Armenia eases driver’s license reinstatement rules for first-time offenders

The Armenian government has approved new rules allowing certain drivers stripped of their licenses to regain them without retaking qualification exams after serving a one-year suspension, Interior Minister Arpine Sargsyan said on Wednesday.

The reform introduces a probation-based reinstatement system for drivers losing their licenses for the first time. After completing a one-year ban, eligible drivers will be able to restore their licenses by paying a 50,000-dram state fee, without undergoing new driving tests.

Under the new framework, reinstated drivers will enter a one-year probation period during which they will receive only six penalty points, less than half of the standard 13-point allowance currently granted to drivers in Armenia.

Drivers who exhaust the six points or lose their licenses again during probation will face another one-year ban and will subsequently be required to retake qualification exams to restore their driving rights.

Sargsyan said the simplified reinstatement procedure would be available only once and would apply to drivers disqualified between Jan. 1, 2020 and May 1, 2026.

The measure will not apply to suspensions imposed by Armenian courts or foreign authorities, nor to cases involving legal incapacity, drug or psychotropic substance use, mental health conditions or other medical grounds.