Driver's Licences for 30 years Will no Longer be Issued: The Cabinet of Ministers Rewrote the Rules for All Drivers

By Resolution No. 889 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, dated 8 July 2026, amendments were made to the 'Regulation on the Procedure for Issuing Driver's Licences and Admitting Citizens to Drive Vehicles', which was approved by CMU Resolution No. 340, dated 8 May 1993. The document aligns Ukrainian regulations with European standards and establishes new validity periods for the right to drive vehicles across different categories.

Many drivers are now asking a practical question: will it be necessary to replace previously issued licences, particularly those valid for 30 or 50 years, and what will happen after Ukraine joins the European Union?

What validity periods did the Cabinet of Ministers establish?

According to the new version of paragraph 2 of the Regulation, the right to drive vehicles is granted for varying periods depending on the

category:

• Categories A1, A, B1, B, and BE — for 15 years.

• Categories C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D, DE, and T — for 5 years.

• If a person receives a driving licence for the first time, regardless of category, the right to drive is granted for only two years.

If a driver simultaneously holds categories with different validity periods, the licence will indicate the respective periods separately. Additionally, the government explicitly determined that any period during which a person was deprived of or temporarily restricted in their right to drive does not extend the driving licence's validity period.

What will happen to licences already issued?

Many Ukrainians still use driving licences issued under previous rules with extended validity periods, specifically for 30 or 50 years. The changes adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers do not imply automatic replacement of such documents or a shortening of their validity period. They remain valid until the date indicated on the licence, unless otherwise provided by law.

Furthermore, the Cabinet of Ministers specifically stated that driving licences issued before Ukraine's accession to the European Union remain valid until their expiry date. This means that if a licence was issued, for example, in 2017 with a validity period until 2067, its owner is not obliged to replace the document early simply because the new resolution has come into force.

The new periods will primarily apply during the first-time issuance of a licence, document exchange, licence renewal, and the issuance of a new licence after the expiration of its validity period.

What will change after Ukraine joins the EU?

One of the most significant new provisions in the resolution concerns Ukraine's prospective membership in the European Union. The government has stipulated that driver's licences issued before Ukraine's accession to the EU will, once membership is acquired, remain valid only within Ukraine until their stated expiry date or until they are exchanged. This effectively means that after Ukraine joins the EU, drivers intending to use a car in other EU member states will need to obtain a driver's licence that conforms to the unified European standard.

Concurrently, within Ukraine, existing licences will remain valid until their original expiry date.

First licences — only for two years

The resolution upholds the principle of a probationary period for new drivers. Individuals who obtain a driving entitlement for any vehicle category for the first time will be granted a licence valid for only two years. After this period, the licence must be exchanged in accordance with legal requirements. This approach has been in effect for several years and aims to assess a driver's practical experience after obtaining their initial licence.

Changes to rules regarding Soviet-style licences

The resolution also amends paragraph 30 of the Regulation. It now explicitly states that the rule concerning driver's licences from the former USSR does not apply to documents issued in the Ukrainian SSR. This clarification by the government streamlines the application of rules regarding older driver's licences and eliminates previous ambiguities.

Is it necessary to urgently replace licences?

The text of the resolution indicates no immediate obligation to exchange valid driver's licences. If a document is valid and its expiry period has not elapsed, it continues to confirm the holder's right to drive vehicles. A new licence, adhering to the updated rules and validity periods defined by resolution No. 889, will only be issued upon expiry or in other legally stipulated circumstances (such as loss, damage, change of personal data, or exchange).

The adopted changes are largely forward-looking and do not invalidate already issued licences. However, they effectively initiate a transition to the European model for driver documentation. For most Ukrainian drivers, nothing will change in the immediate future. Nevertheless, individuals who will receive a licence for the first time or exchange an expired one should take into account the new validity periods, which vary depending on the vehicle category.

Most Common Driver Questions Following the Adoption of the Cabinet Resolution

1. Do I need to replace a licence issued in 2017 for 50 years? No. Resolution No. 889 does not mandate the early replacement of driver's licences issued before its enactment. If the document is valid and its expiry date has not passed, it continues to confirm the holder's right to drive vehicles.

2. Will the validity period of already issued licences be shortened? No. The document does not contain provisions for the revision or shortening of the validity period of previously issued licences. New rules apply when a licence is issued or exchanged after the resolution comes into force.

3. If I open a new category, will I have to replace the entire licence? Yes. When a new category is added, a new licence will be issued. The validity period for each category will be determined separately, in accordance with the requirements of paragraph 2 of the Regulation. For example, if a driver already holds category B and subsequently adds category C, the licence will show different validity periods for these categories.

4. Is it necessary to undergo retraining after the licence expires? Resolution No. 889 does not introduce retraining or re-examination solely due to the expiry of a licence. The procedure for its exchange is determined by current legislation and normative acts of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

5. What will happen after Ukraine joins the European Union? After Ukraine joins the EU, driver's licences issued before that date will not automatically lose validity. However, they will remain valid only within the territory of Ukraine. To drive vehicles in EU member states, they will need to be exchanged for a driver's licence of the unified European standard.

6. Do drivers need to do anything now? No. If the licence is valid, no additional actions are required from the driver. It is not necessary to replace the document solely because Resolution No. 889 came into force.

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