The Community license is obtained once every ten years and stays in a drawer. The certified true copy is the document you actually work with: it is issued for every vehicle in the fleet, must be on board for the entire duration of the transport, and expires after one year.
It is also the administrative expense most often underestimated in budgeting, because it multiplies with the number of trucks and comes back year after year. Below: which documents you need, how much it costs, how to renew it, and how to check a haulier's certified true copy online before you subcontract a run to them.
What the certified true copy is and why it is not the same as the license
The two documents are constantly confused, even though the relationship between them is simple:
- The Community license is issued to the company. It confirms that the company has the right to access the occupation of road transport operator. It is valid for 10 years and costs 1,000 lei.
- The certified true copy is issued for each vehicle the company uses for hire or reward transport. It is valid for 1 year and costs 360 lei.
A company has a single Community license, but as many certified true copies as it has vehicles in operation. The license stays at the head office; the certified true copy travels with the truck and is presented at roadside checks, together with the other transport documents.
The same logic applies to own-account transport: the own-account transport certificate costs 1,000 lei for 10 years, and its certified true copy costs 360 lei per year, for each vehicle.
How much certified true copies cost for a fleet
The fee of 360 lei is set by Order no. 2,274/2025 of the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, applicable from December 30, 2025. It is paid per vehicle, per year, which completely changes the order of magnitude at fleet level:
| Vehicles in the fleet | Annual cost of certified true copies | Cost over 10 years |
|---|---|---|
| 1 vehicle | 360 lei | 3,600 lei |
| 5 vehicles | 1,800 lei | 18,000 lei |
| 10 vehicles | 3,600 lei | 36,000 lei |
| 20 vehicles | 7,200 lei | 72,000 lei |
| 50 vehicles | 18,000 lei | 180,000 lei |
For comparison, the Community license costs 1,000 lei once every ten years. For a fleet of 20 trucks, the certified true copies amount to 72 times more than the license over the same period. When you calculate the cost per kilometer, this is where part of the recurring administrative expense hides.
Financial standing: the threshold that limits your fleet
The number of certified true copies you can obtain does not depend on how many trucks you have, but on the financial standing you can prove. This is the condition that most often blocks a small company from growing.
| Situation | Required capital and reserves |
|---|---|
| First motor vehicle over 3.5 tons | 9,000 EUR |
| Each additional motor vehicle over 3.5 tons | 5,000 EUR |
| Each vehicle of 2.5–3.5 tons | 900 EUR |
In concrete terms, a company with five trucks over 3.5 tons must prove 9,000 + 4 × 5,000 = 29,000 EUR. Proof can be provided through certified annual accounts, a bank guarantee or insurance — not necessarily through cash held in an account.
The 2.5–3.5 ton segment has a much lower threshold, 900 EUR per vehicle, which explains why many companies start there. The full conditions for access to the occupation are detailed in the guide on freight transport license.
Documents required for a certified true copy
When you add a vehicle to the fleet or renew an existing certified true copy, the application is filed per vehicle and contains:
- The vehicle identity card;
- The registration certificate and the annex certifying a valid periodic technical inspection;
- Proof of financial standing matching the total number of vehicles;
- Proof of fee payment of 360 lei for the year in question.
The documents are submitted to the ARR Territorial Agency covering the area where the company has its head office. The application can also be filed online, through the licentiereARR.ro.
A detail that gets applications sent back: the technical inspection (ITP) must be valid at the time of filing. If it expires in the same month you renew the certified true copy, do the technical inspection first and only then file the application.
Annual renewal in practice
The certified true copy is not renewed automatically. Each document has its own expiry date, and in a fleet built up over time the dates are not synchronized — vehicles joined the fleet in different months, so they expire in different months.
This is where the real problem lies: not the cost, but the tracking. With 20 trucks, that means 20 separate deadlines a year, each with its own ITP to check beforehand. A single missed deadline takes the truck off the road until the document is reissued.
The practical recommendation: check every month which certified true copies expire in the next 60 days and, in the same step, whether the vehicle's ITP covers the filing date. The two deadlines should be looked at together, not separately.
Checking a certified true copy online
ARR provides a public verification portal, at licente.arr.ro/publica. It is free and requires no account.
The check has two practical uses for an operator:
- Before subcontracting a run — you confirm that the haulier actually has a valid license and active certified true copies. A subcontractor without proper documents transfers the risk to you, both with the client and at roadside checks.
- For your own fleet — you check what appears in the official ARR records, which is useful when your internal records and the authority's no longer match after vehicle sales or purchases.
The portal has separate sections for alternative transport, bus stations and brokerage activities, so it is worth selecting the type of operator you are looking for in advance.
What happens at a roadside check without a certified true copy
The law leaves no room for nuance: road transport for hire or reward is carried out with vehicles that carry on board, for the entire duration of the transport, the certified true copy of the Community license. The same obligation applies to own-account transport, with the certified true copy of the corresponding certificate.
The amount of the fine is not set in the ordinance — Article 85(2) of Government Ordinance (OG) no. 27/2011 provides that contravention penalties are established by Government Decision. The applicable decision is Government Decision (HG) no. 69/2012, which in Article 4, point 1 penalizes the operator's failure to provide the driver with the certified true copy of the transport license or Community license, to be presented at roadside checks.
According to Article 7 of the same decision, the offense is punishable by a fine of 4,000 lei to 6,000 lei, applied to the Romanian or foreign road transport operator.
One clarification worth making, because the mistake circulates often: the range of 9,000–12,000 lei frequently quoted in connection with the certified true copy refers to other offenses under HG 69/2012 — those set out in Article 3. For a missing certified true copy on board, the correct classification is 4,000–6,000 lei.
What is certain is the operational consequence: the vehicle cannot continue the run without the document on board, regardless of the fine amount. For roadside checks and the documents actually requested, see the guide on roadside checks.
Tracking documents across the fleet
Each truck accumulates deadlines that never fall in the same month: the certified true copy every year, the ITP at its own interval, and on the driver side the CPC certificate every five years and the tachograph card separately. Details on driver documents are in the guide on ARR certificates.
With five trucks, you can keep it in your head. With twenty, a manually updated Excel file becomes the most expensive part of the process, because the first omission costs more than all 7,200 lei in fees combined.
In CargoTrack, document deadlines can be tracked alongside the fleet's actual activity, and vehicle status and tachograph data download are visible in the same place — so renewals are planned, not discovered at a roadside check.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an ARR certified true copy cost in 2026?
The certified true copy of the Community license costs 360 lei and is valid for one year, for each vehicle. The same fee applies to the certified true copy of the own-account transport certificate. The fees are set by Order (OMTI) no. 2,274/2025, applicable from December 30, 2025.
What documents do I need for the certified true copy?
The vehicle identity card, the registration certificate together with the annex certifying a valid periodic technical inspection, proof of financial standing for the total number of vehicles, and proof of payment of the 360 lei fee.
What is the difference between the Community license and the certified true copy?
The Community license is issued to the company, is valid for 10 years and costs 1,000 lei. The certified true copy is issued for each vehicle, is valid for one year and costs 360 lei. The company has a single license, but one certified true copy for each truck in operation.
How do I check an ARR certified true copy online?
Through the ARR public portal, at licente.arr.ro/publica. The check is free and requires no account. The portal has separate sections for alternative transport, bus stations and brokerage activities.
What financial standing must be proven?
9,000 EUR for the first motor vehicle over 3.5 tons, 5,000 EUR for each additional motor vehicle over 3.5 tons, and 900 EUR for each vehicle of 2.5–3.5 tons. It can be proven through certified annual accounts, a bank guarantee or insurance.
Where do I file the application for the certified true copy?
At the ARR Territorial Agency covering the area where the company has its head office. The application can also be filed online, through the licentiereARR.ro portal.
What fine does a transport without a certified true copy on board risk?
The fine ranges from 4,000 lei to 6,000 lei, under HG no. 69/2012, Article 4, point 1, in conjunction with Article 7, and is applied to the Romanian or foreign road transport operator. The frequently quoted range of 9,000–12,000 lei refers to other offenses, set out in Article 3 of the same decision. Regardless of the amount, the vehicle cannot continue the run without the document on board.
Is the certified true copy renewed automatically?
No. Each certified true copy has its own expiry date and must be renewed by filing a new application, with an ITP valid at the time of filing. In a fleet built up over time, the deadlines are not synchronized and must be tracked individually.
