The Romanian Ministry of Development has published in decisional transparency a new package of administrative reforms, which includes an important provision for all drivers in Romania: those who do not pay their traffic fines within 90 working days could automatically lose their driving privileges.
This is a legislative amendment that targets driving licenses and introduces an automatic mechanism to suspend the right to drive, without a court decision or a Road Police decision, solely based on tax records.
What the new law provides
- Drivers who do not pay their traffic fines within 90 working days from the due date will automatically lose their driving privileges.
- The suspension starts at 00:00 on the third working day after the deadline expires and lasts until the full payment of the fine or, at the latest, 2 years from the date the debt is recorded.
- The notice regarding the suspension of the right to drive will be transmitted by local tax authorities within a maximum of 15 days from the registration of the debt, explicitly mentioning the date from which the person loses this right.
- After the fine is paid, the tax authority will update the database and automatically transmit the information to the Auto Permits Directorate within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, through the interconnected information systems PatrimVen and DRPCIV.
- The suspension of the permit for tax debts operates independently of other sanctions provided by the Traffic Code (for example, those for serious violations) and does not accumulate with them.
What's next
The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Internal Affairs will need to adapt their information systems to allow for interconnection and automatic implementation of the measure. The implementation rules are to be established by government decision.
This initiative is part of a broader package of administrative reform measures aimed at increasing the collection rate of taxes and fines at the local level and, according to authorities, aims to discipline the fiscal behavior of citizens who avoid paying penalties.