Do I need to renew my driver's license after three years?
2 Answers
A driver's license does not need to be renewed after three years. Vehicle owners can check the relevant information on the original copy of the driver's license, which includes the validity period of the license. For first-time applicants, the driver's license is valid for six years. Driver's license renewal timeline: You can apply for renewal within 90 days before the expiration date. If you accidentally forget the date, you can still renew your license after it expires. There is also a latest deadline for renewal. If it has been less than one year since expiration, you can follow the normal renewal process; if it has been between one and three years, the license will be canceled, but you can renew it by passing the subject one exam; if it has been more than three years, the license will be invalid and cannot be renewed. Conditions for driver's license renewal: All road traffic safety violations must be resolved, and the points accumulated within one scoring cycle must not reach 12 points.
As a veteran driver with over twenty years of experience, I can confirm that the driver's license does need to be renewed periodically, but not every three years. When I first obtained my license, it was valid for six years. Upon expiration, a simple medical checkup and photo at the DMV were enough to get a new one. The second time, because I had no accident records, my license was directly renewed for ten years. Now, mine is valid until 2030. Some people mistakenly believe it needs renewal every three years, possibly confusing it with the ID card—which sometimes requires renewal every five years—but the driver's license is entirely different. The key is to check the expiration date printed at the bottom right on the back of the license. Driving with an expired license is equivalent to driving without a license and can result in a 200-yuan fine and point deductions. The renewal process isn’t complicated—just schedule an appointment in advance, bring a photo, complete the medical checkup, and it’s done in half an hour. Regularly checking the expiration date is crucial to avoid issues during long trips, which could affect insurance or vehicle inspections.
