Ukraine’s system of fines for violations of military registration rules operates automatically: a summons is sent by post, and the status in the “Rezerv+” app changes. If a serviceman-eligible individual ignores this, the first thing he will face is a blocked bank card. At the same time, following the Constitutional Court ruling of September 9, challenging such a fine has become easier and cheaper. Let’s break down where the fine comes from, how it is collected, and what legal ways exist to avoid it.

The Amount of the Fine for Military Registration Violations: How Much You Will Have to Pay

The sanctions are set out in Articles 210 and 210-1 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses (CUAOf). Since May 19, 2024, the fines have increased and have not changed since:

  • for citizens (violation of registration rules — Art. 210, or failure to appear upon a summons or other violations of mobilization legislation — Art. 210-1) — from UAH 17,000 to UAH 25,500;
  • for officials of enterprises and legal entities (violation of the procedure for maintaining military records of employees) — from UAH 34,000 to UAH 59,500 for each identified violation.

The specific amount within this range is determined by the head of the territorial recruitment and social support center, taking into account the nature of the violation, the person’s financial situation, and mitigating or aggravating circumstances.

Lawyer Olha Leshchenko explains the logic behind the range of amounts: the less “egregious” the violation appears (for example, the person appeared on their own to update their data with a short delay), the closer the fine is to the minimum threshold. Repeated or demonstrative ignoring of summonses, on the other hand, pushes the amount toward the maximum.

50% Discount: When Does a TRC Fine Amount to UAH 8,500?

Since 2025, a voluntary admission of guilt mechanism (Articles 279-9 and 300-3 of the CUAOf) has been in effect, allowing payment of only 50% of the minimum fine — UAH 8,500 instead of UAH 17,000. The scheme is as follows:

  1. The person must officially admit the fact of the violation and consent to the case being considered without their presence.
  2. The application must be submitted through the “Rezerv+” app or by registered letter to the TRC no later than the day the case is heard.
  3. The ruling imposing the minimum fine takes effect after 10 days, after which there is another 10 days to pay half the amount. That means there are 20 days in total from the moment the ruling is issued.

The discount does not apply if the fine is imposed when the person is personally present at the TRC without a prior application, or if the person attempts to contest the fact of the violation itself.

Worth noting: by signing such an application, the person effectively waives the right to appeal the ruling in court. The admission of guilt is irrevocable. In other words, saving UAH 8,500 may come at the cost of losing the chance to prove that the fine should not have been issued at all.

In-Absentia Fines: How Can You Receive a Ruling Without Even Receiving a Summons?

According to Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 560, a summons is considered delivered even if the addressee did not physically receive it: a postal worker’s note about the person’s absence from the address, or the letter sitting at the post office for three working days and being returned to the sender, is sufficient.

This is the legal basis for an “in absentia” ruling. The TRC considers the notification obligation fulfilled, reviews the case without the person’s participation, and imposes a fine that the individual only learns about at the moment their account is frozen.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that some systems for automating the work of TRC bodies lead to quite absurd errors and confusion. Media outlets regularly report such curious incidents.

Here is an example from court practice in July 2026: a man with an active deferment discovered he was on a wanted list only after checking the “Rezerv+” app. After coming to the TRC for an explanation, he received a ruling for UAH 17,000 a few days later. The court subsequently overturned it, as the TRC had failed to prove that the letter sent was specifically a summons and not some other document.

Another high-profile case from 2026: an employee of a company with a deferment until 2027 received three contradictory notifications in “Rezerv+” within a few minutes — about being removed from the wanted list, about a court decision, and about a report being filed — after which the TRC issued three rulings of UAH 17,000 each (UAH 51,000 in total) for allegedly refusing a military medical commission. The court overturned all three, citing chaos in the registries and the absence of evidence of wrongdoing by the man himself.

What Happens If You Don’t Pay: Doubling of the Amount and Account Seizure

Ignoring sanctions is costly. Under Article 308 of the CUAOf, in the event of forced collection, the fine is automatically doubled: UAH 17,000 becomes UAH 34,000, and UAH 25,500 becomes UAH 51,000. An enforcement fee of 10% of the collected amount is also added.

A state or private enforcement officer will then:

  • seize the debtor’s bank accounts and cards;
  • enter the person into the Unified Debtor Registry, which blocks any transactions involving real estate and vehicles;
  • may garnish wages, pension, or property.

The law allows partial unblocking of access to one account — within the equivalent of two minimum wages per month. To do this, a separate application must be submitted to the enforcement officer, and the process itself, due to paper-based document exchange with banks, can take up to two weeks.

Another pressure tool is the temporary revocation of the right to drive a vehicle through court, if the person systematically ignores TRC summonses. As of March 2026, 135 such court cases had been recorded.

Court Fee for Appeals Has Been Abolished

On September 9, 2026, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine adopted Decision No. 10-р(ІІ)/2026, establishing that no court fee is charged for appealing rulings imposing administrative penalties.

Previously, filing a claim cost approximately UAH 500–1,300 (depending on the method of submission and the instance), and losing at the first instance added several more thousand hryvnias for an appeal. This barrier forced many people to simply pay unlawful fines without going to court. Now, appealing any TRC fine ruling of any amount is free at all instances.

How to Avoid a Fine: Legal Grounds

Failure to appear upon a summons or failure to update data is not an automatic violation if there is a documented valid reason:

  • force majeure: combat operations, natural disasters that physically prevent appearance (confirmed by a certificate from the State Emergency Service or military administration);
  • illness: health condition, inpatient treatment (medical certificate, sick leave);
  • death of a close relative (death certificate and document confirming family relationship).

For the reason to be accepted, the following deadlines must be met:

  1. Within 3 days of the date indicated in the summons, notify the TRC of the inability to appear — in person, through a representative, by post, or electronically.
  2. After the obstacle is removed, appear at the TRC independently within 7 calendar days, without an additional summons.

What to Do If a Fine Has Already Been Imposed but the Reason Was Valid

There are several arguments that have worked in court in 2026:

  • The data was already in state registries. If the TRC could have obtained the required information (for example, about marriage or the birth of a child) through electronic interaction with other registries (Ministry of Justice, Pension Fund of Ukraine, State Tax Service), imposing a fine for “failure to update data” is unlawful.
  • Violation of the notification procedure. If the TRC did not send a separate notification about the case hearing (and not just the initial summons), or the description of the letter’s contents was worded in general terms (“documents” instead of “notification of case hearing”), the ruling will be declared unlawful.
  • Missed deadlines. Liability can be imposed within three months of the violation being discovered, but no later than one year from the date it was committed.
  • Registry errors. Courts indicate that a status in “Rezerv+” is not in itself proof of a violation: it is the TRC that must prove guilt.

Fines for Military Registration Violations Are Growing for Businesses

Risks for employers have increased recently. Since June 2026, a “72-hour rule” has been in effect: a candidate’s electronic military registration document (generated in “Rezerv+” or “Diia”) is considered valid for employment purposes only if it was generated no more than 72 hours before the date of hiring. Hiring without a military registration document or with an expired e-MRD entails a fine of up to UAH 59,500 for the manager or responsible HR officer.

In addition, the Verkhovna Rada is considering draft law No. 16013-1, which proposes introducing a fine of UAH 170,000 for officials — in cases where their error in record-keeping leads to the unlawful registration of a person who, under the law, should not have been registered. A similar earlier initiative (draft law No. 15115) had already stalled in committee due to objections from the Council’s Scientific Expert Department, so the final fate of this provision remains unresolved.

Key Takeaways

  • The fine amount is UAH 17,000–25,500 for citizens, UAH 34,000–59,500 for business officials, with a discount down to UAH 8,500 for voluntary admission of guilt (but without the right to appeal).
  • An unpaid fine is doubled upon forced collection and results in account seizure.
  • How to avoid a fine — notify the TRC in a timely manner (within 3 days) of a valid reason for non-appearance, keep your data in “Rezerv+” and “Diia” up to date, and apply for a deferment electronically if grounds exist.
  • If a fine has already been imposed — appealing is now free thanks to the September Constitutional Court ruling, and 2026 court practice shows that a significant share of “in absentia” rulings are overturned by courts due to procedural violations by the TRC.

The following materials were used in preparing this article:

  • Constitutional Court of Ukraine. Decision No. 10-р(ІІ)/2026: no court fee is charged for appealing rulings imposing administrative penalties — ccu.gov.ua
  • Constitutional Court of Ukraine. Full text of the news regarding the case of Lopushanskyi V.M. — ccu.gov.ua
  • The CCU published a ruling on the case concerning the court fee for appealing an administrative fine — sud.ua
  • The Constitutional Court established that no court fee is paid for appealing an administrative fine — femida.ua
  • TRC Fine 2026: amounts, verification, appeal within 10 days — lexon.in.ua
  • TRC failed to prove a summons was sent: reserved man succeeded in having UAH 17,000 fine overturned — sud.ua
  • Court overturned TRC fine due to expiry of the statute of limitations for administrative liability — ck.ck.court.gov.ua
  • Three statuses in Rezerv+ in 10 minutes and a UAH 51,000 fine from the TRC — sud.ua
  • Court overturned TRC fine of UAH 25,500 that a man received for failing to report his marriage and children — absolute.com.ua