New traffic policies take effect from January 1, 2025

In addition to the new Laws taking effect from January 1, 2025, many new traffic policies taking effect from January 1, 2025 are as follows:

Motorcycle emission testing

According to Article 27 of Circular 47/2024/TT-BCA effective from January 1, 2025, for motorbikes and scooters with a production date of more than 5 years, the owner must bring the vehicle to the inspection facility for emission inspection.

For motorbikes and scooters with a period from the year of manufacture up to 5 years, the owner does not have to submit an emission inspection application and does not have to bring the vehicle to the inspection facility for emission inspection.

Emission inspection certificates for motorbikes and scooters are issued by the Vietnam Register on the inspection management software based on the results of certification of technical safety and environmental protection quality of motorbikes and scooters in production, assembly and import taken from the archived data of the Vietnam Register combined with the database on registration and management of motor vehicles of the Ministry of Public Security.

Allow auction of motorbike license plates

The license plate auction has been carried out since 2022, but only applies to car license plates.

From January 1, 2025, motorbike license plates will also be auctioned according to the provisions of the Law on Road Traffic Safety and Order 2024.

Specifically, Article 37 of the 2024 Law on Road Traffic Safety and Order stipulates that the starting price of a motorbike or scooter license plate to be auctioned must not be lower than VND 5 million. Auction participants must deposit an amount not lower than the starting price of the type of license plate to be auctioned.

In case the registration period for participation in the auction expires and only one person registers to participate in the auction or there are many people registering to participate in the auction but only one person participates in the auction or there are many people participating in the auction but only one person bids at least equal to the starting price of a license plate put up for auction, that person will be determined as the winner of the license plate auction.

New driving license policy

Driver's license with assessment score

According to Article 58 of the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety 2024, effective from January 1, 2025, each driving license will have 12 points/year to assess the driver's compliance with traffic laws.

For each violation of traffic safety laws, drivers will have points deducted depending on the nature and severity of the violation.

Information about the number of points deducted will be recorded in the management database system and notified to the relevant driver as soon as the penalty decision comes into effect.

If there are remaining points in the year, the driver's license will be restored to the full 12 points the following year. If all points are deducted in one year, the driver will not be allowed to drive a vehicle under the type of license registered.

After 6 months from the date of deduction of all points, the driver can take a knowledge test organized by the traffic police to restore the points. Those who pass the test will have all 12 points restored on their driving license.

Change driving license class

Article 57 of the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety stipulates up to 15 types of driving licenses (an increase of 3 types compared to previous regulations) including the following classes: Class A1, A, B1, B, C1, C, D1, D2, D, BE, C1E, CE, D1E, D2E, DE.

Compared with the provisions of the 2008 Road Traffic Law, the new law has some adjustments as follows:

Class B is a combination of Class B1 and B2.

Class C for driving trucks from 3.5 tons or more has been divided into C1 for driving 2.5 to 7.5 tons and C for driving over 7.5 tons.

Class D, which was previously for driving passenger vehicles with 10-30 seats, was split into D1 (Vehicles with 8-16 seats) and D2 (16-29 seats). Class D is now only for driving vehicles with over 29 seats.

Due to changes in driver's license classification, the validity period and age for issuing driver's licenses for each type also have some differences.

If your driving license expires 1 day, you must retake the theory test.

Previously, if a driver's license expired for less than 3 months, the owner could still get a new license without having to retake the theory test.

However, from January 1, 2025, Clause 2, Article 34 of Circular 35/2024/TT-BGTVT stipulates that people with driving licenses of classes B, C1, C, D1, D2, D, BE, C1E, CE, D1E, D2E, DE that have expired for less than 1 year from the expiration date must take a theory test according to regulations to be granted a driving license.

Overdue from 1 year or more from the expiration date must take a theoretical test, practical driving test in the form and on the road to issue a driving license.

Thus, from January 1, 2025, drivers need to pay attention to renew their driving license before it expires because if the driving license expires for 1 day, they will have to retake the theory test.

New policy on vehicle registration and license plate issuance

People can register vehicles outside of working hours, on weekends and holidays.

Previously, the police agency usually only accepted vehicle registration applications during office hours on weekdays.

However, according to the provisions of Article 5 of Circular 79/2024/TT-BCA, from January 1, 2025, the Director of the Provincial Police Department is allowed to decide and publicly announce the organization of receiving vehicle registration outside of working hours, on holidays, and on holidays if necessary.

At the same time, arrange vehicle registration officers to regularly check the vehicle registration and management system and receive documents to ensure vehicle registration is processed on time according to regulations.

Imported vehicles can be registered online.

Previously, Article 9 of Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA stipulated that only domestically manufactured and assembled vehicles could be registered for the first time using the full online public service.

From January 1, 2025, Vietnamese citizens can register vehicles using the full online public service for both assembled and imported vehicles according to regulations in Clause 1, Article 14 of Circular 79/2024/TT-BCA.

Changing residence to another province does not require changing vehicle registration or reissuing license plates.

Circular 79/2024/TT-BCA on vehicle registration no longer requires vehicle owners to reissue vehicle registration and license plates when changing their headquarters address or place of residence to another province or centrally run city.

Pursuant to Clause 4, Article 6 of Circular 79, vehicle owners only have to go to the vehicle registration agency to carry out procedures to change the vehicle registration certificate and license plate in case of changing information about the vehicle owner's name, vehicle owner's identification number or when the vehicle registration certificate expires according to regulations.

Vehicle owners can still change their vehicle registration certificate to a new address if needed according to regulations in Clause 4, Article 18, Circular 79.

Electric vehicles and auction-winning vehicles are granted vehicle registration and license plates with identification stickers.

According to the provisions of Point c, Clause 1, Article 14 of Circular 79, the owner of the auctioned vehicle, the vehicle using clean energy, green energy, and environmentally friendly will be returned the vehicle registration certificate, license plate with identification stamp.

License plates using clean energy, green energy, environmentally friendly have a green identification stamp attached.

Vehicle identification stamps using clean energy, green energy, environmentally friendly, soft green, round, 30mm diameter, designed with specialized security design software, anti-copying and anti-counterfeiting. The stamp is printed in color with anti-fade ink on peel-and-stick decal material.

The auction winning license plate has a red and yellow background identification sticker and blue letters.

Auction winning license plate identification stamp: red and yellow background, blue letters; circular, 30mm diameter, designed with specialized security design software, anti-counterfeiting. The stamp is printed in color with fade-resistant ink on peel-and-stick decal material.

New policy on traffic control

Traffic police 'in disguise' are allowed to stop vehicles

Previously, undercover traffic police (plain clothes) were not allowed to stop vehicles when detecting violations in any case.

From January 1, 2025, Point b, Clause 3, Article 7 of Circular 73/2024/TT-BCA has allowed disguised officers to use the People's Public Security Identity Card to request to stop vehicles and notify and mobilize people to coordinate and immediately prevent violations in case of detecting serious violations of road traffic order and safety, security and social order. If not prevented promptly, it will cause dangerous consequences, damage to property, harm the lives and health of traffic participants.

Drivers are notified of fines on the VneTraffic app

VNeTraffic is a mobile traffic application for citizens managed and operated by the Ministry of Public Security.

Pursuant to Circular 73/2024/TT-BCA, VneTraffic application is used in the following cases:

Announce the revocation of the right to use a license or practice certificate in the electronic environment so that violators and vehicle owners (for vehicle owners' documents) know and comply with the provisions of the law on order and road traffic safety, serving competent authorities to inspect, control and handle violations according to the provisions of Article 23.

Send fine notices electronically by connecting and sharing data on the VNeTraffic App when meeting the conditions on infrastructure, technology, and information as prescribed in Article 24.

Update information of the violating vehicle (vehicle type; license plate, license plate color; time, location of violation, violation; unit detecting the violation; unit handling the case, contact phone number) so that the vehicle owner, organization, and individual related to the administrative violation can know, look up, and contact to resolve according to the provisions of Article 24.

New points about driver health check

Abolish 100% alcohol testing for all drivers from 2025

From 2025, alcohol testing will be abolished for all drivers during medical examinations. Alcohol testing will only be performed when prescribed by a doctor.

In particular, car drivers will be required to test for alcohol concentration during regular health check-ups.

Increase drug testing in driver health check from 2025

According to Circular 36/2024/TT-BYT, from January 1, 2025, when examining drivers' health, drug testing is required (screening and qualitative testing of drugs according to regulations of the Ministry of Health: Amphetamine, Marijuana, Morphine, Codeine, Heroin).

Increase the validity of driver's health certificate to 12 months

The new health certificate according to Circular 36/2024/TT-BYT applied from January 1, 2025 will be valid for 12 months from the date of signing the conclusion, while the current health certificate according to Joint Circular 24/2015/TTLT-BYT-BGTVT is only valid for 6 months.