How to Transfer a Driver's License When Changing Household Registration?
4 Answers
When we obtain a driver's license in another city and then return to our hometown to live, we will face the trouble of renewing the license before its expiration date, because the renewal of the driver's license needs to be processed at the vehicle management office where it was issued. Only the transfer of the driver's license is required. Please bring your ID card (new household registration location), driver's license, and three ID photos, and go directly to the vehicle management office in your household registration area to fill out the application form. Then, go to the designated medical examination point of the vehicle management office for a physical examination (medical examination fee is 30 yuan). After obtaining the physical condition certificate, submit it together to process the driver's license transfer business. Only a handling fee of 10 yuan is required, and you can wait a while to receive the new driver's license.
I just transferred my driver's license from my hometown to my work city last year. Simply put, it's a three-step process: First, go to the local vehicle management office in your current residence to get the 'Motor Vehicle Driver's License Application Form' and fill it out. Remember to bring the original ID card, the original household registration booklet of your current residence, and two one-inch white-background ID photos (preferably the type with a barcode receipt specifically for driver's licenses, taken at a photo studio in advance). Second, submit your original driver's license for a physical examination. The vehicle management office I went to had a self-service physical examination machine, and it took only 10 minutes to complete the vision test and photo. Third, wait about half an hour to get your new driver's license on the spot, with a fee of 10 yuan. Special note: if your original driver's license is about to expire, you must renew it before transferring. If there are any traffic violations on an out-of-town license, they must be dealt with first.
Recently, while helping my wife with her driver's license transfer, I noticed several details that require attention. First, not all vehicle management offices can handle the transfer; you must go to the designated location in the receiving area. The photo must be taken within the last six months and cannot feature light-colored clothing. If the original license was issued in a different location, you need to confirm whether the file number is searchable online during the transfer (my wife almost had to return to her original location to retrieve her file due to an early manual record). After the transfer, the demerit point cycle will be merged, but the points will not be reset. I recommend calling 12345 to clarify the required materials before going, as I once made a wasted trip because I forgot to bring the residence proof.
As a veteran driver with 15 years of experience, here are three key tips for license transfer: First, if your out-of-town license exceeds 11 months past its expiration when transferring to a new city, you'll be required to retake the written test. Second, there's no need to use middlemen—the entire process can be completed in 15 minutes using self-service kiosks. Third, remember to update your ETC and insurance registration information promptly after the issuing authority changes on your new license, or you might face difficulties during claims. Don't forget to bring your old license and ID card copies—residence permits are no longer required, but household registration proof is needed.
