Is a driving school compulsory in Armenia? The self-taught candidate, explained

No, a driving school is not compulsory under the law. Self-taught persons may also sit the qualification exams for a license in categories A, B and C and subcategories AM, A1, B1 and C1 — Law "On Ensuring Road Traffic Safety", Article 28, part 1.2. Matching that, item 5 of the list in Annex 2 to Decision No. 385-N requires a driving-course completion document for every category except those very same A, B, C, AM, A1, B1 and C1, for which it "is not required".

On paper, then, nothing stands in a self-taught category B candidate's way. But two things are regularly overlooked. First, the practical-exam car must meet the legal requirements for a training vehicle (No. 385-N, Annex 1, point 29): an instructor's rear-view mirror, additional clutch (except on automatics) and brake pedals, and the matching identification sign (Law, Article 28, part 8). Second, on 19 August 2026 the MIA announced an intention to make driving-school education compulsory — but as of 18 September 2026 no such act has been adopted, and the rule that admits self-taught candidates still stands.

What "self-taught" means in the text of the law

Article 28, part 1 of the Law describes the usual route: you train under the curriculum approved by the authorized body, then sit the qualification exams. Part 1.2 adds a second: for the listed categories, self-taught persons may sit the exams too. Outside that list — D, T, BE, CE, DE and their subcategories — a completion document from the training organization (a military training institution included) stays mandatory (No. 385-N, Annex 2, list item 5). For D and D1 you hand it in at the theory exam (Annex 1, point 11); for BE, CE, DE, C1E and D1E, at the practical (point 25).

Do not confuse two things. The law does not say training is unnecessary — it says you need not produce a document about training. The check is unchanged: the same two exams, to the same standard.

What you produce instead

For the theory exam in those categories you present item 1 of the list — your identity document — and, once the data is checked, the receipt for the state duty under item 2 (No. 385-N, Annex 1, points 11 and 12). For the practical exam you present items 1, 2 and 3, adding the service-fee receipt (point 25).

For Armenian citizens the examination body pulls medical accreditation data automatically from the ARMED e-health system (point 11) — see the article on medical documents and, for amounts and retake periods, a separate article.

Three ages: 16, 17 and 18

The law sets three different ages, and they are often mixed up:

• 16 — the minimum age of a person learning to drive (Law, Article 28, part 1.1; point 148 of the Rules of the Road).
• 17 — from this age you may become a driver candidate (Article 28, part 4), and only candidates may take the practical exam (part 3). For AM the age is 16.
• 18 — the license for categories A, B and C and subcategories A1, B1 and C1 is issued at 18 (Article 27, part 3, point 1).

Which vehicles each category and subcategory actually covers is set out in the article on age limits and categories.

Where, and with whom, you may practice

Initial training must take place on closed grounds or an autodrome (point 145 of the Rules), or, failing that, on a closed area isolated from traffic and fitted with the necessary technical equipment (Law, Article 28, part 7). On public roads, learner driving is allowed only with an instructor, and the learner must know and be able to comply with the Rules (point 146 of the Rules). An individual instructor must carry a license of that category (point 147; Law, Article 28, part 6) — so a parent, a sibling or a friend may teach you if they hold a category B license and have it on them. If the candidate breaks the Rules during training, the instructor bears the liability (Article 28, part 9).

Learner driving is allowed on roads designated by the local self-government body (in Yerevan, the Mayor), point 149 of the Rules; Article 28, part 8 of the Law puts it the other way round — on roads where it is not prohibited. That list is municipal and not published in these acts, so check locally. Two places are off limits outright: motorways (point 116, sub-item 7) and residential zones (point 121, sub-item 1).

The car is the hard part for a self-taught candidate

Any car used to teach practical driving — and, under point 29 of No. 385-N, the exam car too — must carry the identification sign and have an instructor's rear-view mirror plus additional clutch (except on automatics) and brake pedals (Law, Article 28, part 8).

The "Training vehicle" sign is a white equilateral triangle with a red border and a black Armenian letter «ՈՒ» (side at least 200 mm), fitted front and rear (Form No. 3 of the Rules). Under point 175 as restated by Decision No. 559-N, in force since 1 October 2025, every identification sign except "Doctor" and "Person with a disability" — those two are the driver's choice — is compulsory whenever the circumstance it marks exists. And a car used to teach practical driving that lacks the sign, the instructor's extra mirror or the extra clutch and brake pedals is outright barred from operation (Annex 2 to the Rules, point 6, sub-item 19).

So an ordinary family car does not qualify, and a self-taught candidate has to settle early which car they will practice and take the exam in. From November 15 to March 31 that car also falls under the same winter-tire requirement as any other. Note too that passing on an automatic puts a mark on the license, valid only for automatics (point 30).

Theory is exactly where self-preparation wins

The theory exam has two parts: a 3-question psychological test in which every answer must be correct, and a 20-question knowledge test in which you need at least 18 correct answers, with 30 minutes to answer (No. 385-N, Annex 1, points 14, 15, 18 and 20). Questions are drawn at random from the official question bank compiled by the MIA (point 16). A driving school buys no advantage here — what counts is how many questions you worked through and understood.

In bibip's practice section all 10 official question groups plus a color-plate practice set are free and need no registration, the theory section explains the same topics, the road signs section lists every sign, and the exam simulation reproduces the official format. For a schedule, the two-week plan; for the format in full, the theory exam guide.

Will driving school become compulsory?

On 18 August 2026 the Minister of Internal Affairs met representatives of driving schools and of the registration-and-examination field. Per the MIA's announcement of 19 August, the meeting discussed making driving-school education compulsory and licensing driving schools, and the parties agreed to continue professional discussions to work out final solutions (mia.gov.am, 19.08.2026).

The announcement is headlined "getting driving-school education before the exam is going to be compulsory", but the text itself describes discussions, proposals and "planned reforms". That makes it a stated intention, not a rule in force. No date, bill or transition period has been published, so nobody can say when or in what form it will apply. Today Article 28, part 1.2 stands, and a self-taught category B candidate can go to the exam without a driving-school document.

In short

Self-preparation is legal, but not easy: the theory you can learn entirely on your own, while the practical side still needs an instructor licensed for that category, a permitted road and a training-standard car. The whole route: the step-by-step guide. If you decide on a driving school, the list of driving schools in Yerevan and the regions will help you choose.