Russian Authorities Begin Seizing Armenian-Plated Vehicles: 'Za Rulem' Publication

Vehicles registered in Armenia but owned by Russians are facing a new seizure initiative, impacting around 200,000 cars purchased between 2017 and 2020. This is reported by the Russian publication 'Za Rulem.'

'Until recently, owning a car with Armenian license plates in Russia was not pursued. However, recently both customs authorities and the traffic police have begun to impose demands against them. It can be assumed that this is due not only to unpaid debts at the border but also to the impunity of these vehicles when traffic violations are recorded by surveillance cameras.'

In November 2019, former Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev instructed the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Justice, the Federal Customs Service, and the FSB of Russia to develop methods to combat violations. However, it appears that the directive was not implemented; instead, a ban was decided upon.

According to the publication, there is no clear explanation in Russian legislation regarding the legality of using foreign-registered vehicles. Cars from EAEU countries can move freely within the territory of the Russian Federation. Furthermore, the customs legislation states that there is no prohibition against vehicles acquired officially within the EAEU being used by citizens.

Nevertheless, customs services claim that Russian citizens are being accused of violating customs laws for using vehicles that have not gone through customs clearance. This began following the adoption of the 'Agreement on Armenia's Accession to the EAEU' in early 2020, which stipulates that only Armenian citizens or 'persons living permanently in the territory of Armenia' can possess vehicles registered in Armenia. At the same time, no definition of 'permanent residence' is established in any Russian law.

Car seizures have already commenced, with four such vehicles reportedly seized in the city of Kurgan. Road raids to seize vehicles are being conducted across the Urals and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, including Kurgan, Tyumen, Nizhnevartovsk, and Chelyabinsk.

The Stavropol State Traffic Safety Department has informed about the rules regarding driving vehicles with Armenian license plates in Russia. Owners of such vehicles are required to register them in Russia within ten days. According to Article 15, Part 3 of the Federal Law 'On Road Traffic' No. 196-FZ from December 10, 1995, a vehicle can only be operated if it is state registered.

State registration must be obtained within ten days from the time of import. If the owner of the vehicle is a Russian citizen and is importing the vehicle into Russian territory, they have ten days to register. They must contact any division of the State Traffic Safety Department, presenting a technical passport, insurance policy, driver’s license, and sales contract.

If the vehicle is not registered, the owner may face a fine of 500-800 rubles. For a repeat offense, the fine will amount to 5000 rubles and may lead to imprisonment for a period of 1-3 months.