Driving licence in Romania

In Romania the driving licence (Romanian: Permis de conducere) is a governmental right given to those who request a licence for any of the categories they desire. It is required for every type of motorized vehicle. The minimum age to obtain a driving licence is 18 years. Regardless of age, in the first year after obtaining the licence the driver is called a beginner (Romanian: începător) and has to display on the windscreen and the back window of the car the distinctive sign (a black exclamation mark (!) on a yellow disk).

Beginning with 1999, the driving licence format was changed from that of a pink booklet to a credit-card sized card.

Obtaining a drivers licence

The driving licence can be obtained after finishing a driving school and passing a two stage test, a theory test and a road test.

The theory test

The theory test consists of 26 questions the test is computerized with successful the candidates needing to score a minimum of 22 correct answers. The candidate is automatically eliminated if 5 wrong answers are given. For authenticity, during the computerized examination, the candidate is photographed three times and these pictures are later used as evidence that the person present at the road test is the same person as the one who was present at the theory test.

The road test

The road test is a practical hands on test that lasts 25 minutes, during which time the candidate must prove that he/she is able to handle the vehicle properly and safely, that he/she can do all kind of manoeuvres including turns, parking, while respecting the law. The driving test ends when the test period finishes and the candidate is then informed of the result. If the candidate obtained no more than 20 penalty points, he is given the result passed, if the candidate made mistakes that sum at least 21 points, he is given the result failed and can reschedule another examination after a 15 day period has lapsed.

Categories

• A -Vehicle with two wheels (motorcycle) with or without a sidecar that has an engine larger than 50CC or can achieve a speed greater than 50 km/h or a three wheel vehicle (tricycle) that has an engine larger than 50CC or can achieve a speed greater than 50 km/h, the maximum authorized mass must not exceed 400 kg.
  • A1 -Vehicle with two or three wheels having a maximum engine capacity of 50CC, a minimum construction speed of 25 km/h and a maximum speed of 50 km/h.

• B -Vehicle that does not exceed a 3,500 kg authorized mass, has a maximum of 8 seats besides the driver's and is allowed to pull a light-weight trailer not exceeding an authorized mass of 750 kg.
  • B1 -Vehicle with three or four wheels having a minimum mass of 400 kg and a maximum mass of 550 kg that has an engine larger than 50CC and can achieve a speed greater than 50 km/h.
  • B+E -A B category vehicle that has a trailer with an authorized mass greater than 750 kg but not exceeding the mass of the pulling vehicle.

• C -Vehicle with and authorized mass greater than 3,500 kg and with 8 seats besides the driver's.
  • C1 -Vehicle that has a mass greater than 3,500 kg but not exceeding 7,500 kg.
  • C1+E -A C1 category vehicle that has a trailer exceeding 750 kg but the summed mass of the vehicle and trailer doesn't exceed 12,000 kg.
  • C+E -A C category vehicle that is allowed to pull a trailer with an authorized mass greater than 750 kg but not exceeding the mass of the pulling vehicle.

• D -Vehicle that has more than 8 seats besides the driver's.
  • D1 -Vehicle that has more than 8 seats besides the driver's but not more than 16 seats.
  • D1+E -A D1 category vehicle with a trailer exceeding 750 kg but the summed mass of the vehicle and trailer not exceeding 12,000 kg.
  • D+E -A D category vehicle with a trailer exceeding a 750 kg mass but the trailer must not be used for people transport.

• Tr -Tractors and self-propelled working vehicles.

• Tb -Trolleybuses

• Tv -Trams

Age requirement

Every category has a minimum age required for obtaining it:

• A -18
  • A1 -16
• B -18
• C -18
• D -21
• Tr -21
• Tb -21
• Tv -21

Gallery

Cover, first, and last pages of the Romanian driver's licence between the 1970s and the 1990s

• 

  The front

• 

  The back

Beginning with 2009, the driving licence respects the EU format without any English translations anymore which may confuse lots of non-Romanian language speakers or non-EU residents. It looks better (has the EU flag on it) but it is useless outside of Europe.

• 

  The front

• 

  The back

External links

• (Romanian) Romanian road legislation