Where to go: changes in the "automotive" legislation in 2026
In 2026, increased fines for a number of traffic violations will come into force in Russia, new road signs will appear, a rating of driving schools will begin to operate, and taxi companies will be able to purchase only Russian cars. In addition, other legislative changes are expected for motorists during the year. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
Replacement of numbers, new signs and recycling in 2026
On January 1, the updated GOST came into force, regulating the rules for installing road signs and applying road markings. One of the most significant changes is the appearance of a new sign "Recommended speed when driving through artificial bumps." It tells drivers the most optimal speed limit for passing speed bumps. A new "Deaf" road sign is also being introduced, which will be installed near pedestrian crossings located near institutions and institutions frequented by people with hearing impairment. It is also allowed to place signs with the inscription "Stop", on which the letters are applied not only horizontally, but also vertically.
With the onset of 2026, residents of the LPR, DPR, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions no longer have the right to drive a vehicle whose license plates and documents have not been replaced with Russian ones. Now riding in such vehicles is considered a violation, for which, according to Part 1 of Article 12.1 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation "Driving a vehicle that is not registered in accordance with the established procedure", a fine of 500-800 rubles is threatened.
New recycling fee coefficients came into force on January 1. Compared to the previous ones, they increased by an average of 10-15%, up to 20% for certain categories of cars.
Fines for traffic violations in 2026
Amendments to the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation come into force on January 9, significantly increasing sanctions for violating the rules for transporting children in a car. So, for the absence of a child safety seat, booster or transportation of a child not wearing a seat belt, for individuals the fine increases from the previous 3 thousand to 5 thousand rubles. For officials, the fine increases from 25 thousand to 50 thousand rubles, and for legal entities — from 100 thousand to 200 thousand rubles. The law specifically states that taxi drivers working as sole proprietors will face a fine as a legal entity (200 thousand rubles) for transporting a child without a child safety seat, and the self—employed as an official (50 thousand rubles).
In addition, starting on January 9, according to the amendments adopted in Part 3 of Article 12.5 of the Administrative Code, a loophole is being eliminated that allowed owners of cars temporarily imported into the Russian Federation not to comply with the requirements regarding window tinting (the light transmission level of the windscreen and front side windows must be at least 70%). Now this article of the Administrative Code will refer to the "Basic provisions on the admission of vehicles to operation", and not to the technical regulations of the Customs Union "On the safety of wheeled vehicles". This will allow traffic police to issue a fine of 500 rubles to such motorists.
Changes in the activities of driving schools in 2026
In the spring of 2026, amendments to the law "On Road Safety" will come into force, providing for the introduction of a driving school rating, a system for evaluating the effectiveness of training future drivers in educational institutions. The criteria and indicators by which driving schools will be evaluated will additionally be prepared by the Government of the Russian Federation. According to preliminary information, they will be based on data on exam results, as well as the number of accidents experienced by graduates of a particular driving school. Information about this rating will be regularly updated and publicly available.
In addition, new methods of driver training in driving schools will come into force on March 1, 2026. They increase the number of practical classes, introduce additional requirements for distance learning, and also provide an opportunity to take driving classes not at the driving school itself, but at car companies.
Russian taxi cars in 2026
On March 1, a law comes into force providing for the transfer of taxi companies to Russian cars. From this moment on, only cars are allowed to be used as taxis, the localization level of which "corresponds to the cumulative number of points established by the regulatory legal act of the Government of the Russian Federation for the purposes of purchasing automotive products to meet state and municipal needs." Currently, there is a threshold of 3.2 thousand points for passenger cars, from 2027 it increases to 3.5 thousand points, and from 2028 to 3.7 thousand points.
The models approved for taxi driving are approved by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Currently, the list includes Lada (Granta, Iskra, Vesta, Aura, Largus, Niva Legend, Niva Travel), UAZ (Patriot, Hunter), Sollers (SP7), Evolve (I-PRO, I-JOY, I-SKY, I-JET, I-SPACE), Voyah (Free, Dream, Passion) and Moskvich (3, 3e, 6, 8). As expected, by March 2026 this list will be expanded with a number of Haval, Tenet models, as well as cars that are produced at Kaliningrad Avtotor.
The new law does not yet apply to the Kaliningrad region, as well as the regions of the Siberian Federal District — here the requirements for the localization of taxi cars come into force only from March 1, 2028. And in the Far East, in the DPR, the LPR, as well as in the Zaporizhia and Kherson regions, they will begin operating on March 1, 2030.
At the same time, according to the amendments signed by the President of Russia at the end of last year, allowances are set for self-employed taxi drivers. For them, the requirements for localization of cars begin to apply only in 2033, within the quota of 25% of the total number of cars entered into the regional register of passenger taxis.
OSAGO by cameras in 2026
Despite repeated statements by insurers about the introduction of control over the availability of CTP policies in 2025, this mechanism has not yet worked. In November last year, a bill was passed in the first reading establishing a special procedure for imposing fines for the absence of a CTP policy, detected with the help of photo—video fixation complexes - it will be possible to punish car owners for this violation detected by cameras no more than once a day. It is assumed that these amendments to the Administrative Code will come into force on September 1, 2026. Thus, the introduction of CTP monitoring using cameras should not be expected before next autumn.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
