How is three years of driving experience calculated?

[JuliannaLynn]

The driver's license will have the issuance date of the license. Adding three years to that date will give you the required period, which must be greater than or equal to three years. For example, if the date on the license is January 1, 2018, by January 2, 2021, the driving experience will be more than three years. Here is some additional information: 1. Legal basis: According to Article 64, Paragraph 1 of "Order No. 123", the first 12 months after a motor vehicle driver initially applies for a driver's license or adds a permitted driving type is the probationary period (i.e., the 12 months from the "initial license date" on the original driver's license). 2. Definition of driving experience: Driving experience refers to the number of years a motor vehicle driver has held a driving qualification, calculated from the date the driver obtained the qualification. If a motor vehicle driver obtains different driving qualifications by adding permitted driving types (additional driving), each qualification has its own separate driving experience and should not be confused.

[IslaMarie]

I only figured this out when I rented a car before—the driving experience is counted as exactly three years starting from the day you got your driver's license. Last year, I wanted to rent an SUV for a trip, but the counter told me my license was 7 days short of three years, so they wouldn’t let me rent. It was a wasted trip. Remember to check the initial issuance date on your license—for example, if you got it on August 1, 2021, it won’t be considered a full three years until August 1, 2024. Some car rental companies are very strict about this and require it to be exact to the day. Recently, I found that the Traffic Management 12123 app can directly check the date on your electronic driver’s license, so you don’t have to dig out the physical copy. For those needing to renew their license, note that you can start the process three months in advance—don’t wait until it expires and risk getting pulled over.

[MacEvangeline]

When I worked as a ride-hailing driver, the company's verification of driving experience requirements was quite strict—it wasn't just about the number of years. For example, I obtained my C1 license on May 20, 2021, and it wasn't considered a full 36 months until the early hours of May 21, 2024. A colleague once mentioned that he checked his driving credit using the 12123 app and found that the system automatically marked his driving experience record down to the exact day. For commercial vehicles, the requirement is no more than 12 penalty points within three years, so checking your own violation records is the most reliable. If you upgraded to a motorcycle license midway, the driving experience is still calculated based on the date of your earliest driver's license—don't get confused by that.

[VonVivienne]

Actual driving experience and license duration are two different things! Last month, I helped my cousin with a used car transfer, and the DMV said his license was issued in November 2021, but he actually has to wait until December this year to meet the three-year transfer standard. A friend bought a Porsche sports car and clearly had a three-year driver's license, but the insurance company said they wouldn't cover the scratch insurance because it hadn't been 36 full months. Remember to check the initial issuance date on the supplementary page of the driver's license—they calculate it very precisely when buying compulsory traffic insurance.

[ReedLee]

The company fleet management always emphasizes this: for example, if you obtained your license on March 15, 2021, you won't meet the three-year driving experience requirement until March 16, 2024. A colleague was fined 800 yuan last month for lending his car to a friend who was still in the probationary period. The traffic police said the borrower must also have at least three years of driving experience. The annual inspection form includes the date of initial license issuance, and a copy must be carried for long-distance transportation. Nowadays, some car-sharing apps directly connect to the Ministry of Public Security's database, and even being one day short will prevent account activation.

[StEloise]

I had some experience with cross-province license transfer: the license was issued in Zhejiang, and after transferring to Shanghai, the driving experience was counted continuously. However, the initial letter of the file number represents the issuing location, and transferring to a new city won't reset the driving experience. A self-employed friend wanted to register for Huolala last year, but the system automatically determined that he was two months short of three years. Just a reminder: picking up airport orders or driving vehicles with more than nine seats requires at least five years of driving experience, while three years is enough for driving regular cars.