Starting August 1st, drivers in Russia will receive a QR code instead of a paper medical certificate after passing their medical examination. This change aims to streamline the process and combat the forgery of medical documents.

The announcement was made by Petr Shkumatov, head of the People’s Front working group “Protection of the Rights of Motorists”. Drivers will be issued a QR code and certificate number instead of the traditional paper form 003/vu.

The QR code and certificate number will be presented to the traffic police, and the information will be automatically uploaded to the State Traffic Inspectorate system. This eliminates the need for a physical paper certificate.

According to Shkumatov, this measure will significantly reduce the prevalence of fake medical certificates, as the State Traffic Inspectorate can easily verify the authenticity of the electronic document. Previously, verifying the authenticity of paper certificates was challenging.

Shkumatov suggested that psychiatric and narcological dispensaries might also use the QR code to access and update driver data in their databases.

A similar system was implemented in 2022 for obtaining certificates for gun ownership, which proved effective in preventing document forgery and ensuring timely cancellation in cases of detected contraindications.

Furthermore, on June 24th, the State Duma adopted a bill authorizing the traffic police to revoke driver’s licenses if medical contraindications are discovered during examinations.