Kazakhstan revokes 7,400 driver's licenses over medical contraindications

September 8, 2026 at 11:02 AM1 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Kazakhstan's health ministry identified more than 21,000 drivers with medical contraindications to operating vehicles. Police filed court claims against over 13,000 of them, and courts have revoked 7,400 driver's licenses. The ministry stressed that licenses are not revoked automatically upon diagnosis but only by court decision.

Key Facts

Kazakhstan's health ministry identified over 21,000 drivers with medical contraindications to driving.
Police filed court claims against more than 13,000 drivers.
Courts have revoked 7,400 driver's licenses based on medical contraindications.
2,246 people were removed from dispensary registration for various reasons.
Absolute contraindications include epilepsy, blindness in both eyes, and certain severe mental disorders.

Medical Contraindications

The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Internal Affairs identified over 21,000 drivers with medical contraindications. Absolute contraindications include epilepsy, blindness in both eyes, certain severe mental disorders, and some mental and behavioral disorders related to psychoactive substance use. Certain vision, hearing, or musculoskeletal impairments do not always preclude driving. In some cases, driving is permitted with glasses, contact lenses, hearing aids, manual controls, or other adaptive devices.

Court Proceedings

Territorial police departments filed lawsuits against more than 13,000 drivers. Court decisions revoking 7,400 driver's licenses have entered into force. The Ministry of Health emphasized that licenses are not revoked automatically upon diagnosis. A court makes the final decision when established medical contraindications are present. 2,246 people were removed from dispensary registration for various reasons.