Current events

Tractor equipment examination and certificate exchange options

The State Technical Supervision Agency has reviewed and, as a result, improved the possibilities for conducting tractor equipment examinations, and also reminds of the expansion of the range of tractor equipment driving along with the change in the tractor equipment driver's license.

 

Instead of the previous 16 VTUA offices, tractor engineering applicants will now be able to apply to take the theoretical exam on road traffic regulations and road traffic safety (hereinafter – CSN exam) and the theoretical exam on tractor engineering operation safety (hereinafter – Operation exam) at a VTUA office convenient to them or the one nearest to them (https://www.zm.gov.lv/valsts-tehniska-uzraudziba/statiskas-lapas/kontakti?nid=2664), except for the Vidzeme branch office in Alūksne.

 

Meanwhile, the practical driving exam for tractors (hereinafter referred to as the driving exam) is, as before, accepted by all VTUA offices, including the Vidzeme branch office in Alūksne.

 

After successfully passing all three exams, a person who has completed theoretical and practical training, as well as acquired theoretical knowledge and practical experience of the relevant category through self-study, can obtain the right to drive a tractor vehicle. TR1 category can be obtained through self-study, while TR2, TR3 or TR4 categories can be obtained through self-study by a person who has already held one of the tractor vehicle driver categories for at least 12 months. A person is exempted from taking the road traffic regulations exam if they have the right to drive tractor vehicles or vehicles corresponding to categories C1 or C.

 

Category exams can be taken on any working day, however, by applying in advance and agreeing on the examination options with the most convenient or nearest VTUA office, therefore the frequency of exams is planned individually in each VTUA office, but not less than once a week. The CSN exam is taken electronically, but the operational exam is taken in writing.

 

VTUA also reminds that since September 2018, the old tractor driver's license, even if the validity period has not yet expired, is being changed to the new category without taking additional exams. The new tractor driver's license expands the tractor category groups - a person is entitled to drive a wider range of tractors than is provided for in the old license.

 

The issuance, exchange and renewal of tractor driver's licenses are carried out at all VTUA offices.

 

With the changes made last year, the names of the categories of tractor driver's licenses do not overlap with the categories of drivers in Latvia and the European Union. The categories of tractor drivers are grouped according to the specification of the tractor and their main type of use as follows:

 

  • TR1 — tractors, agricultural self-propelled vehicles, municipal vehicles, universal self-propelled vehicles, excavators, loaders and special self-propelled vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of up to 7,500 kilograms,
  • TR2 — all tractors, agricultural self-propelled machines, municipal machines, universal self-propelled machines, bulldozers, excavators, loaders and special self-propelled machines,
  • TR3 — forestry machines, excavators, loaders and special self-propelled machines,
  • TR4 — road construction machines, bulldozers, excavators, loaders and special self-propelled machines.

 

For more information, see the VTUA website, section “Tractor Drivers” (https://www.zm.gov.lv/valsts-tehniska-uzraudziba/statiskas-lapas/traktortehnikas-vaditaji?nid=2666#jump)