In Türkiye, the carriage of dangerous goods by road is governed by the Regulation on the Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (Tehlikeli Maddelerin Karayoluyla Taşınması Hakkında Yönetmelik) of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, published in the Official Gazette of 18 June 2022. The regulation also applies ADR rules to domestic transport; it sets out the obligations of all parties from consignor to driver and the rules on the TMFB, SRC5, safety advisers and inspections.
Name, legal basis and scope of the regulation
The official title of the text in force is the Regulation on the Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (Tehlikeli Maddelerin Karayoluyla Taşınması Hakkında Yönetmelik) (Official Gazette 18.06.2022, No. 31870); in everyday language it is also called the "regulation on the carriage of dangerous goods by road". The latest comprehensive amendment was published in the Official Gazette of 6 February 2025 (No. 32805). On publication, the regulation repealed the previous regulation; references to the old text are deemed to be made to the new one.
Its legal basis is Road Transport Law No. 4925, Law No. 5434 approving Türkiye's accession to the ADR, and, for penalties, Article 28 of Decree-Law No. 655. Transport carried out in Türkiye with foreign-registered vehicles falls within its scope. Transport by the Turkish Armed Forces, the Gendarmerie, the Police and the Coast Guard for their own purposes is excluded.
How does it relate to the ADR?
The regulation does not rewrite the technical provisions of the ADR; it refers to them. Even the definition of dangerous goods is taken directly from the substances and articles in ADR 3.2 Table A. Classification, packaging, labelling, vehicle and documentation rules come from the ADR; on top of them, the regulation sets up a Türkiye-specific administrative framework: a certification system, inspections and penalties. When the ADR is updated every two years, the technical rules are automatically linked to the current edition. The regulation also stipulates that substances prohibited by the ADR may not be carried by road in Türkiye.
Who does it impose obligations on?
| Party | Main obligation |
|---|---|
| Consignor | Correct classification, transport document (ADR 5.4.1), choice of an authorised carrier |
| Packer, loader, filler | UN-approved packaging, labelling, ADR 7.5 loading and securing rules |
| Carrier | Vehicle with an ADR certificate of approval, instructions in writing, equipment, documents on board |
| Driver | Appropriate SRC5, placards and orange plates, compliance with parking and route restrictions |
| Consignee and unloader | Accepting the load without delay, cleaning and removing markings after unloading |
How does the certification system work?
- TMFB (Tehlikeli Madde Faaliyet Belgesi – dangerous goods activity certificate): Required for businesses that received, consigned, packed, loaded or filled 20 tonnes or more of dangerous goods in the last calendar year; in addition, those handling Class 1 other than 1.4S and Class 7 (except those covered by ADR 1.7.1) must obtain it regardless of quantity. The certificate is valid for five years and is issued separately for each address; details are in TMFB.
- Safety adviser services: Businesses holding a TMFB must engage a dangerous goods safety adviser within 30 days of obtaining the certificate. Carriers only, whose vehicles have a total minimum capacity below 50 tonnes, and parties acting only as consignee or tank-container operator are exempt.
- SRC5: Mandatory for drivers carrying dangerous goods; how to obtain it is explained in SRC5 driver certificate.
- ADR certificate of approval: Valid for a maximum of one year for vehicles covered by ADR Chapter 9; for older vehicle models a vehicle conformity certificate is issued.
Inspections and administrative fines
Inspections are carried out by Ministry staff, traffic police and the gendarmerie; there are three methods: roadside, on-premises and electronic inspection via U-Net. If the contents are suspected on the road, a safety data sheet is requested. A consignor, loader or packer found to have committed more than five violations in a calendar year is also inspected on site. For transit vehicles, only the obligations of the carrier and the driver are checked.
Penalties are listed per violation in Article 36 of the regulation. Examples of base amounts: carrying a substance prohibited under the ADR TRY 10,000, not obtaining a TMFB TRY 4,000, not engaging a safety adviser TRY 4,000, a driver without an appropriate SRC5 certificate TRY 637. Under Article 17 of Misdemeanours Law No. 5326, these amounts are increased each year by the revaluation rate.
Common mistakes
- Overlooking the need for separate TMFBs for branches, warehouses and construction sites.
- Parking a laden or uncleaned tanker in a residential area or closer than 300 metres to schools and places of worship.
- Assuming ADR rules do not apply when a foreign-registered vehicle is used.
How does Voltim Global support this?
Voltim Global operates with a TİO authorisation certificate from the Ministry of Transport (No IST.U-NET.TİO.33.10568). For a forwarder choosing a carrier for dangerous goods transport, the first three documents to check are the carrier's TMFB, the vehicle's ADR certificate of approval and the driver's SRC5 certificate.