On January 13, 2026, the Ministry of Justice of Turkmenistan registered a new regulatory document governing the activities of carriers.

Turkmenistan's Minister of Road Transport, B. Annadurdyev, signed an order approving the Procedure for Maintaining a Unified Register of Vehicles Transporting Freight, Passengers, and Baggage. The document comes into force on January 8, 2026.

According to the new procedure, all vehicles used for commercial transportation must be registered in a unified state registry. The registry will be maintained by the Ministry of Road Transport in both electronic and paper form.

Vehicles of both individuals and legal entities that have received a license to carry out transportation, as well as legal entities that have the right to operate without a license in accordance with the law, are subject to registration.

All registered vehicles are divided into four categories:

Passenger (buses, minibuses, cars, including taxis);

Cargo (trucks, tractors, trailers);

Special (designed for specialized work);

Other types of vehicles.

To register a vehicle in the registry, carriers must submit a written application and supporting documents to the Ministry of Road Transport. The Ministry reviews the documents within 20 calendar days.

Individuals must provide copies of their license, passport, vehicle registration certificate, vehicle inspection certificate, and driver's license. Sole proprietors must also provide a state registration document.

Legal entities must also provide an extract from the Unified State Register, documents confirming the representative's authority, and a list of all company vehicles.

For vehicles carrying passengers, photographs of the drivers and certificates from mental health and drug treatment facilities must also be provided.

Upon successful registration, the vehicle owner is issued a Certificate of Registration in the Unified Register. The document is certified by the signature and seal of the head of the Ministry and is a strictly accountable document with watermarks and security features.

For licensed carriers, the certificate is issued for the duration of the license; for others, it is issued for at least three years.

Carrying out commercial transportation activities without a registration certificate in the registry entails liability under Turkmenistan law.

Drivers are required to present their certificate upon request from representatives of the Ministry of Road Transport and other regulatory authorities.

A vehicle may be removed from the register upon the owner's application, upon termination of transportation activities, sale of the vehicle, expiration of the license, court decision, or on other grounds provided for by law.

The new procedure is intended to streamline the country's freight and passenger transportation sector, ensure the safety of road users, and create a unified information system for recording commercial vehicles.