Can I still renew my driver's license normally if it has been expired for 6 months?
2 Answers
You can still renew your driver's license normally if it has been expired for 6 months. Motor vehicle drivers should apply for license renewal at the vehicle management office of the original issuing authority within 90 days before the expiration date of their driver's license (it's also acceptable within one year after expiration). The renewal process is as follows: Prepare two 1-inch photos and a medical examination certificate. One photo should be affixed to the top right corner of the medical examination form, while the other will be used for the new license. Bring your ID card and driver's license to the license processing hall, fill out the renewal application form, then submit these documents along with the medical examination form and renewal application to the staff, and pay a 10-yuan processing fee. Before renewal, check if there are any outstanding traffic violations. If there are, they must be dealt with first; otherwise, the renewal won't be processed. You can renew your license up to 90 days in advance. Plan your time reasonably to avoid expiration. If you're caught by traffic police with an expired license, you'll be fined 50 yuan without point deduction. It's best to have the required photos and medical examination done directly at the traffic police department's license processing hall, with each service costing 10 yuan. Bringing your own might risk disqualification, requiring retakes and causing delays. The renewal can be completed on the spot, but must be finalized within 15 days at most, after which you'll be notified to collect your new license.
If your driver's license has expired for 6 months, it's still within the one-year grace period stipulated by regulations, and you can generally renew it normally. I've been through this before—just bring your ID card, original driver's license, a one-inch photo, and a medical examination certificate to the DMV, then follow the standard procedure. There might be a few extra steps, such as identity verification or a simple test on driving knowledge, but you won't be required to retake the driving test. Just remember not to drive during the expiration period—a friend of mine got caught and was fined with penalty points. After renewal, the validity period starts anew, so it's best to handle it early to avoid future hassles. Nowadays, you can even book DMV services online to save time on queues, which is quite convenient.
