Uzbekistan Plans to Ban Operation of Vehicles Older than 50 Years Starting 2026

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Starting from 1 January 2026, Uzbekistan may enforce a ban on the operation and re-registration of vehicles that are 50 years old or older. The draft resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers has been submitted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) for public discussion.

According to the document, such vehicles will be deregistered, except for those granted “antique” status.

Official statistics indicate that by 2025, over 5.2 million vehicles are registered in the country, including approximately 87,600 vehicles that are more than half a century old. The MVD notes that these cars do not meet modern safety and environmental standards (Euro-4, Euro-5), emit 30% more harmful substances, and are often misused—for example, 139 cases of illegal use of government license plates were recently recorded.

Between 2024 and 2025, vehicles older than 50 years were involved in 67 traffic accidents, resulting in 23 fatalities.

To improve road safety and protect the environment, the draft proposes a mechanism for fleet inventory and the phased deregistration of vehicles exceeding 50 years of service. Owners wishing to continue using such vehicles can register them as “antique”, with a separate license plate and specific regulations for use and accounting.

The initiative also builds on a decision outlined in the protocol of a video-selector meeting chaired by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on July 9, 2025, where measures to modernize road infrastructure, reduce congestion, and improve traffic safety were discussed.

The draft references international experience: in the UAE, vehicle registration is prohibited for cars older than 20 years since 2009; in Kazakhstan, bus operation is limited to 12 years, and in Russia, the limit is 10 years.