What are the consequences of being caught driving without a license?
2 Answers
Driving without a license, if caught by traffic police, will result in a fine ranging from 200 to 2,000 yuan and detention for up to 15 days. Driving without a license can be categorized into the following situations, and any one of them may lead to corresponding penalties: 1. Not having obtained a driver's license; 2. Driving while the license is revoked or temporarily suspended; 3. Driving a vehicle type that does not match the permitted vehicle type on the license; 4. Using an expired, invalid, forged license, or one obtained through illegal means; 5. The driver's age or health condition does not meet the driving requirements; 6. Driving a regular motor vehicle with a military or armed police force driver's license; 7. Driving in China with a foreign driver's license.
Once I was caught driving without a license, and the traffic police were very strict. At that time, I was driving home when I was pulled over for a license check. I didn’t have one, so the officer immediately issued a fine of 1,000 yuan and detained me for a few days for reflection. My car was impounded, and later I had to attend a traffic regulations course at the transportation bureau and pass an exam before I could retrieve it. The whole process took over half a month and cost me an additional few hundred yuan in parking fees. This experience made me deeply aware of safety issues—if an accident had happened, even insurance wouldn’t have covered it, and it would have affected my family. Now I always remind my friends not to touch the steering wheel before getting a driver’s license—it’s too costly and dangerous.
