Ukraine Overhauls Driver's License System with New Age Rules and Digital Options

Major Update to Ukraine's Traffic Law

According to ХВИЛЯ: Ukraine is moving forward with sweeping changes to its traffic legislation, introducing new age requirements for obtaining a driver's license while scrapping earlier proposals that targeted older motorists. The government has withdrawn Draft Law No. 8082, which would have imposed restrictions on drivers over 65. Currently, there are no age-based driving limits in Ukraine. A new bill, Draft Law No. 15200, submitted by the Cabinet of Ministers in late April, takes a different approach entirely.

The withdrawn Draft Law No. 8082 had required drivers aged 65 and older to pass special assessments, including tests for memory, attention, and reaction speed. It also proposed shortening license validity to just two years for that group, later reducing it to one year. Under existing rules, drivers under 55 undergo medical checks once every ten years, those aged 56 to 75 every three years, and those 76 or older annually. Importantly, a medical certificate may be denied if a person has severe vision or hearing problems, mental disorders, heart failure, or significant blood pressure abnormalities.

New Age Thresholds for Different Vehicle Types

Under the proposed changes, 15-year-olds can operate mopeds and light quadricycles with a top speed of 45 km/h. Driving light motorcycles and full-sized quadricycles is allowed from age 16. At 17, individuals may drive a passenger car but only with a licensed supervisor who has at least two years of experience. Solo driving of passenger cars is permitted from age 18. For powerful A-category motorcycles, the minimum age is 20, provided the driver has two years of experience. To operate D and DE category buses, the minimum age is 24.

Veterans with disabilities can receive up to 70,000 hryvnias to retrofit their vehicles for accessibility. The reform also introduces new license categories:

• AM (moped)
• A1, A2, A (motorcycles)
• Separate categories for trams and trolleybuses

Notably, driver's licenses and vehicle registration documents will be valid through the 'Diia' mobile app, carrying the same legal weight as paper versions.

The new bill contains no age restrictions for older drivers. As the creators of the YouTube channel 'Na Pensiyi' state:

“There is not a single word about age limits for older drivers in this document.”

Meanwhile, penalties for serious violations, such as drunk driving, are becoming stricter: after license revocation, offenders must retake both the theory and practical exams and undergo an unscheduled medical check. Any refusal to issue a license or register a vehicle must be justified, and such decisions can be appealed first to the main service center and then to court.

These legislative changes could significantly impact young people entering the driving system and veterans seeking to adapt their cars for safer use. The absence of age-based restrictions for drivers over 65 suggests a push for equal treatment of all motorists, provided they meet required medical standards. Effective implementation and enforcement will be key to maintaining road safety under the new rules.