The country's traffic regulations oblige drivers to carry a number of documents when driving on the country's roads. They must confirm the legality of the car and the person’s right to drive it. These documents include a certificate confirming the vehicle’s state registration. Every owner knows well what a vehicle registration certificate is, but not everyone understands why this document is needed.
What is a vehicle registration certificate?
Appearance of STS
The document has a standard form, which is common throughout the country. It changes periodically. Currently, the traffic police issues a document that is a plastic card measuring 80x115 mm. It is filled out on 2 sides, each of which contains information about the vehicle, allowing you to check its legality.
Sample STS
Table. Information contained in the STS
| Front side | back side |
| Document's name | Vehicle owner |
| Vehicle registration number | Republic, region or region |
| Car make and model | Area |
| Vehicle category | Locality |
| Year of issue | Street |
| Engine number | House, building, apartment |
| Chassis number | Special marks |
| Body number | Issuing authority |
| Car color | Certificate issue date |
| Engine power | |
| Engine displacement | |
| PTS number and series | |
| Permitted vehicle weight with and without load |
The number and series of the document are indicated on both sides of the certificate. Information about the car and its owner is applied to the finished certificate form using a printer. The document is protected by a hologram. It is located at the top of the card. When ultraviolet rays are pointed at the hologram, it begins to glow in a bright light green color. The document bears the signs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate. The inscription “Russian Federation” is framed by a microscopic inscription.
Reference. In the near future, the traffic police plans to replace the old STS form. The document will take the form of a plastic card measuring 85.6x54 mm.
New vehicle registration certificate
The new STS will become an intermediate option until the introduction of digital documents. Registration certificates in the near future will be equipped with chips containing information about the vehicle. The transition to new documents in Russia will take place in parallel with the EAEU countries. This is a coordinated interstate decision made as part of the general planned transition of the Union member countries to digital technologies. Together with the STS, the PTS will also acquire an electronic appearance. The process of transition to new forms of documents will start in October 2019.
Fundamental differences between PTS and STS
Both documents contain information about vehicles and their owners. In the registration certificate, it is compressed to the minimum necessary to verify the legality of the car by traffic police officers. The PTS is a vehicle passport containing more complete information about the vehicle. Unlike STS, which is subject to exchange after a change of owner, PTS is issued for equipment upon release and serves until it is disposed of. Based on the information entered in the technical passport, you can not only establish the legality of the vehicle, but also trace the history of its operation.
PTS and STS
Documents vary in size and color. The laminated STS card has a pink tint. The PTS is an A4 document, colored blue. In its production, the paper lamination technology that is used for STS is not used. The registration certificate contains information about the authority that issued the document. This data is not included in the vehicle's technical passport. Instead, the document contains information about the vehicle manufacturer. When importing equipment from another country, a mark from the customs authority is placed in the PTS.
Normative base
The requirements for the production of a vehicle registration certificate and the procedure for its issuance are regulated by various regulations. Among them:
- PP No. 938 dated 08/12/1994;
- Federal Law No. 117 of 08/05/2000;
- Code of Administrative Offences;
- PP No. 1090 dated October 23, 1993
Important. From August 2021, a new vehicle registration procedure will come into effect in the country. Now it will not be possible to issue STS to persons under 16 years of age.
Video – STS
On the website of the Moscow Mayor it became possible to check a car by PTS, STS and VIN code
New features may be useful when purchasing a used car. Using this data, you can find out online the exact number of previous owners, whether the car was illegally repainted and whether the car is registered with the traffic police.
Previously, on mos.ru it was possible to check a car’s auto history online—whether it was involved in an accident, wanted, or pledged to a bank.
On mos.ru you can now check your car by registration number (PTS), vehicle registration certificate (VRC) and vehicle identification number (VIN), as well as get detailed information about the car’s registration with the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate. Now on mos.ru you can already find out the auto history of any car registered in Moscow or the Moscow region.
Using a PTS check, you can clarify how often a car was sold, how many owners it had, how long a particular person owned it. Checking by STS number and VIN code will help you figure out whether the car is registered with the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate and whether it was illegally repainted. Both services also allow you to find out the make, model and year of manufacture of the car, the color and type of body (car or truck - mos.ru note), engine size and power, as well as the weight of the car. This information will be useful to those who buy a used car. And another new feature will be useful to those who sold their car. Using the STS number, the previous owner can find out whether the new owner has registered the car with the traffic police and what to do if fines are received in the name of the previous owner.
To check a car by STS and VIN number, PTS number or find out information about car registration on mos.ru, you need to go to the section “Purchase, sale, registration of cars and motorcycles” and select the desired option on the right side of the screen. You can find out details about the operation of the vehicle only if you have the STS number or VIN number of the car, as well as the number of its registration certificate. STS is a combination of ten numbers and Russian letters; the document is issued when registering a car. VIN is a unique vehicle number of 17 characters. The code contains information about the manufacturer and characteristics of the vehicle; it is applied to integral components of the body or chassis and to specially made plates (nameplates). In this case, the identification number cannot contain the Latin letters I, O and Q due to the similarity with the numbers 1 and 0. PTS or registration certificate is one of the main documents for a car, which contains information about the technical characteristics of the vehicle, owners and its registration with the traffic police.
In addition to detailed information about the car, you can get recommendations on what to do if the data in the documents does not match the actual characteristics of the vehicle. For example, if the color of the car does not match that indicated on the portal, you need to make an appointment with the traffic police and prepare the necessary documents (their list is also located on the page, noted Yuri Chulyukov, head of the transport and safety department of the Moscow Department of Information Technologies.
Check the car by STS and VIN
Let us remind you that the transfer of Autocode services to mos.ru began in September of this year. The first service that appeared on the portal of the Mayor and the Government of Moscow is the option of checking car history.
With its help, you can find out the number of owners of a car registered in Moscow and the Moscow region, information about its participation in road traffic accidents, facts of commercial use (as a taxi), as well as information about the car being wanted and pledged to the bank .
The Autocode portal launched in the spring of 2014
With its help you can obtain a large amount of information important for drivers. In particular, check for administrative fines for violating traffic rules, pay them, find out the car’s history
During its work, Autocode has helped verify more than 116 million, appeal almost 75 thousand and pay about 320 thousand fines. In addition, almost 420 thousand entries for traffic police services were issued through the portal.
Is it possible to drive without a registration certificate?
Current legislation does not allow drivers to drive on the country's roads without STS. The absence of a document is considered a traffic violation. Various types of punishment for drivers not having a plastic certificate card are defined by the Code of Administrative Offences. The document is drawn up when the car is registered with the state. This must be done no later than 10 days from the date of purchase of the vehicle. This period is established by PP No. 938. During this period, the driver can drive on the roads of the country with a title, a compulsory motor liability insurance policy and a car purchase and sale agreement.
Documents for the car
Important. Late registration of vehicles with the state and the absence of vehicle registration certificates are subject to administrative liability.
The amount of the fine for this type of traffic violation is determined by Article 12 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. Its minimum amount is 500 rubles. The driver's lack of a registration certificate is sufficient grounds for detaining the car and sending it to a impound lot. When faced with such a situation, many drivers do not know what to do correctly. There are 2 ways to avoid vehicle seizure:
- ask someone to drive the STS to the place where the car stops;
- present the PTS to the traffic police officers.
Having a PTS will allow you to continue your journey further behind the wheel of your car. In this case, the only punishment for violating traffic rules can be a warning, which will be issued by traffic police officers at the place where the car is stopped to check documents.
Checking documents by a traffic police officer
Most drivers receive harsher penalties. They have to pay fines for lack of documents, the amount of which depends on the type of traffic violations. If the vehicle registration period is overdue, the fine ranges from 1,500 to 2,000 rubles. The procedure for his appointment is determined by Article 19.22 of the Administrative Code. If a traffic violation is repeated due to the driver not having a vehicle, the fine increases to 5,000 rubles.
Issuing the first fine is not an obstacle to issuing a second one within one day or even an hour. Without a vehicle registration certificate, the driver does not have the right to drive a vehicle. A more serious punishment for driving without an STS is the deprivation of your driver's license. The driver may lose the right to drive a car for up to 3 months.
Towing a car to a parking lot
The rights of traffic police officers to detain the car of traffic violators and send it to the impound lot are determined by Article 27 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. The law imposes on them the responsibility to check the legality of cars moving on the country's roads. If the driver does not have STS, the vehicle cannot be released by traffic police officers until it is checked for theft.
You can find out more about what penalties are provided for driving without STS by reading the article on our website.
Changes in the administrative regulations of the traffic police
Differences between PTS and STS
A passport (PTS) and a certificate of ownership (CTS) of a vehicle are completely different documents, although many car owners confuse them with each other. The first is necessary for registering the car, the second is issued to the new owner when registering the purchased car with the traffic police.
| Main criteria | PTS | STS |
| Appearance | Blue form, A4 format. | Small laminated pink form. |
| Information contained | The document lists the technical characteristics and all owners of the car. | The certificate contains information about the car and the current owner. |
| Issuing authority | In Russia, the passport is issued by the vehicle manufacturing company, and in the case of a foreign car, by the customs service. | The certificate is issued by the traffic police during the registration of the car. Information about the new owner of the car is entered into it, and the previous document is destroyed. |
| Replacement | Does not change throughout the entire life of the machine. | Changes with every purchase/sale of a car. |
The procedure for obtaining and replacing a document
The obligation of vehicle owners to register them with the state is determined by the Civil Code of the Russian Federation and traffic rules. A registration certificate is issued every time the owner of a vehicle changes. This is done at the traffic police department. Reforming the current legislation involves changing the existing procedure for obtaining a document. It is planned to create specialized organizations in the country that will assume responsibility for performing these functions. Currently, the previous procedure for obtaining new and replacing old STS is in effect.
Step-by-step instructions for obtaining a vehicle registration certificate
Step 1. At the first stage of the STS registration process, a package of documents is prepared. It includes: a purchase and sale agreement, a receipt for payment of the state duty, a vehicle title and an internal passport of the vehicle owner.
Package of documents for obtaining STS
Step 2 . A prerequisite for obtaining a vehicle registration certificate is payment of the state fee. You can pay it through banks or the State Services portal. The last method of paying the fee allows you to save 30% of money.
Sample receipt of payment of state duty
Step 3. The collected package of documents and a receipt for payment of the duty are submitted to the traffic police at the place of registration of the car.
Submitting documents to the traffic police
Step 4 . Before issuing an STS, traffic police officers check the documents and the vehicle. Vehicle inspections are carried out at special sites designed for these purposes.
Vehicle check
Step 5. The last stage of the procedure is to obtain the STS.
Obtaining STS from the traffic police
The procedure for obtaining a duplicate or replacement of a vehicle registration certificate
STS has to be replaced for various reasons. One of them is buying a car. The current procedure in the country allows vehicle owners to sell them without deregistration. The new owner of the car can change the car registration certificate without the presence of the previous owner. He must do this within 10 days after making the purchase. The countdown starts from the date specified in the contract. You can submit documents to receive STS:
- personally;
- with the help of third parties;
- through the State Services portal.
In practice, there are situations when applicants are refused to issue a document. Among the reasons for making such decisions by traffic police officers:
- lack of a compulsory motor liability insurance policy;
- providing false documents;
- lack of payment of state duty.
Sample application to the traffic police (
)
A justified refusal to issue an STS cannot be appealed in court. Current legislation provides for cases of issuing a duplicate registration certificate. These include:
- loss of STS as a result of dilapidation or theft;
- changes in the name or registration of the owner of the vehicle:
- engine replacement.
Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs No. 605
According to Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs No. 605, obtaining a duplicate certificate is considered a registration action. Replacing the STS takes several hours if the document is not stolen. The theft of a certificate is grounds for initiating a criminal case. Until it is closed, you will have to travel with a certificate, which is issued by the traffic police instead of a plastic card. Knowing such subtleties, many drivers do not report theft, but explain the situation by the loss of a document. The application for the issuance of an STS submitted to the traffic police must contain complete information about the vehicle and its owner.
Current legislation allows you to apply for an STS at any traffic police department in the country. The obligation of vehicle owners to replace the vehicle registration certificate when changing their place of residence is determined by Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs No. 1001. The procedure for paying the duty when replacing STS is determined by Article 333.33 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation. The current regulations exempt the duty from the commission fee. Old STS, after they are handed over by the car owners, are disposed of by traffic police officers. The fact of destruction of vehicle registration certificates is documented in an act in the established form.
The procedure for replacing a certificate depends on the chosen method of carrying out the procedure. When submitting documents through the State Services portal, you cannot avoid visiting the traffic police. Inspection of the vehicle is a mandatory procedure when obtaining a certificate. The advantage of the services provided by the portal is the ability to schedule an inspection of the car at a time convenient for its owner.
State Services Portal
When submitting documents for replacement or receipt of STS through State Services, a receipt for payment of the duty is automatically generated on the website. This saves car owners from having to look for payment details. You can pay the fee on the portal not only using a bank card, but also with electronic money.
More information about the new procedure for registering a vehicle and obtaining an STS for it can be found in the video:
Video - New rules for vehicle registration
Decoding STS
The series and document number of the vehicle registration certificate are linked to the title. They allow you to determine the legality of the vehicle’s origin. To designate a series, 2 letters are used. The number consists of the same number of digits. You can find them below on the front side of the plastic card. The state number indicated in the STS, assigned to the vehicle upon registration, also consists of letters and numbers. It is a code by which traffic police officers can obtain certain information without stopping the car for inspection. For example, by using a car’s license plate, you can determine the region of registration of the vehicle and the status of its owner. License plates with the EKH series are issued to vehicles belonging to the FSO. Cars of the Office of Presidential Affairs receive license plates with the series:
- AOO;
- MOO;
- SBI;
- SOO.
FSO car
The selection of numbers and letters in license plates is regulated by GOST R-50577-93. The information about the issuing authority specified in the STS must be included in the vehicle purchase and sale agreement. They are important in case of doubts about the legality of the vehicle. The information contained in the registration certificate is of practical importance. Based on data on the vehicle's power, the amount of transport tax is determined. They also influence the cost of the insurance policy.
