Do I Need to Retake the Driving Test If My Driver's License Hasn't Been Reviewed for Three Years?
4 Answers
If your driver's license hasn't been reviewed for three years, you will need to attend driving school and retake the test. Below are the specific procedures for handling an overdue driver's license review: 1. Within one year: If your driver's license has been overdue for less than a year, you can follow the normal procedures to apply for a review by submitting the required materials. 2. Over one year but less than three years: If your driver's license has been overdue for more than one year but less than three years, you will need to take the subject one test at the vehicle management office. Only after passing the test can you proceed with the review application. 3. Over three years: If a Class C license has been overdue for three years, it will be invalidated directly. For Class A and B licenses, they will be downgraded, and the driver must apply for the downgrade at the vehicle management office within 30 days. Failure to do so will result in the vehicle management office directly announcing the revocation of the driving qualification for the corresponding vehicle class.
If your driver's license has been expired for three years, you definitely need to retake the tests – I know this all too well. I remember my license expired because I was too busy with work to renew it, and when it went over three years, the DMV straight up told me I had to reapply. Here's the rule: if it's expired for less than a year, you can still renew normally; between one and two years, you need to pass the written test (Subject 1) to reinstate it; but if it's over three years, it's completely void. When I went to reapply, I found out I had to start over from scratch – first the theory test (Subject 1), then the closed-course (Subject 2) and road tests (Subject 3), just like a brand-new applicant. My advice? Set a phone reminder to renew your license 90 days before it expires. Just bring your ID and old license – don’t end up wasting time and money like I did.
Last month, my friend encountered an issue where his driver's license hadn't been reviewed for three years, so I accompanied him to the DMV to sort it out. The staff explained that there's no annual review requirement for driver's licenses now, but there are time constraints for renewal. A regular driver's license is valid for six years upon first issuance, and upon expiration, it needs to be renewed for a ten-year term. If the license isn't renewed within three years, the system will automatically cancel the record, requiring the individual to re-enroll in driving school. I saw my friend being asked to sign a cancellation confirmation form, after which he had to register anew at a driving school. The entire process takes about two to three months, with costs similar to those for new students. To avoid last-minute panic, it's advisable to stick the details page of the driver's license on the fridge as a reminder of the expiration date.
There are clear regulations for handling a driver's license expired for three years. Simply put, if expired within one year, you can renew it normally; if expired between one to two years, you need to pass the Theory Test (Subject 1) to reinstate it; but if expired for three years without renewal, the license will be permanently revoked. This means starting from scratch: first enroll in a driving school, then take the exams in order—Subject 1 (theory), Subject 2 (field test), Subject 3 (road test), and Subject 4 (safe driving). Recently, I helped my neighbor with this. He brought his ID card and old license to the DMV, and the counter directly issued a revocation notice. Later, he spent over 4,000 yuan to re-enroll, and the entire process took more than 70 days. It's advisable to note the expiration date on the license's supplementary page and renew it three months in advance for the safest approach.
