How long can a driver's license go without annual review before being revoked?
4 Answers
Failure to undergo an annual review will not directly result in the revocation of a driver's license. Below is relevant information about driver's licenses: 1. Overview: The full name of a driver's license is a motor vehicle driver's license, which is a certificate required by law for individuals who operate motor vehicles. Driving a motor vehicle requires certain driving skills, and those lacking such skills may cause traffic accidents if they drive recklessly. Generally, individuals cannot drive on the road without a license. However, for those who have mastered safe driving techniques, the document that permits them to drive on the road is called a 'driver's license.' This indicates that a driver's license is a 'certificate of permission.' 2. Examination Content: The test subjects include three items: traffic regulations and related knowledge, field driving, and road driving (including safe and civilized driving). Before each subject test, an appointment must be made (special circumstances may allow scheduling through a green channel for driving tests), and the test is taken after the appointment.
My friend got caught in this situation just the other day. He drives a heavy truck with a B2 license, which requires an annual review. A traffic police friend told me that for A and B licenses, if you fail to undergo the annual review for three consecutive scoring cycles, the system will automatically revoke your highest permitted vehicle class qualification and forcibly downgrade you to a C license. This is no joke—my friend had to retake the written test. C licenses for regular cars are much more hassle-free; they don’t require annual reviews now, just renewal every 6 or 10 years. But if you miss the renewal deadline by a year, your license will still be revoked. Last time at the DMV, I saw several people who had to leave empty-handed because of this. So, it’s best to mark your license dates in your phone calendar and not end up like some absent-minded drivers waiting for the system to clean them up automatically.
Last time when helping a relative check the driver's license annual review, I specifically studied the regulations. Truck drivers, take note: Licenses like A1, A2, A3, B1, and B2 must be reviewed within 30 days after the scoring cycle ends each year, especially if points were deducted. If you fail to complete the procedure for three consecutive years, the vehicle management office will directly revoke your driving qualification for that vehicle type. For regular car licenses, it's now under long-term management, but you still need to renew them promptly when they expire. The worst case I've seen was a ride-hailing driver whose license was revoked for being expired by one year and two days, causing a two-month delay in getting back to work due to retesting. I usually recommend setting a reminder on the Traffic Management 12123 App - you can start renewal procedures 90 days before expiration to avoid long queues at the vehicle management office.
My dad, a veteran driver who runs a transportation company, always said professional drivers fear license issues the most. For truck drivers, if they fail to undergo the annual review for three scoring cycles, their driving qualification will be immediately revoked—even more serious than penalty points. Although private car licenses don't require annual reviews, never miss the renewal deadline. I once saw news about a driver whose license expired for a year and a half, forcing them to retake all driving tests. Many young people today don’t realize that after the initial 6-year validity, a C-class license can be renewed for 10 years, then upgraded to a permanent one. But each renewal deadline is critical—exceeding one year triggers automatic revocation. A pro tip: mark the expiration date in red on the license’s supplementary page; it’s more reliable than phone reminders.
