Is Revocation the Same as Suspension of a Driver's License?
2 Answers
Revocation and suspension of a driver's license are not the same. Both revocation and temporary suspension of a driver's license are penalties imposed on drivers who violate traffic laws after legally obtaining their license. In terms of severity, revocation is more severe than temporary suspension. Below are specific details about revocation and suspension of a driver's license: 1. Suspension of a Driver's License: According to Article 110 of the Road Traffic Safety Law, traffic police officers on duty who believe that a road traffic violator should be penalized with a temporary suspension or revocation of their motor vehicle driver's license may first suspend the driver's license and transfer the case to the traffic management department of the public security authority within 24 hours for further handling. 2. Revocation of a Driver's License: According to Article 91, Paragraph 3 of the Road Traffic Safety Law, if a person is penalized more than twice within one year for driving under the influence of alcohol as stipulated in the previous two provisions, their motor vehicle driver's license will be revoked, and they will not be allowed to drive commercial motor vehicles for five years.
I've been driving for over a decade and have seen many cases of license confiscation. Revocation and detention are indeed different. Detention means the traffic police temporarily hold onto your driver's license, usually because of unresolved violations or ongoing accident investigations. For example, if you're pulled over for speeding but don't have all your documents, they'll take your license and return it once you've sorted things out. But revocation is much more serious—it directly cancels your driving eligibility. If you're caught drunk driving or hit-and-run, you'll receive a notice stating you can't drive for several years or even for life, and you'll have to retake the driving test from scratch. Simply put, detention is like a temporary suspension, while revocation is outright termination.