Q&A · Traffic
Are you fined for not carrying your licence or vehicle registration? Can you show VNeID?
Translated from the Vietnamese original; where they differ, the Vietnamese text and the law prevail.
Awaiting review by a lawyer. Each rule cites its source; where the texts are unclear, the page says so.
When driving, you must carry the vehicle registration certificate, driving licence, inspection certificate (for vehicles that must be inspected) and compulsory civil liability insurance certificate (Article 56(1) of the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety 2024 (Đ.56 khoản 1 Luật Trật tự, an toàn giao thông đường bộ 2024)). If these papers have been linked to your electronic identification account, you may show them through VNeID instead of paper copies (Đ.56 khoản 3). If you forget both the paper copies and VNeID, the police make a written record (biên bản); but if you bring the papers within the appointed time, a driver not engaged in transport business is not fined for this (Article 48(3) of Decree 168/2024/NĐ-CP (Đ.48 khoản 3 Nghị định 168/2024/NĐ-CP)).
What papers must you carry when driving?
Under Đ.56 khoản 1 of the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety 2024, a driver must carry:
- The vehicle registration certificate. If the vehicle is mortgaged to a bank, a certified copy together with the original confirmation from the bank.
- A driving licence for the class of vehicle being driven.
- The certificate of technical safety and environmental protection inspection, for motor vehicles that the law requires to be inspected, for example cars.
- The motor vehicle owner's compulsory civil liability insurance certificate.
A rider of a moped (xe gắn máy) does not need a driving licence, but must be at least 16 years old, healthy enough and know the traffic rules (Đ.56 khoản 4, Đ.59 khoản 1 điểm a).
Can you show your papers on VNeID?
Yes. The law provides that if papers have been linked to the electronic identification account, they can be shown and checked through that account (Đ.56 khoản 3 Luật Trật tự, an toàn giao thông đường bộ 2024). Decree 168 also treats "information from papers linked to the electronic identification account" as equivalent to paper copies when checking (Đ.48 khoản 3).
The condition is that the papers must actually have been linked to your document wallet in the VNeID app, and your account must be at a level that can display them. You should open the app and check before setting off. A photo of the papers on your phone is not an "electronic identification account" under Đ.56 khoản 3.
How are you dealt with if you forget your papers?
Đ.48 khoản 3 of Decree 168/2024/NĐ-CP sets out what happens when, at the time of the check, you cannot show your driving licence, registration or inspection certificate, either on paper or through the electronic identification account:
- The police make a record of the offence of not having the relevant papers, make a record against the vehicle owner for related offences, and impound the vehicle as provided (point a).
- Within the appointed time stated in the record, if you bring the papers (on paper or on VNeID): - A driver not engaged in transport business: not fined for not having or not carrying the papers, and the vehicle owner is not fined either (point c). - A driver engaged in transport business: fined for not carrying the papers, and the vehicle owner is not fined (point b).
- If you show them after the appointed time, or cannot show them, you must comply with the penalty decision for the offences recorded (point d), that is, you are fined as for not having the papers.
So if you forget them, the most important thing is to come on time with all the papers.
How much is the fine for not having or not carrying papers?
| Offence | Fine | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Riding a motorbike in transport business without carrying the driving licence, registration or compulsory insurance | 200,000 to 300,000 đồng | Đ.18 khoản 2 điểm a, c, d NĐ 168/2024 |
| Riding a motorbike without valid compulsory insurance | 200,000 to 300,000 đồng | Đ.18 khoản 2 điểm b |
| Driving a car in transport business without carrying the driving licence, registration or inspection certificate | 300,000 to 400,000 đồng | Đ.18 khoản 3 |
| Driving a car without valid compulsory insurance | 400,000 to 600,000 đồng | Đ.18 khoản 4 điểm c |
| No driving licence, motorbike up to 125 cm³ or up to 11 kW | 2,000,000 to 4,000,000 đồng | Đ.18 khoản 5 điểm a |
| No driving licence, motorbike over 125 cm³ or over 11 kW | 6,000,000 to 8,000,000 đồng | Đ.18 khoản 7 điểm b |
| No driving licence, car | 18,000,000 to 20,000,000 đồng | Đ.18 khoản 9 điểm b |
The offences of having no registration certificate or inspection certificate belong to the group of offences concerning vehicles and vehicle owners (Đ.13, Đ.14, Đ.32 Nghị định 168/2024/NĐ-CP). The specific fines depend on the type of vehicle; we do not list them here to avoid confusion between the articles.
What if your papers are held and you keep driving?
If your papers have been temporarily held, the appointed time has passed and you have not come to resolve it but keep driving, you are fined as for not having the papers (Đ.48 khoản 2 Nghị định 168/2024/NĐ-CP).
Practical advice
- Link your driving licence and vehicle registration to VNeID and check that they display before setting off.
- Also carry paper copies of any papers not yet linked, for example compulsory insurance if you have no electronic copy.
- If a record is made because you forgot your papers, read the appointed time carefully and come on time.
- If your licence has had all its points deducted, VNeID will not help: you are treated as having no licence. See driving licence point deductions.
Read more: checking camera fines and paying them, fines for alcohol levels.
When to ask a lawyer
- You showed VNeID but were still recorded for "not having papers" and your vehicle was impounded.
- You came on time with all the papers but still received a penalty decision.
- Your vehicle has been impounded and the storage costs are mounting.