Russia will change the rules of medical control of drivers in 2027

Starting from March 1, 2027, a new regulation on medical monitoring of drivers will come into force in Russia. According to the norms of the law provided by the ConsultantPlus portal, an updated procedure for an extraordinary medical examination is being established in the country. Motorists who have diseases that interfere with transport management during routine visits to doctors will be referred for additional examinations.

The driver will be given three months to complete a specialized medical examination from the date of receipt of the relevant notification of the identification of signs of contraindications. According to the publication, the Association of Lawyers of Russia, failure to comply with this requirement within the prescribed period will become an independent and sufficient reason for the termination of the driver's license. If the motorist is examined, but the doctors officially confirm the presence of a dangerous disease that prevents safe driving, the right to drive will also be revoked.

Doctors will suspend inquiries until the examination

An important stage in preparing for these changes was the introduction of new rules for the work of doctors, which have been in effect since September 2025. According to the document, doctors are required to suspend the validity of the driver's current medical certificate immediately upon detection of signs of diseases included in the list of contraindications, until the completion of a full follow-up examination.

The new rules will apply to all motorists, regardless of their age. The legislation does not provide for the creation of special commissions for citizens of certain years. Age alone will not be a reason for unscheduled inspections or disqualification. The issue of introducing age limits was finally closed.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs will get access to diagnoses

The control mechanism will be based on deep digital integration of departments. From March 1, 2027, medical reports based on the results of all types of examinations — both scheduled and extraordinary — will begin to be issued exclusively in the form of electronic documents. According to ConsultantPlus, this information will be posted in the federal register of the Unified State Information System in the Field of Healthcare (EGISZ). From there, the data will be automatically transferred to the Interior Ministry. Such a system will allow the State Traffic Inspectorate to promptly receive information about the health status of drivers and respond in a timely manner to the appearance of medical contraindications.

In case of cancellation of the rights for medical reasons, the motorist retains the right to restore them. To do this, you will need to undergo a course of treatment or otherwise eliminate existing diseases, after which you will have to re-undergo a medical examination. If doctors confirm that there are no contraindications, taking into account the established restrictions, the driver's license may be renewed.

Until the large-scale changes come into force, during 2026, the same order remains in Russia. A driver's license is issued for 10 years, and examinations by a therapist, ophthalmologist, psychiatrist, and narcologist are mandatory to obtain a category B certificate. Additional examinations, such as an ECG or ultrasound, are performed only as prescribed by doctors if there are specific complaints or symptoms. For professional drivers, the requirements for periodic inspections at least every two years and pre-trip inspections continue to apply.