According to the Russian Interior Ministry, between 2024 and 2025, the number of crimes related to the forgery, distribution, and use of documents increased from 397 to 1,739, an increase of 338 percent. In 2025, a total of 10,942 individuals were sentenced by the court under this article.
According to an analytical report by Smart Engines and Intellect, driver's licenses lead the list of the most frequently forged documents, accounting for 41 percent of all detected forgeries. Often, these documents are purchased by individuals who have previously been deprived of their driving privileges.
Passports of CIS countries and residence permits (VNJ) also account for a high share of forgeries, making up 18 percent of the total cases. Within one year, the number of forged documents in this category increased by 41 percent. Passports of Russian citizens account for 16 percent.
Experts note that the development of artificial intelligence technologies is expanding the market for forged documents. With its help, it has become easier to alter data, photographs, and seals in documents. In 2025, the volume of the illegal market for forged identity documents was estimated at 2.6 billion rubles.
Specialists recommend paying special attention not only to the visual appearance when checking documents, but also to their security features and the authenticity of the information. It should be remembered that the use of forged documents leads to serious legal consequences.
