Bulgarian MPs in a temporary road safety committee supported a proposal to deny annual car inspections (GTP) to drivers with unpaid traffic fines. While acknowledging it likely contradicts the Constitution, supporters argued it’s not their role to interpret legality.

This echoes previous failed attempts: in 2021 and 2023, the Constitutional Court ruled that penalties like revoking licenses or blocking registrations over unpaid fines were unconstitutional. In 2020, even a ban on leaving the country due to unpaid penalties was overturned by the Supreme Administrative Court.

Fortunately, the committee’s proposals are non-binding and may never reach Parliament. Five other road law amendment bills, none including this restriction, are expected to be debated by June. Officials also noted that linking all inspection stations to the traffic fine database wouldn’t be feasible before July 2026.

The committee also controversially proposed lowering the legal blood alcohol limit from 0.5 to 0.2‰. Police pushed for a 0.0‰ limit, but MPs rejected it due to measurement inaccuracies. Instead, a 0.2‰ limit was adopted for three driver groups: new drivers (less than 24 months licensed), underage drivers, and professional drivers (trucks and buses).

Other proposed restrictions—such as banning new drivers from powerful cars or driving at night—were ultimately dropped.