Traffic rulesBosnia and Herzegovina

The principal eligibility, licence-category, training and road-safety rules are established at state level by the Law on the Basis of Road Traffic Safety in Bosnia and Herzegovina and its implementing regulations.

Administration is divided among state, entity, cantonal and Brčko District authorities, so the office handling an application depends on the applicant’s place of residence.

In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, issuance, renewal and replacement are handled by the competent cantonal ministry of the interior according to the driver’s residence.

The exact counter, administrative fee and local appointment procedure can therefore differ between cantons.

In Republika Srpska, driving-licence applications are handled by the Ministry of the Interior of Republika Srpska through the competent organisational unit for the applicant’s residence.

In Brčko District, the competent authority is the Public Register Department of Brčko District.

The Agency for Identification Documents, Registers and Data Exchange of Bosnia and Herzegovina, known as IDDEEA, maintains the technical infrastructure and personalises driving-licence cards.

IDDEEA does not normally receive and decide an ordinary citizen’s application at the counter; the competent interior or district authority conducts the administrative procedure.

Authorised driving schools provide theory and practical training, while the Red Cross performs first-aid training.

The competent education authorities of the entities, cantons and Brčko District organise and supervise examinations and appoint licensed examination commissions.

Yes. Minimum ages, licence categories, the national training framework, novice-driver restrictions and the principal traffic-law rules apply throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Practical administration, examination scheduling, fees and local procedures may differ among the Federation’s cantons, Republika Srpska and Brčko District.

A driver should have one valid national driving licence showing every category and subcategory for which the person is authorised.

A replacement or exchange normally cancels or removes the previous document from active use.

Yes. A driver must carry a valid driving licence for the appropriate category and present it when requested by an authorised officer.

No. The owner or person controlling a vehicle must not allow it to be driven by someone who lacks the correct licence category, is prohibited from driving or is otherwise legally unfit to drive.

The owner must also identify the person to whom the vehicle was entrusted when lawfully requested by an authorised officer.

Yes. A licence may record conditions requiring corrective lenses, a hearing aid, an orthopaedic aid, an adapted vehicle or automatic transmission.

The holder must comply with every condition shown on the licence whenever driving.

Yes. The licence is issued as an ID-1-format plastic card and records the holder’s identity, validity period, categories, category dates and applicable restrictions.

Category B covers motor vehicles other than motorcycles with a maximum authorised mass not exceeding 3,500 kg and no more than eight passenger seats in addition to the driver’s seat.

It includes most private cars, light vans and similar vehicles within those limits.

The minimum age for obtaining the right to drive category B is 18 years.

Yes. A candidate may begin road-rules theory and first-aid training up to three months before reaching the statutory minimum age.

The candidate must still satisfy the age requirement before obtaining the category B entitlement and before any stage for which the minimum age is legally required.

The applicant must be physically and psychologically fit, have reached the required age, complete the prescribed training, pass the required examinations and not be subject to a driving prohibition.

Residence and identity requirements must also be satisfied when applying for the licence card.

Yes. A candidate must prepare through an authorised driving school or an eligible formal vocational-education programme.

Private practice with a parent or friend does not replace the statutory practical instruction given by a licensed driving instructor.

No, not as a substitute for licensed instruction. Before passing the driving examination, the candidate may drive the training vehicle on the road only under the prescribed training arrangements with a licensed instructor.

Bosnia and Herzegovina does not use the ordinary parent-supervised learner-permit model found in some countries.

A first category B candidate normally presents a valid identity card, proof of registered residence and a medical certificate from an authorised health institution.

The driving school or examination authority may request copies and additional local forms.

Yes. The candidate must undergo a medical examination at an authorised health institution before beginning driver training.

The statutory medical certificate for a driver candidate is valid for 12 months from the date of issue.

A fresh certificate may be required if the training, examination or licence application is not completed within the permitted period.

Yes, when the person meets the medical standards and can drive safely with any prescribed conditions or adaptations.

Practical training for a candidate with a physical disability must take place in a suitably adapted vehicle approved by an authorised institution.

Yes. When the applicant qualifies in an automatic vehicle, the licence can be marked with the automatic-transmission restriction, recorded as code 10.02.

The driver must complete the prescribed additional practical training and pass the required assessment in a manual-transmission category B vehicle.

The national training rules provide for 10 practical lessons where the holder already has category B restricted to automatic transmission.

Yes. First-aid training and the first-aid examination form part of the route to a first category B licence.

Driver-candidate first-aid training is organised by the Red Cross in Bosnia and Herzegovina and delivered by appropriately qualified medical personnel.

The standard programme described for category B consists of nine lessons: six theory lessons and three practical lessons.

It covers the purpose and sequence of first aid, resuscitation, unconsciousness, bleeding, open wounds, immobilisation, evacuation and other injuries likely to arise in a road collision.

It also addresses the importance of medical fitness for safe driving.

The category B road-rules programme consists of 28 instructional lessons.

The course covers traffic rules, road signs, junctions, vehicle-safety basics, alcohol and drugs, fatigue, defensive driving, vulnerable road users, collision duties, enforcement and penalties.

It also develops hazard awareness and the ability to anticipate other road users’ actions.

A category B candidate may be permitted to miss up to eight lessons for justified reasons under the national training regulation.

Attendance records are maintained, and an examination application can be rejected if the training requirements have not genuinely been met.

No. Self-study and practice tests are useful, but they do not replace the prescribed course delivered through an authorised driving school.

Yes. The former driving school must provide confirmation of the completed part of the programme and return the original documents needed to continue elsewhere.

The interruption and transfer must be entered in the training records.

Yes. The driving school issues certificates for successfully completed theory and practical training, while the Red Cross issues the first-aid training certificate.

These documents support the candidate’s applications for the corresponding examinations.

The local scheduling arrangement may vary, but both parts must be successfully completed and both examinations passed before practical road training begins.

Training and examination costs can vary by competent authority and authorised provider.

The candidate should request a written breakdown covering medical examination, first aid, theory lessons, practical lessons, examinations, retests and the final licence card before enrolling.

The examinations are organised by the competent education authority and conducted before a licensed commission.

The responsible authority depends on whether the candidate is in a Federation canton, Republika Srpska or Brčko District.

The written knowledge examination contains 40 questions: 20 general theory questions, 10 road-sign questions and 10 junction questions.

Correct theory answers are worth two points, road-sign answers three points and junction answers five points.

The maximum score is 120 points.

A candidate must obtain at least 108 points, equal to 90% of the available score.

The candidate is graded as passed or not passed, and the result is normally available on the day of the examination.

The competent authority issues a certificate confirming that the candidate passed the road-traffic-rules examination.

The candidate must carry the required proof during practical training when requested by an authorised officer.

The standard first-aid examination consists of 10 questions.

The candidate must normally answer at least eight of the ten questions correctly.

No. The candidate must pass both the road-rules examination and the first-aid examination before beginning the practical driving programme.

The candidate remains unqualified for the next dependent stage and must apply for another examination under the local authority’s scheduling and payment rules.

Retest fees and available dates should be confirmed with the competent education authority or driving school.

Yes. A candidate may not use prohibited assistance or materials during an examination.

The attempt can be terminated or recorded as failed, and additional administrative consequences may follow.

Yes. The state ministry organises a unified catalogue of test questions, and examination authorities create tests from that catalogue.

A first-time category B candidate must complete 35 practical driving lessons.

One instructional lesson lasts 45 minutes.

A double lesson or block lasts 90 minutes.

The standard limit is two instructional lessons or one 90-minute block in a day.

The first four lessons are normally conducted on a training ground or a road with low traffic intensity.

Training then progresses to public roads and increasingly complex traffic.

The programme covers vehicle preparation, starting, stopping, gear use, reversing, turning, parking, gradients, lane changes, junctions, overtaking and interaction with pedestrians and other road users.

It also includes urban and non-urban driving, dense traffic and special conditions such as darkness, rain, snow or fog when practicable.

Yes. It must satisfy the requirements for an authorised driving-school vehicle, including instructor controls and the prescribed training markings.

A driving-school vehicle carries the prescribed training board and special markings.

The law also requires the practical-training vehicle on the road to display the designated blue-and-white learner indication.

Only a licensed driving instructor authorised for the relevant category may deliver the practical training.

The candidate must carry proof of medical fitness and proof of having passed the road-rules examination for the category being trained.

These documents must be shown when requested by an authorised officer.

The instructor must carry a valid driving licence, the instructor licence and the prescribed instructor work record or diary.

A driving-school vehicle may use a camera for training analysis with the candidate’s written consent.

Showing the recording to third parties requires the candidate’s express written consent.

Yes. The statutory number is a minimum; additional instruction can be arranged when the candidate or instructor considers it necessary for safe and consistent performance.

The candidate must have reached the required age, passed first aid and theory, completed the prescribed practical programme and possess the required completion certificates.

The candidate must also remain medically fit and free from a driving prohibition.

The category B examination is conducted in real traffic on public roads in a place meeting the prescribed traffic and technical conditions.

The examination is normally taken in a compliant category B driving-school vehicle, commonly the vehicle in which the candidate trained.

The vehicle must be roadworthy, correctly equipped and accepted by the examination authority.

The candidate drives while the licensed instructor and the authorised examiner or commission member occupy the prescribed seats.

The examiner assesses preparation, observation, vehicle control, signalling, speed choice, road position, priority, junctions, manoeuvres and safe interaction with other road users.

A candidate must demonstrate independent, lawful and consistently safe driving.

Yes. Reversing, parking, turning and other low-speed control tasks form part of the practical skills that candidates must master and may be assessed.

Yes. Conduct that creates danger, requires intervention or shows serious disregard for traffic rules can cause the examination to be terminated or failed.

The competent education authority issues a certificate confirming that the candidate passed the driving examination for the relevant category.

The candidate must then submit a separate application for the physical driving licence.

No. Passing the examination is not a substitute for possessing a valid issued driving licence.

The person may drive independently only after the licence has been issued and the category is valid.

The person remains a candidate and may drive only under lawful training conditions with an instructor.

Additional lessons are advisable before applying for a new test under the local retest procedure.

Yes. Examination administration and fees are handled by the competent education authorities, so the current amount and payment instructions must be checked locally.

The available objection or appeal procedure depends on the decision and the competent authority.

The candidate should request the written result, reasons and legal-remedy instructions whenever a formal decision is disputed.

Several special restrictions apply for the first two years from the issue of the first driving licence.

The zero-alcohol rule has a broader duration and also applies to any driver with less than three years of driving experience or who is under 21.

Yes. A person who obtains a driving licence for the first time must mark the vehicle with the prescribed P sign for two years.

A new holder of category A1, A, B or C1 may not exceed 70 km/h on ordinary roads, 90 km/h on roads reserved for motor traffic and express roads, or 120 km/h on motorways, even where a higher general limit is posted.

The driver must always obey any lower posted or situational limit.

No. During the first two years, the novice restriction prohibits towing a trailer with the affected vehicle.

No. During the first two years, the novice driver may not use the vehicle for organised transport of children.

The legal threshold is 0.0 g/kg for a driver under 21 or with less than three years of driving experience.

This is stricter than the general threshold applied to an ordinary experienced private driver.

It can. A driver who has completed two years but still has less than three years of driving experience remains subject to the 0.0 g/kg rule.

A driver under 21 is also subject to zero alcohol regardless of whether the P-sign period has ended.

If four penalty points are collected within the first two years, the competent issuing authority revokes and cancels the category B licence.

The person is then legally treated as not having passed the category B driving examination.

Yes. The restrictions attach to the driver, not to ownership of the vehicle.

The P sign must be displayed on whichever vehicle the novice driver operates.

Yes. Motorway driving is not generally prohibited, but the novice may not exceed 120 km/h and must obey every lower posted limit and all other novice restrictions.

Ordinary passenger transport is not generally prohibited merely because the driver is a novice.

Seat, restraint, vehicle-capacity and child-safety rules must be respected, and organised child transport remains prohibited during the two-year period.

The issued driving licence and ordinary required vehicle documents must be carried.

The most visible extra obligation is the prescribed P marking on the vehicle.

The national system uses categories A, B, BE, C, CE, D and DE and subcategories A1, B1, C1, C1E, D1 and D1E.

The minimum age is 16 years for A1 and B1, as well as for tractors and working machines under the statutory conditions.

The minimum statutory age for category A is 18 years.

The minimum age for subcategory C1 is 18 years, and the applicant must already satisfy the required lower-category progression rules.

The minimum age is 21 years.

The minimum age is 21 years.

The minimum age is 24 years.

Yes. Category C and subcategory C1 may be obtained only by a driver who already holds category B.

Yes. The applicant must have held category B for at least two years before obtaining D1.

The applicant must have held category B, C or D1 for at least two years, in addition to meeting the age, medical, training and examination requirements.

Yes. Category B vehicles may be used with a light trailer within the statutory vehicle and mass limits.

The driver must also obey the towing vehicle’s technical limits and the trailer’s registration and loading requirements.

Category BE is the trailer category linked to category B and may be obtained only by a person who already holds category B.

The exact entitlement must be checked against the national category definitions and the maximum authorised masses recorded for the vehicle combination.

Yes. A category B holder may also drive vehicles in subcategory B1.

Under the national category rules, holders of B and several higher categories may also drive a moped, light quadricycle, motor cultivator, tractor and working machine.

Any registration, occupational or road-use restrictions applicable to the particular vehicle still apply.

No. Category B does not replace the appropriate A1 or A entitlement for motorcycles outside the limited vehicles expressly covered by the law.

C1 covers goods vehicles above the category B mass limit and up to the statutory C1 upper limit of 7,500 kg.

Category C covers goods vehicles with a maximum authorised mass above 7,500 kg.

D1 covers passenger vehicles with more than eight but no more than 16 passenger seats, excluding the driver’s seat.

Category D covers passenger vehicles with more than eight passenger seats in addition to the driver.

Often yes. Public passenger transport, commercial goods transport and other professional operations can require occupational qualifications, medical checks, tachograph compliance, employer authorisation or permits in addition to the driving licence.

The application is submitted to the competent issuing authority for the applicant’s registered residence or authorised place of stay.

That means a cantonal interior ministry in the Federation, the Republika Srpska Ministry of the Interior or the Brčko District Public Register Department.

The national application is made on form VD-1, completed through the competent authority.

The national regulation requires a qualifying medical certificate, the certificate of passing the relevant driving examination, proof of residence or authorised stay and proof of payment for the licence form.

Identity data, photograph and signature are checked through the official records or captured when necessary.

It must not be older than 12 months when submitted for the first issue.

The national driving-licence regulation states that the certificate submitted for first issue must not be older than three months.

Applicants should therefore apply promptly after passing and confirm any electronic-record procedure with the local office.

The prescribed licence-form charge is commonly published as 60 KM.

A local administrative fee may also apply, so the applicant should use the payment instructions issued by the competent office rather than relying on an old payment slip.

IDDEEA publishes a statutory period of 15 days for issuing a driving licence after a complete application.

Local service information and actual processing can vary, so the receipt or competent office should be consulted for the collection date.

IDDEEA states that there is no urgent or expedited procedure for an ordinary driving-licence application.

The applicant may collect it personally, and the national procedure also permits collection by an authorised representative with a valid power of attorney.

The ordinary validity period is 10 years from issue.

A licence issued to a person older than 65 is normally valid for three years.

Medical findings can require a shorter medically justified validity period within the statutory framework.

Its validity is normally limited so that it does not extend beyond the holder’s 65th birthday, although it may not be set for less than three years solely under that age rule.

Yes. An authorised health institution can recommend a shorter validity because of the holder’s health.

The regulation provides that such a medically shortened licence is not ordinarily issued for less than two years.

Yes. Renewal may be requested during the final year of validity, and the new validity period runs from the issue date of the replacement card.

No. An ordinary full-term licence is generally renewed with the expiring licence and proof of payment.

A medical certificate is required where the earlier licence had a shortened medical validity and for the specified passenger categories such as D and D1.

Yes. Drivers aged 65 or older are subject to medical review when renewing the licence.

The disappearance must be reported promptly to the competent authority or police in the place where it became known.

The missing document is formally invalidated, the prescribed public notice or proof is obtained, and a replacement application is submitted with the required payment.

A replacement is required when the card is damaged, worn or no longer reliably readable.

The old card is surrendered with the application.

A change of residence does not by itself normally require a new card because the address is maintained in the driver record.

The driver must register with the newly competent authority within the prescribed period, commonly 15 days.

Yes. A change to information appearing on the card requires a replacement application and proof of the changed data.

Yes. A foreign visitor or a Bosnia and Herzegovina citizen residing abroad may drive temporarily with a valid foreign licence or a valid International Driving Permit issued in accordance with the Vienna Convention.

The licence must cover the relevant vehicle category.

No. A valid national foreign licence can be sufficient under the law.

An International Driving Permit or official translation is advisable when the national licence is not readily understandable, and both documents should be carried together where an IDP is used.

It should not be treated as a stand-alone replacement for the underlying national licence.

The driver should carry the valid original national licence to which the permit relates.

A foreigner granted permanent residence, or a Bosnia and Herzegovina citizen returning to settle permanently, may generally use the valid foreign licence for six months from entry or from approval of permanent residence, whichever statutory starting point is more favourable.

Generally yes, when the applicant satisfies the statutory conditions and the foreign licence is valid and recognisable.

The competent authority can require reliable proof of the categories and validity if this is not clear from the licence itself.

The citizen must show that they lived in the country that issued the foreign licence for more than six months.

The applicant normally submits the valid foreign licence, a translation certified by a court interpreter, proof of identity and lawful residence, a medical certificate no older than six months and proof of payment.

The competent authority may request additional confirmation from the issuing country.

No, not under the ordinary exchange procedure. The foreign licence submitted for exchange must be valid and unexpired.

The applicant must provide an official document that conclusively confirms which vehicles the licence authorises and that the entitlement remains valid.

The competent authority normally returns the foreign licence through official channels to the issuing state after the Bosnia and Herzegovina licence is issued.

Special handling can apply in protected-person or asylum cases.

No. An International Driving Permit is not itself exchangeable for a Bosnia and Herzegovina driving licence.

Yes. An eligible national licence holder may apply through an authorised auto-moto club, federation or society.

It is normally issued for two years, or for another period required by the applicable international agreement.

No. A permit issued in Bosnia and Herzegovina is intended for use abroad and cannot replace the national driving licence for driving within Bosnia and Herzegovina.

No. Recognition, translation rules, minimum age, vehicle-rental conditions and residence deadlines are determined by the destination country.

Drivers should verify official destination-country requirements before travelling.

Yes. The state ministry may decide not to recognise licences from a country whose driver-training programme substantially differs from Bosnia and Herzegovina’s requirements.

Yes. Qualifying traffic offences can add one or two penalty points depending on their seriousness.

Points are entered after the penalty notice or court decision becomes final and enforceable.

An individual point is normally deleted from the record 12 months after it was imposed, subject to the special procedures applying after licence withdrawal.

A driver who receives at least seven points within one year is summoned to lectures on the consequences of disregarding or not knowing traffic rules.

The competent authority can temporarily withdraw the licence until the driver attends the lectures.

The licence is withdrawn for 30 days, and the driver must undergo a test of road-traffic-rule knowledge.

The licence is returned after the withdrawal period only when the driver provides proof of passing the required check.

A repeat accumulation of at least ten points within two years results in a 60-day licence withdrawal.

Passing the required knowledge check is again necessary before return.

Four points within the first two years lead to revocation and cancellation of the licence.

The person is then treated as not having passed category B and must follow the applicable process to qualify again.

Temporary withdrawal removes the physical licence or pauses its use under an administrative measure.

A driving ban or disqualification is a legal prohibition, often imposed for a stated category and period as part of an offence decision.

Yes. The law permits temporary seizure in specified situations, including where immediate safety, alcohol, testing refusal or another statutory ground exists.

The officer must issue a receipt recording the licence and the method of return.

No. Driving during a withdrawal, suspension, cancellation or prohibition is a serious offence and can lead to further sanctions.

Yes. Many serious offences can carry a fine, penalty points and a protective measure prohibiting driving for a stated period.

The exact consequence depends on the offence, alcohol level, speed, collision outcome and prior history.

They can affect enforcement and administrative processing.

Drivers should check official records and resolve fines, bans and document holds through the competent authority rather than relying on an unofficial payment intermediary.

IDDEEA and competent interior authorities provide electronic or local services for checking certain records, subject to identity verification and service availability.

For an ordinary experienced private driver outside the zero-tolerance groups, the statutory threshold is above 0.3 g/kg blood alcohol.

A driver can still be treated as unfit where an expert examination finds alcohol-related impairment regardless of the measured amount.

Zero tolerance applies to drivers of C, CE, D, DE, C1, C1E, D1 and D1E while driving those vehicles; public-transport and professional drivers while working; instructors during lessons; driver candidates during lessons; and drivers under 21 or with less than three years of experience.

No. Both the candidate and the instructor are subject to the 0.0 g/kg rule during practical training.

Yes. A person must not drive under the influence of narcotic drugs or other intoxicating substances.

Yes. A driver must not drive when medicine, illness, fatigue or psychological condition makes safe vehicle control impossible.

Warnings from the prescriber and medicine packaging must be followed.

Yes. A driver must use any glasses, contact lenses, hearing device, orthopaedic aid or adapted control required for safe driving and recorded as a licence condition.

Medical examinations are carried out by health institutions authorised under the laws of the entities, cantons and Brčko District.

Public-transport drivers undergo periodic examinations, generally every three years; driving instructors are examined when renewing their instructor authorisation; and D, DE, D1 and D1E holders provide medical evidence at each licence renewal.

Drivers aged 65 or older and holders of medically shortened licences are also medically reviewed at renewal.

An extraordinary examination may be ordered where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that a driver is no longer physically or psychologically capable of safe driving.

Yes. The authority may issue or continue a licence with corrective-aid, vehicle-adaptation, transmission or review conditions when medical evidence supports safe driving under those limitations.

The driver should stop driving and obtain medical advice before resuming.

The condition may need to be reported or assessed by the competent licensing authority where it affects the legal medical standards.

No. Driving may continue while the person meets the medical standards and renews the licence at the shorter statutory interval.

Yes. A person who is so fatigued, ill or psychologically unfit that safe driving is impossible must not drive, even when no alcohol or drug is involved.

This page was last reviewed on 4 August 2026.

This page was compiled using the consolidated state road-traffic law, national regulations on driving licences and driver training, official information from IDDEEA, competent interior and e-government authorities, and guidance published by BIHAMK.

National rules were separated from entity, cantonal and Brčko District administrative procedures.

The official material was reorganised and rewritten into a concise question-and-answer format. AI-assisted tools were used to help research, structure and draft the content.

The information was then reviewed against the official and institutional sources listed below.

Yes. Legislation, examination procedures, authority responsibilities, card fees and local administrative charges can change.

Always confirm important requirements with the competent driving school, education authority or issuing office before enrolling, booking an examination or making a payment.

Principal sources

• IDDEEA: driving licences and competent issuing authorities
• IDDEEA: frequently asked questions and document-issue periods
• National Regulation on the Driving Licence
• Consolidated Law on the Basis of Road Traffic Safety in Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Official Gazette 12/18: amendments to the driver-training regulation
• Official Gazette 16/21: further amendments to the driver-training regulation
• BIHAMK: route to a category B driving licence
• Ministry of the Interior of Republika Srpska: driving-licence procedures
• Canton Sarajevo eGovernment: issue of a driving licence

This website is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with IDDEEA, a ministry, examination authority, driving school or auto-moto organisation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The information is provided for general guidance and does not replace official instructions or legislation.