What happens if a driver's license expires for more than 90 days?
2 Answers
If a driver's license expires for more than 90 days, certain penalties will be imposed, such as demerit points and fines. If the expiration period is within 90 days, according to national regulations, the license holder can still apply for an annual review and renewal of a new driver's license by submitting the required documents to the traffic police vehicle management authority that issued the original license, thereby restoring the normal use status of the driver's license. The following documents are required for renewing a driver's license: 1. The original and a copy of the applicant's ID card; 2. The original driver's license of the applicant; 3. A medical certificate issued by a county-level or higher medical institution or a military medical institution at the regimental level or above, proving the applicant's physical condition. For applicants applying for a special small automatic passenger vehicle for the disabled, a medical certificate issued by a specialized medical institution designated by the provincial health authority must be submitted.
I remember a few years ago, my driver's license expired for over 90 days, and I completely forgot to renew it. As a result, I was pulled over by traffic police while driving, fined 200 yuan on the spot, and had my license confiscated. When I went to the traffic police station to handle it, they told me that such a long expiration period meant it was invalid, and I had to retake the written test (Subject 1) and a vision test. The whole process took three to four days, delayed my work, and even got me scolded by my boss. Since then, I've set a phone alarm to remind me of the expiration date. It was a profound lesson—normally, it doesn’t seem like a big deal, but once something happens, the fines, retesting, and even the impact on insurance make it totally not worth it. I suggest everyone check their license expiration dates and avoid procrastinating like I did.
