AZE.US
Drivers in Azerbaijan are not subject to a fine simply for losing a vehicle license plate, but they may face penalties if they continue driving without one.
The issue affects vehicle owners who lose their state registration plates or have them stolen. Such cases are often linked to plates that were not properly secured to the vehicle.
Lawyer Ruslan Mustafayev told Bizim.Media that Azerbaijani legislation does not impose a separate fine for the loss of a personal vehicle plate. The violation begins when the driver operates the vehicle without a state registration plate.
Under the current procedure, a lost plate is not replaced with a duplicate. Instead, the vehicle owner must obtain a new state registration plate and pay a 30-manat fee, equal to about $18.
Mustafayev said the rule dates back to an earlier period, when license plates did not contain chips. At the time, a lost plate could theoretically be placed on another vehicle and used illegally. For that reason, the old plate was removed from registration and a new one was issued.
He said the current system should eventually be reconsidered because newer plates now include technology that makes their location easier to track.
For drivers, the practical rule is straightforward: losing a plate is not itself punishable, but driving a car without a valid registration plate can create legal problems.
AZE.US