car owners sometimes do not have time or forget to renew their MTPL policies. Some people purposefully do not want to purchase insurance so as not to spend money. In 2020, the law prohibits drivers from driving on the road without a driver's license. You should contact the insurer immediately after purchasing the vehicle or expiring the contract period.

But there are exceptions to any rule. In what cases and for how long can you drive without compulsory motor liability insurance after the end of the insurance period?

Effect of compulsory motor liability insurance after the expiration of the term

You should think about renewing your policy at least a couple of days before the expiration of your car insurance contract. Otherwise, according to the new standards, the driver may be fined for violating the law on compulsory motor liability insurance. In a situation with an accident, the culprit will pay for the repair of the damaged car at his own expense.

In 2020, the validity period of compulsory motor liability insurance after its expiration is considered zero. After the end of the insurance period specified in the contract, the policy will no longer be valid. Traffic police officers now perceive expired insurance as missing. If an inspector stops a car on the road for violating the speed limit and discovers that the driver sitting behind the wheel has an invalid policy (or the absence of this document), then the license plates will not be removed and the car will not be sent to a impound lot, but you will have to pay a fine. By Article 12.37 part 2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation the amount of penalties will be up to 800 rubles.

When compulsory motor liability insurance has ceased to be valid and a new document is in the process of being produced, the fine in case of inspection will be 500 rubles. It is better to pay it on the spot, and then it is not advisable to drive the car until you receive a new policy.

You must begin purchasing or renewing your MTPL immediately as soon as the contract expires.

When can you drive without insurance?

Traveling in a car with an expired or no compulsory motor liability insurance policy is considered illegal and is strictly prohibited throughout Russia. But Federal Law No. 40 provides for a number of cases when driving without insurance coverage for a certain time is allowed. The number of such situations is strictly limited:

The car was purchased recently.
Temporary numbers have been established for transporting cars in transit (valid only for legal entities).
The driver is a foreign citizen, and his vehicle is insured under an international program.

When purchasing a new car or a used one, the state provides the owner with 10 days to issue a compulsory motor liability insurance policy and register with the traffic police. Evidence of recent purchase may include:

purchase and sale agreement with the seller;
deed of gift;
a will transferring a car by inheritance.

When stopping, it is enough to present these documents along with the papers on the car.

Today, there are many cases when a purchased car is driven to another region after purchase. For this purpose, you can apply for a separate MTPL. It is valid only for 20 days from the time of purchase. During this time, you need to have time to buy full insurance and register the car.

You are allowed to travel for one day in order to visit the office of an insurance company and conclude a new contract under MTPL. If the policy is at the stage of preparation for issue, then to confirm this fact you need to have the appropriate certificate.

The car is insured under the “Green Card” when a foreign car owner enters the territory of Russia. This policy is valid in many countries. The card can be obtained or extended in the country where the car is registered, for a period from 5 days to a year. If the international insurance has expired on the territory of the Russian Federation, then the driver must issue a Russian-style motor vehicle license. If a foreigner does not intend to return home and live in our country for some time, then driving without compulsory motor insurance will be illegal.

When does the policy take effect after registration?

The insurance commencement period is specified in the contract, so the question of when the compulsory motor liability insurance policy begins to operate after it is issued should not arise. When purchased at the insurer's office, the document is valid the very next day after signing the agreement.

The situation is a little different with electronic MTPL. The start of its work is delayed by 72 hours or three days. This was the decision of the Central Bank aimed at eradicating attempts at fraud. Some car owners order auto insurance policies only after being involved in an accident in order to receive compensation for damage. At the scene of the incident, they buy a policy online in a few minutes. A “cooling off period” helps stop such cases.

How to avoid a fine

One of the simplest and most convenient ways to avoid paying fines is to timely purchase a new MTPL policy. If the insurance period has expired, you must submit an application for its renewal. It is better not to wait until the last day, but to address this issue in advance, in the last month before the deadline.

If, for good reasons, there is a delay in compulsory motor insurance, then you should try not to drive your car into the city again in order to avoid meetings with the state traffic inspector. When you need to go urgently, then try to take your old policy with you, and if you are stopped, somehow explain to the traffic police officer that the updated policy is still at the production stage.

When buying an expensive car, the car owner may simply not have enough money left for an annual policy. Then he has an excellent opportunity to take out reduced insurance for 20 days. It is allowed to purchase compulsory motor liability insurance for a period of three months.

To replace the lost policy, you should try to quickly obtain a duplicate, which the insurance company will issue free of charge. If you get into an accident, the problem of not having a document in hand can be resolved without going to court if the insurer is notified of the accident in time.

Responsible car owners can always find the right way to renew their insurance or take out a new policy. In this way, they will ensure that they do not have to pay for the restoration of a damaged car out of their own pocket, and will also be able to safely move on the roads without fear of sanctions from the traffic police.

The vehicle registration number is presented in the form of a sign of a specific shape and size, made on a metal plate. The numbers allow you to keep records of motorcycles, cars, trailers and other automotive equipment. For ease of tracking, they are usually installed front and rear, unless we are talking about a motorcycle or trailer. According to Russian traffic regulations, every car must have license plates, and you can get them when registering your car with the traffic police department.

A limited period of time is given to collect documents and undergo technical maintenance. How long can you drive without license plates after purchasing a new or used car? How long should they be replaced if damaged? What types of administrative penalties are imposed for violating the rules?

How long can you drive without license plates?

If a driver buys a used car, license plates are already assigned to the vehicle; it is enough to simply re-register the car in his name. Without re-registration, the vehicle can be used for travel for a little more than 10 days, but late registration will result in administrative penalties.

The question remains, how many days can you drive without license plates if the car is new? We are talking about the same 10 days, but during this time you will have to manage to get license plates and register the car with the traffic police.

It is better to plan a visit to the MREO on the day of purchasing the vehicle; in extreme cases, the driver has a 10-day corridor to resolve issues with documents and license plates, and after 11 days a car without license plates will be stopped at the nearest traffic police post, and the driver will be punished by a fine or withdrawal of rights.

You can find out more detailed information in the material of our specialist.

In some cases, driving without license plates is permitted at the legislative level and is not punishable by fines.

There is a separate category of vehicles that are allowed to drive on public roads without state license plates. We are talking about bicycles, mopeds with a power of less than 50 horsepower, trolleybuses, and trams. Please note that trams and trolleybuses are allowed, but we are talking about state license plates; these types of transport are identified by other license plates.
Also, a fine for driving without license plates will not be charged if they cannot be installed due to the technical features of the car. An example is the condition of the vehicle after an accident. When stopped by a traffic police inspector, the driver will be able to protect his rights, referring to Art. 12.2 of the Administrative Code, according to which the driver will be fined for incorrect installation of state signs.
If the license plates are lost or stolen, the driver will not be fined, but at the time of stopping at the traffic police post, he is required to present a copy of the statement about the incident previously submitted to the police. You should carry a copy of this statement with you in the cabin until the new numbers are installed.

Transit numbers

As for transit numbers, after changes in legislation, only private entrepreneurs and legal entities can obtain them. The relevance of their use is observed in the case of disposal of a vehicle, transportation of a car to another country or its transportation to the place of final assembly, if the remaining vehicle parts are located in another place.

Transit license plates can be made from different materials, which directly affects their cost. The presence of such numbers gives the right to participate in road traffic for 20 days, no more. If transporting a car within such a period of time is impossible, that is, 20 days is not enough, license plates are exchanged. In essence, new numbers are simply purchased. They are not subject to extension.

If license plates are stolen, they can be restored; there is no need to re-register the car.

Fines for driving without license plates

Depending on the problem with the license plates, the amount of the fine may vary. In 2019 we are talking about the following situations.

The driver must pay 500 - 800 rubles if he did not receive the license plates within 10 days after purchase. For a repeated violation of this kind, the fine increases to 5,000 rubles. In some cases, a person may be deprived of his driver’s license for 1 to 3 months.
It was mentioned earlier that license plates must be on both the front and rear. Fine in the amount of 5 thousand rubles. or deprivation of the license for 1 - 3 months - a penalty if the license plate is only in one place.
If the license plates are lost or stolen and the driver does not contact the police with a corresponding statement, the penalty is the same as in the previous situation.
If license plates are placed incorrectly, that is, in the wrong place, the size of the fine will depend on the driver’s experience and previous offenses.
If the numbers are dirty or damaged so much that they cannot be identified, the fine is 500 rubles.
If the license plates are foreign, the driver will lose his license for six months or a year, and will be additionally fined 2,500 rubles. If the driver does not have the real vehicle license plates, to return the license you will have to take a theoretical exam at the traffic police department.
Also, punishment in the form of a fine is provided for the use of license plates that do not comply with state standards. We are talking about inappropriate shape, material, size.

The policy must be purchased without fail, because The driver has the right to drive without a policy only in exceptional cases. This insurance product does not insure the property of the vehicle owner, but his civil liability to third parties. According to Article 4 of Federal Law No. 40, vehicle owners must undergo the procedure of insuring their civil liability without fail.

In what cases can you drive without insurance?

The only case when a car owner has the right to drive a vehicle without insurance is when purchasing a new or used car. If you purchase a new car at a dealership, then most often you are offered to draw up a civil liability agreement right on the spot.

But the owner of the car may not be satisfied with the tariff of the organization with which the car sales company cooperates, or the person simply wants to formalize an agreement with another insurance company. What to do then? Many insurance agents scare vehicle owners with the fact that the law does not allow them to operate a car without a valid auto liability policy.

IMPORTANT! Do not trust insurers, this is how they try to get a client and make money.

When purchasing a car, the driver has the right to drive for 10 days without insurance. on your car from the moment the purchase and sale agreement is concluded. This rule applies not only to new cars, but also to those that were purchased secondhand. We talked about this.

When going to the UK to obtain a motor vehicle license, do not forget your purchase and sale agreement. This document will confirm that you have not violated the deadlines within which you are allowed to drive a vehicle without a policy.

We wouldn’t advise you to delay your deadlines., since before issuing a motor vehicle license you should also receive a car diagnostic inspection card (if the car is not yet three years old, then you do not need to undergo a diagnostic inspection), and after receiving the policy, you will have to register your car with the traffic police.

Those drivers who, after purchasing, drive their car to the place of registration, for example, to another region, can apply for compulsory motor liability insurance for a short period, but not more than 20 days.

What to do if there is no document?

Different situations happen in life and not everyone knows how to act in each specific case. For example, your friend has had too much alcohol and asks you to take him home in his own vehicle. But you are not included in his contract, and if you are stopped by a traffic police officer, then you may be subject to penalties under Article 12.37, Part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offences, i.e. a fine of 500 rubles.

Or you could purchase a car in a technically faulty condition. Theoretically, you can purchase 20 days of insurance to bring your car to the diagnostic inspection site. But this option is a waste of both money and time. What to do in these situations? To begin with, you should understand the following concepts:

Management as the implementation of direct influence on the vehicle.
Management in the civil legal aspect.

The first concept is regulated by traffic rules, and the second is in the Civil Code of the Russian Federation and means disposing of a vehicle at one’s own discretion. This is where the “dog is buried”, since when the owner of a vehicle changes, the law gives the right to drive a car without a valid auto liability policy for 10 days.

That is, if you bought a car, leased the vehicle from the owner, entered into an agreement with the owner of the vehicle for the free use of the vehicle, then you can legally operate the vehicle without having insurance in hand.

Now let's look at this issue in more detail:

The owner of the car is a citizen who is included in the title. The owner of the car is the one who disposes of this vehicle. And this can be either the owner or another person. The owner of the vehicle has the right to give the documents and car keys to another person and the car will have a new owner, i.e. de facto, an agreement for free use will be concluded verbally.
Any citizen has the right to insure a car, regardless of whether he is the owner or not. The new owner of a car is required to insure his vehicle before registering with the traffic police; the law allows 10 days for this from the date of receipt of ownership.

The traffic rules state that the driver is required to carry a valid motor vehicle liability policy in cases where this obligation is established by law. That is, to put it in other words, this norm in the traffic rules is a reference one, since it refers to the “Law on Compulsory Motor Liability Insurance”. And this law does not contain any prohibitions on driving a vehicle without a valid motor vehicle liability policy.

So, take a pen and a piece of paper and, together with the owner of the vehicle, quickly draw up an agreement for the free use of the vehicle in free form. With such an agreement you can travel for 10 days, without a document.

If you were too lazy or unable to draw up such an agreement, then if you are stopped by a traffic police officer, you can explain the reason for not having a policy by saying that there is an oral agreement with the owner of the vehicle on free use. In this case, you can refer to Article 159 Part 2 and Articles 161 and 589 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, and the fact of an oral agreement can be confirmed by eyewitnesses at any time.

Many motorists confidently state that, according to Article 162 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, a citizen cannot refer to the testimony of witnesses to a transaction. However, this publication applies only to those transactions that must be concluded in writing. A There is no need to conclude a free use agreement in writing.

If you are driving a drunk friend home in his car, then you should understand that you are performing these actions on your own initiative, i.e. You dispose of the vehicle at your own discretion. And the owner of the vehicle is sitting next to you, who himself is a registration certificate for you and in this case you are not breaking the law.

If the traffic police officer reacts inadequately to a period of 10 days and draws up a report on you, then you should also mention in this document the decision of the Supreme Court No. AKPI 12-205, where everything we talked about earlier was officially confirmed. Also include in the protocol Resolution No. 12-AD 13-3, which also states everything we have stated above.

IMPORTANT! Among other things, even if the driver presented the traffic police officer with a closed MTPL policy, in which his last name does not appear, but the driver has with him an agreement on the free use of the vehicle, from the moment of signing which 10 days have not yet passed, then in this case it should not be applied punishment according to Art. 12.37 part 1 of the Administrative Code.

What happens in the event of an accident?

If you become involved in an accident, you will have to pay the amount of damage. If you are driving home the owner of the vehicle and become the culprit of an accident, then even the fact that you are not included in the auto insurance policy does not give the insurance company the right not to pay compensation to the victims.

However, after the payments have been made, the insurance company has the right to make recourse claims against the owner.

Dangers and possible difficulties

Currently, the fine for driving a car without a license is 500 rubles. You should also understand that when driving a vehicle without a valid motor vehicle license, you risk that in the event of an accident you will have to compensate the victims for damages from your own pocket. We talked about the fines that will follow for driving without insurance.