When do you need to retake your driving license? [2025 Information]

When should rights be transferred?

You need to retake your driving license, that is, take the driving theory and practical exams at the "Registry" if your driving license has been revoked for a year or longer. If you lose your license for a shorter period of time, you need to take a special course and receive a certificate that will allow you to regain your driver's license.

If you lose your rights for a year or more, you will need to retake the exams for one higher category you have. For example, if you have categories B and C, you will only need to retake category C. However, if you also have category A, you will need to take the exams for category A as well.

The vehicle categories are arranged from easiest to hardest in order of complexity as follows: B1, B, BE, C1/D1 (optionally either C1 or D1), C1E/D1E (optionally either C1E or D1E), C, D, DE, CE. If the revoked driving license also included categories A1, A2, or A, you will also need to retake the exams for these categories. 

When are rights returned?

• A person whose right to drive vehicles has been revoked due to road traffic violations shall have this right restored only after he or she completes additional driver training in accordance with the established procedure.

• A person whose right to drive a vehicle has been revoked by law for a period of one year or more due to a violation of the law shall have his or her right to drive a vehicle restored only after the period of revocation of this right has expired and after completing additional driver training and passing the driving test, except for a person whose right to drive a vehicle has been revoked for committing a violation of the law while intoxicated or under the influence of narcotic, psychotropic or other psychoactive substances.

• A person whose right to drive a vehicle has been revoked by law for committing a violation of the law while intoxicated or under the influence of narcotic, psychotropic or other psychoactive substances shall have his or her right to drive a vehicle restored only after the period of deprivation of this right has expired, in accordance with the procedure established by the Government or an institution authorised by it, after a medical and educational attestation, after completing additional driver training and after passing a driving test. It is not necessary to pass a driving test again if the right to drive a vehicle has been revoked for a period shorter than one year due to the commission of a violation of the law specified in this paragraph.

If you lose your driving license, you may also need to undergo an additional health check and obtain a health knowledge certification certificate.

How do I find out if my driving license has been revoked?

To find out whether you have been deprived of the right to drive, you should first check whether you have received a notification about the fine. Most often, this type of notification comes to your home by registered mail or you are informed by e-mail that you have received a notification at the STI self-service. After paying the fine, be sure to pay attention to other information documents provided in the received notification, such as the administrative offense protocol.

Not all drivers carefully read the content of the protocol, which sets out the essence of the offense and the applicable liability, and therefore continue to participate in traffic despite the fact that the term of deprivation of the right to drive began to apply from the day the fine was paid.

Deprivation of rights for a novice driver

A novice driver who has not yet had 2 years of driving experience has the same rights as those with more experience. This means that if you lose your rights for a year or more, you will need to retake the exams for one higher category you have, plus category A, if you had one.

If you have not completed additional driver training within one year, you will lose your right to drive and your license will not be replaced with a 10-year license. You will only be able to gain the right to drive after passing the driving test, at which point a new 3-year license will be issued.

Courses after losing rights

If you do not yet have 2 years of driving experience and have caused a traffic accident that has impaired the health of a road user or violated at least one of the following Road Traffic Safety Regulations requirements, you must complete additional driver training.

This must be done within one year from the date of entry into force of the decision by which you are found to have committed a violation of the law or from the date of execution of the administrative order issued after committing an administrative offense. 

You can study at any driving school that organizes such training.

KET requirements, violation of which requires completion of additional training

• Perform driver duties for pedestrians;

• Follow the rules of overtaking;

• Do not use mobile communication devices while driving;

• Obey traffic signals;

• Use warning signals in accordance with the procedure established by the KET;

• Follow the rules for driving through intersections;

• Drivers must use seat belts and motorcycle helmets;

• Do not exceed the set speed;

• Do not drive vehicles while intoxicated.

Disqualification for drunkenness

Driving while intoxicated not only puts your own safety and the safety of others at risk, but also puts you at risk of receiving a fine and losing your driving privileges. The main penalties for drunk driving are as follows:

• Mild intoxication is punishable by a fine of 800 to 1,100 euros and a driving ban of 12 to 18 months.

• Repeated drunk driving is punishable by a fine of 850–1,500 euros and a driving ban of 12 to 48 months.

• Dangerous drink-driving (0.41 - 1.5 per mille) is punishable by a fine of 600 to 850 euros and a driving ban of 24 to 36 months.

• If you have driven while intoxicated (more than 1.5 per mille), you will be prosecuted. You will be fined and will be held on probation for another 3 years after paying the fine or serving another sentence.

Recovery of rights for drunkenness

To regain a driver's license that was revoked for drunk driving, you will need to:

• Take special courses on the harm of alcohol and drugs to human health (they are organized by most driving schools).

• You will also need to complete additional driver training (at a driving school).

• If your driver's license is revoked for more than a year, you will have to retake the theory and practical exams at Regitra.

Only then will you regain your rights. You can regain your rights lost for drunk driving earlier. You can do this if you agree to drive only vehicles that have alcohol interlocks installed. If your car has alcohol interlocks, your driver's license will be supplemented with the code "69". 

What to do if you lose your driver's license?

​If you have lost your right to drive, it means that you have also lost your driver's license, so you may also need to undergo a health check, obtain a health certificate and take additional driver training courses. If your right to drive was revoked for a year or longer, you will be required to retake both the theoretical and practical driving exams at Regitra.

Driving without a license when it has been revoked

Driving a vehicle when the driver has been deprived of the right to drive a vehicle, or driving a vehicle when the prohibition on driving vehicles that are not equipped with anti-alcohol engine locks is not observed, incurs a fine of 450–700 euros.

Driving while intoxicated (0.41–1.5 per mille) or under the influence of narcotics, psychotropic substances or other psychoactive substances, when the license has been revoked, or avoiding a sobriety test, incurs a fine of 1,100–1,500 euros.

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