The procedure for registering a tow bar with the traffic police, list of documents

Dear readers! Our article is for informational purposes only, which does not imply the provision of services described in the article!

In 2021, any change to the design of the car must be registered, including the installation of additional LED headlights, a tow bar, and others not provided by the manufacturer.

Is it necessary to register the installation of a towbar, what documents are required and what to do if you bought a vehicle with a towbar, but the owner did not hand over the documents for it, we will tell you in the article.

Do I need to register a tow bar in 2021?

• If a hook for attaching a trailer is installed at the factory and is provided for by the design, additional registration will not be required;
• in the case where the installation of a trailer hitch is provided for by the design and the manufacturer has indicated this in the technical documentation, it is necessary to purchase the original device with documents and registration will not be required;
• when the manufacturer has indicated the possibility of installing a part, but the owner does not have documents (non-original product, lost, not transferred upon sale), you will have to go through the procedure for approving changes made to the design of the car or buy a new one - a factory one with documents and replace it;
• if the manufacturer has not indicated the possibility of installing a tow bar on the car, it will have to be registered with the traffic police, but it is not a fact that it will be possible to agree on it.

Is there a fine for a towbar?

A towbar is installed not only to perform its immediate functions, but also to protect the car during possible road accidents. Motorists believe that the device can take the brunt of the impact. But everything happens the other way around. The body is damaged even more, so the mechanism must be removed if it is not used for its intended purpose. Towbars are removable, welded and flanged.

Any changes in the design of the car require the driver to contact the traffic police to register the new mechanisms. The towbar also needs to be registered if it is not included in the original configuration of the car. But in most cases, the device is already installed, so it is not considered a mechanism that changes the appearance of the car. There is no need to contact the traffic police regarding the registration of a towbar in the following cases:

1. The device has a passport or certificate.
2. The mechanism is installed according to all the rules specified in the instructions and passport.
3. The structure was installed at the factory.

Self-installation of a tow bar is also allowed, but when purchasing it, you must check the availability of the following documents:

1. A copy of the current certificate.
2. A passport containing marks of sale and installation.
3. A receipt that will confirm payment.

Thus, it is not necessary to contact the road inspectorate to register a new mechanism. During the trip, the motorist must have documents with him that confirm the legality of using the device. This will help avoid a fine.

How to register a tow bar?

You can check whether a trailer hitch is provided in the technical passport of the vehicle. Manufacturers and sellers of such parts claim that they can be installed on almost any car, the main thing is that they are original with the necessary documentation. But in practice, not all domestic cars and small foreign cars are suitable for installing a towbar; in 2020, the towbar must be registered with the traffic police.

If the technical documentation does not indicate the possibility of installing a trailer hook, you must go through a regulated registration procedure.

1. Before installing the part, you need to coordinate the planned actions with the testing laboratory. There they will conduct a preliminary technical examination and, if installation of such equipment is possible, they will issue a conclusion on the possibility of making changes.
2. With this permission, you need to contact the traffic police and obtain permission to make changes from the inspectorate.
3. Next, you need to buy a factory towing hook with a full package of documents and install it at a certified service station.
4. After installation, you need to return to the testing laboratory and obtain a protocol for checking the safety of the vehicle design.
5. Pass a technical inspection and receive a diagnostic card.
6. Then visit the inspection again and receive a certificate of compliance of the changes made with safety requirements.
7. Pick up the PTS and vehicle registration certificate with changed data.

The procedure is not quick and expensive, but as a result the driver receives reliable, correctly installed equipment, peace of mind and safety on the road, an argument in a conversation with the inspector.

Where to get the service

We think that you can find an official representative of the towbar manufacturer in any city with its own certified installation center. By contacting him, you will receive this service. If you are in Volgograd, they will help you at:

Volgograd st. Istoricheskaya no. 193

Registration by phone:

8-988-498-33-33 (MTS)

8-937-721-91-82 (Megaphone)

8 (8442) 988-012

Or leave us your phone number. We will call you and make an appointment at a convenient time.

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Good afternoon friends! Our company is a dealer of trailer hitches (towbars) Bosal, Aragon, Westfalia. We ourselves are manufacturers of universal electrics and smart connections “Koffer”. and lately we have often been asked the question: “Do I need to register a towbar with the traffic police?”

Specifically, to clarify this issue, we turned to the traffic police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The official answer was not long in coming. So, only changes made to the design of the vehicle need to be registered with the traffic police, and the installation of a towbar on 99% of car models is permitted by the manufacturers of these cars (see the vehicle's operating manual) and this is not a change in the design of the vehicle. We received similar responses from other Departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia; two responses were sent to us by our clients.

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Therefore, a towbar is not subject to registration with the traffic police if:

1. Installation of a towbar on a car is provided by the car manufacturer. But there are models for which the factory has not given recommendations for use as a tractor for a trailer. You can find out for yourself whether it is possible to install a towbar on your iron horse by looking at the plate with the VIN code on your car. They are usually located on the middle right door pillar or under the hood. Let's look at the Renault Sandero sign as an example. Pay attention to the numbers with kilograms at the end. In this case, there are 4 of them. 4. Indicates the total weight of the car. That is, the mass of the equipped vehicle plus the permissible weight of cargo or passengers; 5. Indicates the permissible weight with the trailer. Here I think there is no need to explain; 6. and 7. These are the masses of the maximum load on the front and rear axles. It follows from this that if your plate contains a trailer weight designation, then the vehicle is equipped with a tow bar. And if there is no number, then a coupling device is not provided.

2. The towbar has a certificate of conformity and a passport. 3. The towbar is installed according to the instructions specified in the passport, i.e. without making changes to the vehicle design. When purchasing and installing a tow bar, you must have:

Good afternoon, dear reader.

A towbar (or towing device) is a special element of a car designed to secure a trailer. In simple terms, a towbar is a hook on which a trailer is attached. That is, if there is no towbar, then the trailer cannot be used.

In recent years, legislation has undergone many changes, including those related to the use of additional equipment, and readers of pddmaster.ru are increasingly sending questions about how legal it is to use a tow bar.

Let me remind you that for unauthorized changes to the design in 2021 you can receive not only a fine, but also cancellation of registration.

Documents for trailer hitch

To use the towbar you need:

• a note indicating permission to use the device in the vehicle operating manual;
• official papers confirming compatibility with the model and make of the car;
• certificate of compliance of the part with the requirements of the Technical Regulations.

You don’t have to carry the papers with you, but store them at home. In case of a stop, inform the employee that they are there and show a photo. If the inspector issues a resolution by presenting these documents, the fine can be challenged.

Can you bet on everything? How to find out?

Most vehicles are approved for installation of a trailer hitch by the manufacturer. But there are models for which the factory has not given recommendations for use as a tractor for a trailer. You can find out for yourself whether it is possible to install a towbar on your iron horse by looking at the plate with the VIN code on your car. They are usually located on the middle right door pillar or under the hood. Let's look at the example of a Renault Sandero sign.

Pay attention to the numbers with kilograms at the end. In this case there are 4 of them.

• 4. Indicates the total weight of the car. That is, the mass of the equipped vehicle plus the permissible weight of cargo or passengers;
• 5. Indicates the permissible weight with the trailer. Here I think there is no need to explain;
• 6. and 7. These are the masses of the maximum load on the front and rear axles.

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It follows from this that if your plate contains a trailer weight designation, then the vehicle is equipped with a tow bar. And if there is no number, then a coupling device is not provided.

If there are no documents

The former owner of the car might not have handed over the papers or they might have been lost. What to do in such a situation, is it necessary to register a towbar for a passenger car ? If the equipment is installed according to the rules, the device itself is original, it can be restored from the factory by contacting the manufacturer for copies. If the equipment is homemade or it was not possible to restore the certificates, it is better to replace it with a new one; if the technical documentation does not provide for installation, the tow bar for a passenger car must be registered. If you bought a car with a tow hook without documents for the device, the traffic police may require you to dismantle it before registering it.

Situations when installing a towbar is prohibited

Installation of a towbar on a passenger car is prohibited:

• if the design of the transport does not provide for its installation;
• when installed in an unintended location;
• if the weight of the trailer does not exceed the weight of the loaded vehicle;
• if the device protrudes forward relative to the bumper line;
• in the absence of a certificate of conformity for the device or installation work;
• in a car with an automatic transmission if safety requirements are not met and with a mileage of less than 2,000 km.

A traffic police inspector may consider the installation of a trailer hitch a violation:

• in poor condition and of non-standard size;
• in case the device covers the vehicle's license plate number.

Responsibility for illegal installation of a towbar

Lack of registration for the mounted device or certification documentation for it is an administrative offense under Art. 12.5 Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

For violation of traffic rules in terms of making changes to the design of a car without the permission of the traffic police (clause 7.18 of the traffic rules), the car owner may be given a warning or a fine of 500 rubles may be imposed.

How to choose a new trailer hitch

Only original equipment with a full package of documents can be registered and legally installed. The buyer has the right to request them from the manufacturer before purchase and check for compliance. If the manufacturer refuses to show or there are no documents, you should not buy such equipment, it may threaten road users, and it will not be possible to register it.

Whether the towbar needs to be registered with the traffic police depends on the situation. If the vehicle is used infrequently, the chances that the post will notice its presence and clarify the availability of permits are not so great, but in this case the issue of road safety and accident reduction comes to the fore.

In what cases can it not be installed?

According to traffic regulations, installation of a towbar is not allowed in the following cases:

• The part is secured to the body independently by welding or homemade bolts. It is dangerous to use a towbar without special expertise.
• The product goes far beyond the car bumper. Cars driving behind such a vehicle risk colliding with a metal tow bar.
• The car belongs to the category of trucks. It is not recommended to use trailers on them; this creates a danger for all road users.
• There are no documents for the tow bar. Accordingly, there is no assurance that the product complies with government regulations.

More on the topic: Region codes on license plates in [year]

Driving with homemade, non-certified pitons is illegal. If the driver is stopped by a traffic police officer and it turns out that the towbar is installed incorrectly or does not comply with the regulations, the car owner faces administrative punishment.