Can You Drive Without Your License?
2 Answers
You cannot drive without your license. Here is relevant information: 1. Penalty: If you forget to bring your driver's license and drive, being checked by authorities does not legally constitute driving without a license. However, you will be penalized for "forgetting to carry your license," which typically results in a 1-point deduction and a fine. You will not be detained, but your vehicle will be temporarily impounded until you provide your license to retrieve it. 2. Relevant Law: According to Article 95 of the Road Traffic Safety Law, motor vehicles driven on the road without displaying license plates, inspection labels, insurance labels, or without carrying the vehicle registration certificate or driver's license will be impounded by traffic management authorities.
From my experience, you absolutely cannot drive without your driver's license. Last time I was rushing to a meeting and forgot my license, thinking it would be fine for just a few kilometers. But then I got stopped at a police checkpoint, got 1 point deducted and fined 200 yuan on the spot. The officer said according to Article 95 of the Road Traffic Safety Law, driving without a physical license is equivalent to unlicensed driving, and even having an electronic license depends on city policies. What's worse, my car was impounded, and I had to ask a friend to take a taxi to deliver my license before I could retrieve the car. Now I've developed a habit of keeping photocopies of both my driver's license and vehicle registration in the car as backup, so I can explain if I forget the originals. Don't risk it to save on taxi fare - ride-hailing services are quite convenient these days.
