Fines for driving without a valid licence in Uzbekistan

In short: "driving without a licence" covers four different offences. Documents left at home: 1 BCV. No right to drive, or no right for that category: 5 BCV. Driving while disqualified: 50 BCV, and a criminal case if repeated. In all of these cases the car can be impounded. Amounts below are as of October 2026.

First, what BCV means

Uzbekistan's Code of Administrative Responsibility sets fines not in soum but in base calculation values (BCV, known locally as BRV in Russian or BHM in Uzbek). From 1 September 2026, 1 BCV = 440,000 soum. Before that it was 412,000. The value goes up regularly, so any soum figure in any article, this one included, will date. A fine is calculated using the BCV in force on the day of the offence (Article 9 of the Code). To convert, multiply the number of BCV by the current value.

Fines at a glance

Situation	Legal basis	Penalty	In soum at 440,000 per BCV
You hold a licence, but the licence, registration or insurance isn't with you	Admin. Code art. 135(1)	1 BCV fine	440,000
No right to drive at all, or none for this category	Admin. Code art. 135(2)	5 BCV fine	2,200,000
Handing the wheel to someone without the right to drive	Admin. Code art. 135(2)	5 BCV fine	2,200,000
Person responsible for a vehicle lets an unlicensed person drive	Admin. Code art. 140(1)	30 BCV fine	13,200,000
Driving while disqualified	Admin. Code art. 135(3)	50 BCV fine	22,000,000
The same again after an administrative penalty	Criminal Code art. 261-2	50–100 BCV fine, up to 2 years' correctional labour, or 2–3 years in prison	22–44 million
Driving outside the OSAGO insurance terms (not listed)	Admin. Code art. 135-1	warning or 0.5 BCV	220,000

Situation by situation

You left your licence at home

That's Article 135, part 1: driving without documents you must carry. The fine is 1 BCV. Part 4 of the same article has an important exception: if you have a biometric passport or ID card issued by Uzbekistan's Ministry of Internal Affairs or a consulate, you don't need to carry your driving licence, registration certificate, OSAGO policy or tint permit. The officer checks the database. So an ID card in your wallet reliably covers "I forgot my licence".

You've never had a licence

Article 135, part 2: a 5 BCV fine. Several situations people don't think of as "driving without a licence" fall here:

• a driving school student driving without an instructor, "just to get home";
• a category B licence holder driving a category C truck;
• an Uzbek citizen driving on a foreign licence. Under point 74 of the Regulation (Cabinet Resolution No. 408), only the national licence is valid for citizens inside the country, so a foreign one must be exchanged.

Note that since 2026, cameras can record offences under part 2 (for people with no right to drive) and part 3. According to Spot.uz, a facial recognition system that detects unlicensed drivers was launched on road cameras in March 2026.

You let a friend or your child drive

Handing control to someone without the right to drive is the same Article 135, part 2: 5 BCV. If it's a company vehicle and the person responsible for releasing vehicles allowed it, the fine under Article 140, part 1 is 30 BCV. After an accident, civil liability for the damage and insurance problems come on top: OSAGO cover assumes the driver has the right to drive.

You've been disqualified

The most expensive case. Article 135, part 3: 50 BCV. If someone already penalised for this gets behind the wheel again, criminal liability under Article 261-2 of the Criminal Code applies. This article was added by Law ZRU-1033 of 20 February 2025.

The right to drive doesn't come back automatically when the disqualification ends. Under the Regulation approved by Cabinet Resolution No. 408, you need a medical check, a full driving school course and the exams. The theory test is tougher for these drivers: 50 questions in 45 minutes, with at least 46 correct.

Your licence has expired

The Code has no separate article for expired licences. An expired licence no longer proves the right to drive, and such cases are recorded under Article 135. Whether part 1 (1 BCV) or part 2 (5 BCV) applies is up to the officer and ultimately the court. Plan for the worse outcome and don't drive on an expired licence, not even "for a couple of days until I get to the service centre". The expiry date is printed on the licence itself. See our article on licence validity and renewal.

Your licence is lost

If you have the right to drive but have lost the card, that isn't driving without a licence. Without an ID card on you, though, you can still get a part 1 fine. Replace the licence promptly. The steps are in what to do if you lose your licence.

Impound

Article 291 of the Code allows a vehicle to be detained and taken to a special car park for Article 135 offences until the cause is resolved. The exception is when only the OSAGO policy or a professional training certificate is missing. In practice, if you were driving without the right to drive, a tow truck takes the car, and only someone with a licence and the vehicle documents can collect it. Towing and storage are paid separately.

Why getting a licence is cheaper

Compare. A driving school course and exams in Tashkent cost a few million soum, and it's a skill for life. One episode of unlicensed driving starts at 2.2 million soum in fines, plus towing and storage. Driving while disqualified costs 22 million and risks a criminal record. Since 2026, theory for categories A and B can be self-studied and practical lessons booked at a driving school on a flexible schedule, so "no time" is no longer a reason.

Browse Tashkent driving schools by district or category B schools. The full path from medical certificate to licence card is in how to get a driving licence.

Find a driving school

If you need to get a licence, or regain one after disqualification, leave a request through the school matching form. Tell us your district, category and preferred times, and we'll suggest suitable options.

This article is for general information and isn't legal advice. Amounts follow the Administrative and Criminal Codes as in force in October 2026.