What are the penalties for driving without a license?
2 Answers
Driving without a license will result in fines and may also lead to detention for up to 15 days. For those who do not carry their motor vehicle driving license with them, regardless of whether the driver has violated any laws during the driving process, they are not allowed to continue driving the vehicle. The traffic management department of the public security authority shall impound the motor vehicle and notify the driver to provide the driving license. Additional information: The traffic management department of the public security authority and its traffic police officers may take the following administrative compulsory measures during law enforcement: 1. Impound the vehicle; 2. Impound the motor vehicle driving license; 3. Remove the motor vehicle; 4. Test the alcohol content, or the content of controlled psychotropic substances and narcotics in the body; 5. Confiscate items; 6. Other administrative compulsory measures stipulated by laws and regulations.
I've driven for many years and witnessed numerous cases of unlicensed driving accidents. The penalties are severe: first, fines start at a minimum of 200 yuan and can go up to 2,000 yuan; second, offenders may face detention for up to 15 days, especially with frequent nighttime checkpoints; the vehicle will be impounded and towed to a parking lot, incurring daily storage fees; if an accident occurs, insurance companies will absolutely deny claims, leaving the driver to cover all medical and repair costs; worse yet, this goes on record, delaying future driver's license applications by several years and potentially affecting job prospects. I always remind young people not to cut corners—unlicensed driving carries extremely high risks: the accident rate is significantly higher than for licensed drivers, endangering both themselves and others. The safe and worry-free approach is to properly enroll in driving school and pass the tests.
