What are the new regulations for downgrading and restoring a driver's license?
4 Answers
The new regulations for downgrading and restoring a driver's license are as follows: Relevant information: Drivers who voluntarily apply to lower their permitted vehicle class must fill out the relevant downgrade application form and submit identity proof, original driver's license, physical examination certificate, etc.; The driver must not have accumulated 12 penalty points in a single scoring cycle, and must not have any overdue inspections, seizures, detentions, suspensions, cancellations, revocations, or withdrawals of the driver's license. Only after resolving these issues can they apply for a downgrade. The application must be processed at the local vehicle management office or traffic police branch. Relevant regulations: According to Article 78 of the "Regulations on the Application and Use of Motor Vehicle Driver's Licenses," drivers holding licenses for large buses, tractors, city buses, medium-sized buses, or large trucks will have their highest permitted vehicle class driving qualification revoked by the vehicle management office under any of the following circumstances, and the driver will be notified to complete the downgrade and license replacement within 30 days: Being involved in a traffic accident resulting in death and bearing equal or greater responsibility without constituting a crime; Accumulating 12 penalty points in a single scoring cycle; Failing to undergo inspection for three consecutive scoring cycles. Cancellation: If the driver fails to complete the downgrade and license replacement within the specified time, the vehicle management office will announce the cancellation of the driving qualification for the downgraded vehicle class.
I previously had my driver's license downgraded from B2 to C1 because I failed to undergo the annual review for three consecutive years. This time, I wanted to restore my large vehicle license, and it took several trips to the DMV to understand the new regulations. According to the rules, you must wait five full years after the downgrade before applying for a license upgrade, and you cannot have any record of accumulating 12 penalty points during that period. Now, to upgrade again, I have to start from scratch, including all the tests from Subject One to Three, and I also need to attend skills training at a designated driving school. The staff reminded me that if the downgrade was due to drunk driving or a traffic accident, the review process would be even stricter. I advise everyone to pay attention to the annual review deadlines, otherwise, you’ll not only waste time but also have to spend extra on tuition fees. Driving requires following the rules—getting downgraded and then restoring your license is really too much hassle.
Old Zhang asked me yesterday about how to restore his driver's license after downgrading. Last year, he was deducted 12 points for overloading his truck, which directly downgraded his license to a Class C. According to the latest policy, he must wait five full years after the downgrade before reapplying for a large vehicle license, and during these five years, he must attend every annual review on time. I specifically reminded him that the new regulations require completing all examination subjects again when upgrading the license, including the theory test (Subject 1), the field test (Subject 2), and the road test (Subject 3). Additionally, it's important to note that driving schools now include safe and civilized driving content in their training, requiring extra hours of study. He must be extra careful when driving to avoid any further point deductions, or else the five-year period will reset.
Recently, I looked into the process of reinstating a downgraded driver's license and found that the main hurdle is the time requirement. You must wait a full five years after the downgrade, and during this period, you cannot have any cycle where you accumulate 12 penalty points. Then, you need to enroll in a driving school for additional training and retake the tests from Subject 1 to Subject 3. It's especially important to note that the new regulations require participation in simulated driving training for reinstatement, with more hours required than in previous years. If you accumulate 12 points at any point during the reinstatement process, the five-year period resets. It's best to set up a reminder on your phone for license review to avoid missing it, as a missed review could lead to downgrade, and reinstatement is a very time-consuming process.
