Many drivers in Latvia still search for their bonus-malus class and wonder whether it will improve on September 15. The short answer: the classes no longer exist. Since August 1, 2024, the Motor Insurers' Bureau of Latvia (LTAB) has stopped assigning and recalculating them, and insurers now look at each owner's insurance history instead. The principle "drive without accidents and pay less" is still there, though. Here is what changed, what affects your OCTA price today and how to check your own history in a couple of minutes.

What bonus-malus was and what changed

The bonus-malus system ran in Latvia from 2006. Every vehicle owner or registered keeper got a class from 1 to 17 based on insured days and accidents caused over the previous 11 years. The lower the class, the more accidents or the fewer insured days. Classes were recalculated once a year, on September 15, and most drivers found the formulas hard to follow.

On August 1, 2024, LTAB turned the system into a centralised insurance history data service. Classes are no longer assigned, and the September recalculation is gone. LTAB stressed that the reform itself could not be a reason for OCTA prices to go up. The data on your past insurance history was kept and remains available to insurers; only the way it is recorded and shown has changed.

What your insurance history contains

Your insurance history comes down to two simple figures:

  • the number of insured days - how many days OCTA was in force for vehicles you owned or were the registered keeper of;
  • the number of insured events you caused - how many accidents were caused by vehicles registered to you, no matter who was driving at the time.

The history covers the period from May 1, 2004, when the current OCTA Law took effect, and it is updated every day instead of once a year. Earlier data is not shown because it is not compatible with the new records. Unlike bonus-malus, the history is no longer split by vehicle category: it brings together all vehicles you have owned or kept.

LTAB does not grade drivers or label anyone "good" or "bad". It only shows the facts. In the bureau's own words, the more insured days and the fewer insured events, the better the history. At the time of the reform, LTAB said that 47.2% of the more than 574,000 private vehicle owners on its records had not caused a single accident since May 1, 2004.

What affects the OCTA price now

Article 13 of the OCTA Law says that when a contract is concluded, the insurer sets the price by assessing:

  • the number of claims paid under previous contracts;
  • cases where the vehicle was driven while committing offences that carry penalty points, as well as criminal offences against road safety;
  • the information in the insurance history statement;
  • other risk factors.

Each insurer chooses the other factors and how much weight they carry: vehicle type and power, purpose and place of use, the owner's age and experience. That is why quotes for the very same car can differ a lot. We cover these factors in more detail in our article on what affects the OCTA price. There is no longer a single scale where "class 10" means the same thing everywhere, but even before the reform the class was never the only factor in the price.

How to check your history for free

Every vehicle owner and registered keeper can see their insurance history free of charge:

  • on the LTAB website, in the "Personas apdrošināšanas vēsture" (personal insurance history) service, after logging in through Latvija.lv;
  • in the LTAB OCTA mobile app;
  • by requesting a statement of your insurance history, for example when an insurer abroad asks for one.

If you spot a mistake, such as an accident your car did not cause or a missing period, write to LTAB at support@ltab.lv. The insurer that sent the data to the system is responsible for its accuracy, and LTAB makes sure it gets corrected. It is worth checking your history before you buy a policy, since it helps you understand why the quotes look the way they do. Check three things: that all your vehicles are listed, that the insured periods match your policies and that the events shown are the ones you remember.

The history belongs to the owner, not the driver

Your history is built in the name of the vehicle's owner or registered keeper. That leads to four practical points:

  • When you lend your car, you lend your history too. If a friend or family member causes an accident in your car, it goes on your record.
  • Leased cars. When the OCTA price is set, the keeper named in the registration certificate is treated as the owner, so the history builds up for you rather than for the leasing company. The same applies when the owner of the car is a minor and a keeper is named in the certificate.
  • New drivers who only drive their parents' car do not build a history of their own. When you register a car in your name for the first time, there is no history yet, and the insurer assesses the risk using other criteria. Read more in our article on car insurance for new drivers.
  • Changing cars does not wipe your history. It is linked to you as a person, not to a specific vehicle, so when you sell your old car and buy a new one, your insured days and events stay on your record.

Moving to Latvia from another EU country, or away

Since January 1, 2025, the OCTA Law says that if an insurer uses a claims history statement to set the price, it must take it into account regardless of which EU member state issued it. The premium may not be raised because you are a citizen of another country or used to live in another member state. Each insurer explains on its website how it uses such statements.

In practice, if you insured a car in another EU country before, get a claims history statement there and upload it through LTAB's e-service. It then becomes available to every OCTA insurer in Latvia. If you are leaving Latvia, LTAB will issue a statement covering at least the last five years in the standard EU format within 15 days of your request, and you can hand it to your new insurer abroad.

How to keep a good history

  • Avoid gaps. Every day a car you use goes without OCTA means not only a risk of a fine but also fewer insured days in your history. If your policy has already run out, read what to do when OCTA expires.
  • Think about who you hand your keys to. An accident caused by another driver stays on your record.
  • Watch your penalty points. The law allows insurers to take them into account when setting the price.
  • Check your history before you buy and fix any mistakes in good time.
  • Compare offers. Each insurer weighs your history and other factors differently, so the same history can lead to different prices. In the OCTA calculator you can see offers from several insurers in one place by entering your plate number and registration certificate number.

The class names are gone, but the logic remains: driving without accidents and keeping your policy without gaps is still the best way to pay less for OCTA.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do bonus-malus classes still exist? No. Since August 1, 2024, LTAB no longer assigns classes, and there is no annual recalculation on September 15. Insurers use your insurance history instead: the number of insured days and the number of insured events you caused since May 1, 2004.
Where can I see my insurance history? Free of charge on the LTAB website in the "Personas apdrošināšanas vēsture" service after logging in through Latvija.lv, or in the LTAB OCTA app. The data is updated daily. If you spot a mistake, write to LTAB at support@ltab.lv.
Does OCTA get more expensive after an accident I caused? It can. The OCTA Law says that when setting the price, the insurer assesses the number of claims paid under previous contracts. How much and for how long this affects the price is up to each insurer, so after an accident it is especially worth comparing offers.
Does a new driver start from zero? If a car is registered in your name for the first time, you have no insurance history yet, and the insurer assesses the risk using other factors such as age, experience and the car itself. Your history starts building from the day OCTA is in force for you as an owner or keeper. If you only drive your parents' car, the history builds up for them.
Does Latvia accept insurance history from another EU country? Yes. Since January 1, 2025, an insurer that uses a claims history statement to set the price must take it into account regardless of which EU member state issued it. You can upload a foreign statement through LTAB's e-service, and it then becomes available to every OCTA insurer in Latvia.