Is it necessary to undergo a medical examination to change a license?

Old rules

Not long ago, new rules came into force, according to which the form of a medical certificate and the conditions requiring a medical examination have changed. As it turns out, many drivers do not know in what cases a medical certificate is necessary. Do I need to undergo a medical examination when replacing a driver's license? In which medical institution can I obtain a doctor's opinion? Which specialists are involved in the medical examination? What is the validity period of the medical certificate? Answers to these and other important questions can be found by reading this article.

The rules and procedure for passing a medical examination are regulated by Federal Law No. 196 of December 10, 1995 “On Road Safety” and Federal Law 437 of December 28, 2013. According to the old rules, passing a medical examination and presenting a certificate required the following cases:

• candidates obtaining their first driver's license;
• loss, wear and tear, theft of the ID;
• change of surname;
• obtaining new driving categories;
• expiration of the license to drive transport;
• restoration of the certificate due to deprivation of rights;
• obtaining an international driver's license;
• replacement of the national ID form with the form of the Russian Federation.

Previously, a medical certificate was also required during the technical inspection of a vehicle, but Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 908 of November 13, 2010 abolished this rule.

To the delight of many drivers, the old rules have been partially simplified and modified, allowing them to narrow the range of circumstances under which they should be examined at a medical institution. Moreover, the process of obtaining a medical certificate requires certain time and financial costs from the driver.

Legal justification for undergoing a medical examination when obtaining and replacing a driving license

Order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation No. 344 covers the issue of the need to obtain a medical certificate. In particular, Appendix No. 1 indicates which persons are subject to a medical examination, the result of which is the issuance of a certificate indicating that there are no restrictions on driving a vehicle, or a refusal to issue it due to any disease that does not allow safe driving.

Medical certificate when replacing a driver's license

Thus, the following categories of persons must undergo a medical examination at their own expense:

• drivers who need to replace their driving license due to the fact that the previous one has expired;
• those who restore their driving rights after the period of punishment in the form of a driving restriction has ended;
• individuals who, during one of the systematic examinations, were found to have pathologies, illnesses or contraindications, with which it is prohibited to drive a vehicle.

The procedure for passing doctors for the subsequent issuance of a health certificate based on the examination, in accordance with Appendix No. 1, paragraph 7, is carried out by the registrar of the medical center where the examination was carried out. He provides a list of specialists to visit, and at the end of the examination issues a general conclusion to the individual.

New position

From July 1, 2021, Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of Russia N 831 n dated September 28, 2010 “On approval of a single sample Medical Certificate of Admission to Driving Vehicles” has lost legal force.

Now, in accordance with the new rules, a medical certificate is not required:

• when changing personal data (for example, changing a surname upon marriage or divorce, changing place of residence);
• when replacing a driving license that has become unusable as a result of wear or damage;
• when the traffic police receives an application for the loss of a driver’s license (in case of loss or theft);
• when replacing a domestic driver's license with an international equivalent.

When replacing a previously issued license, only these cases exclude drivers from undergoing a medical examination.

All other situations of obtaining and replacing rights still require a mandatory medical report:

• restoration of a driver's license after a period of deprivation of rights;
• obtaining a national or international certificate by candidates;
• replacement of expiring rights;
• opening a new category of driving a vehicle;
• professional drivers.

Based on the results of the medical examination and examination, a medical report of the established form is issued.

Why do you need a medical certificate when replacing a driver's license?

The document is required to confirm that the citizen does not have pathologies or health disorders that prevent him from driving a car. The paper is drawn up upon receipt of the driver's license.

This need arises in the following situations:

• initial design;
• expiration of the old plastic card;
• the end of the period of deprivation of rights;
• when opening another category;
• the presence in the VA of a note stating that the presence of the form is mandatory;
• change of document before the due time, which is carried out at the initiative of the citizen.

According to the new regulations, the paper is not drawn up when obtaining rights if such a procedure is performed for the following reasons:

• loss of document;
• change of personal data - last name, etc.;
• The VU has fallen into disrepair;
• registration of a temporary document of international standard.

Procedure for obtaining a medical certificate

The driver or candidate has the right to choose any medical institution to undergo a medical examination and obtain a conclusion. It is important that the medical institution has a valid license to carry out such activities. It is cheaper to obtain a medical certificate in public clinics than in private clinics.

The procedure for passing a medical examination is determined by Russian legislation. Violation of this law entails administrative or criminal liability for the driver, whose duty is to undergo examination by all necessary specialists. The process of obtaining a medical report may include some nuances, but in general it contains the following steps:

Selecting a medical institution and contacting the reception desk to obtain a patient card. It is necessary to inform the registry specialist of the categories for which admission will appear on the driver’s license. This is due to the fact that the list of medical examination specialists depends on the categories of transport to which the driver will be admitted.

Visits to doctors - according to the list provided in the table provided. Each specialist writes a note with a conclusion in the appropriate column of the patient’s personal medical record. If necessary, the therapist can give a referral for additional examination to a specialist.

Visiting a narcologist and psychiatrist in specialized state medical institutions - at the place of registration of the driver. The narcologist may refer the patient to undergo blood and urine tests to detect chronic use of alcohol and drugs. The results of the examination and a note about the patient’s registration at the dispensary are also entered by specialists into the appropriate sections of the medical record.

Obtaining admission to professional categories of transport (Tv, Tm, C1, C1e, C, Ce, D1, D1e, D, De) requires passing an EEG examination (electroencelography).

After passing the examination of all specialists, you must re-visit the general practitioner. According to the doctors’ notes and the results of the examinations, the therapist issues a final medical report and draws up a medical certificate form with his signature and the seal of the institution.

If a patient has poor vision, then for a correct diagnosis he must undergo a medical examination wearing glasses or contacts.

What specialists do you need to go through?

To obtain a certificate to replace your license, you need to see the following specialists: therapist, surgeon, narcologist, ENT specialist, neurologist, psychiatrist and ophthalmologist.

If the driver has vision problems and wears contact lenses or glasses, he must come to an appointment with an ophthalmologist wearing the vision correction device he is using. If the driver drives with glasses or contact lenses, then when issuing a medical certificate to replace the license, a special note is made about this fact. After which it is transferred to the driver's license.

An ophthalmologist can make the following marks:

• Mandatory wearing of glasses;
• Mandatory wearing of contact lenses;
• Compulsory wearing of contact lenses/glasses.
• If any of these marks are indicated on the license, then the car can be driven only if the driver uses the specified correction means.

Electrocardiography. After you have passed all the specialists, the medical board may decide to send the driver for additional examination, which includes tests and an ECG. To obtain a driver's license, women need to be examined by a gynecologist.

A medical examination will be considered valid only if the medical organization conducting it has a state license and is authorized to carry out examinations to obtain a driver’s license.

Documents for inspection

To undergo a medical examination and obtain a medical certificate, you must provide the following list of documents to the registry:

• passport;
• compulsory medical insurance policy (for examination by some specialists free of charge at the place of registration);
• military ID (in some cases);
• patient's medical record;
• driver's license (if available);
• conclusions of a psychiatrist and narcologist.

From 2021, the requirement for a photograph when receiving a medical certificate has been abolished due to the lack of the required space on the new sample form.

Validity period and cost of a medical certificate

Currently, the validity period of a medical certificate is 1 calendar year. Certificates issued before July 1, 2021 and valid for 2-3 years are valid and retain legal force until the end of the period.

The form is issued every time you receive or replace a driver’s license, valid for 10 years. However, professional drivers must undergo a medical examination every 2 years.

The cost of a medical certificate depends on the prices of the medical institution where the driver or candidate decided to undergo an examination. In a clinic at the place of registration or residence, you can undergo an examination by specialists from 600-1800 rubles; in private clinics the amount may be higher.

In government institutions, you will have to pay 350-800 rubles for a medical report from a psychiatrist, and 350-600 rubles for an examination by a narcologist. Prices may vary depending on regions of the country.

It should be noted that the cost of a medical examination depends on the categories of driving, admission to which will appear on the certificate, since for each category there is a specific list of doctors required to visit. Thus, drivers of categories A, A1, B, B1, BE and M should be examined by 4 specialists: a therapist (or family doctor), an ophthalmologist (ophthalmologist), a narcologist and a psychiatrist. Drivers of freight and passenger transport, in addition to the doctors listed, should visit a neurologist and otolaryngologist (ENT), and also get an EEG result.

Thus, the total cost of undergoing a medical examination and obtaining a medical report ranges from 1 thousand to 4 thousand rubles, depending on the region, medical institution and driving categories.

Who needs to obtain a medical certificate to replace a license after 10 years?

The list of individuals for whom obtaining a certificate is mandatory is provided in Order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation No. 344, paragraph 4. The order came into force on March 26, 2016, and from that moment on, without a medical examination, it is impossible to study at a driving school, obtain a license, or renew the validity of old ones. According to the adopted order, the following will not be allowed to drive without a positive medical opinion:

1. Driving school students taking a driving test, that is, citizens receiving a license for the first time.
2. Those who change the category or subcategory of their driver's license.

   
   Features of obtaining a medical certificate

3. Citizens whose driving license is returned after the driver has been deprived of it by a court decision.
4. Persons who are employed as a car driver at a new place of work.
5. Patients with diseases identified (during one of the periodic examinations) that were not previously detected and are contraindications to driving.

Nuances and penalties

Passing a medical examination and obtaining a medical certificate takes some time and requires a satisfactory state of health from the driver.
In this regard, some citizens provide the traffic police with fake medical certificates obtained from private companies. Such a document is invalid and threatens the driver and the doctor who issued it with administrative and criminal liability.

Before starting the process of obtaining or replacing a driver's license, you should make sure that there are no outstanding fines. In accordance with current legislation, payment of the fine must be made within two months from the date of its issuance. You can check the availability and payment of fines on the State Services website, on the official traffic police portal or at any traffic police post.

Where to change

What medical certificate is needed to replace a license? At the moment it is called V/U-003. Issued after passing the listed specialists. Valid for 12 months from the date of issue.

Next, we’ll find out how to properly replace a driver’s license. This is far from the most difficult task for the driver. Where will they accept an application for reissue of the V/U?

Rights can be ordered through the following organizations:

• local traffic police;
• traffic police department;
• MREO;
• MFC.

In addition, is it possible to submit an application electronically through the State Driver Card website? Typically, the price of a document depends on its type. In 2021, the following prices are relevant:

• 500 rubles - paper license;
• 1,600 rubles - international driver's license;
• 2,000 rubles - national rights.

The size of the state duty for re-issuance of V/U can be reduced by 30%. To do this, you will have to deposit funds into the state treasury through the “State Work” portal, after which it is unknown.