What to Do If the Driver's License Renewal Period Has Passed?
2 Answers
Driver's license can be renewed if it has been expired for half a year. The time regulations for driver's license renewal are as follows: If the expiration period is less than one year, the license can be renewed normally; if it has been expired for more than one year but less than three years, the license will be canceled, but it can be renewed by passing the subject one test; if it has been expired for more than three years, the license will be invalid and cannot be renewed. Renewal and inspection must meet the following conditions: Holders of large passenger vehicle, tractor, city bus, medium passenger vehicle, or large truck driver's licenses have no demerit points in the current scoring cycle, or holders of other types of driver's licenses have less than 12 demerit points in the current scoring cycle; Holders of large passenger vehicle, tractor, city bus, medium passenger vehicle, or large truck driver's licenses who have demerit points in a scoring cycle, and holders of other types of driver's licenses who have been involved in a traffic accident resulting in death and bear equal or greater responsibility but have not had their driver's licenses revoked, have participated in the inspection education; The applicant has no pending road traffic safety violations or traffic accidents; The applicant's physical condition meets the driving license requirements; The motor vehicle driver's license is not under circumstances of being seized, detained, temporarily suspended, revoked, canceled, or annulled by law.
I've also encountered the situation of an expired driver's license before. As a veteran driver with over ten years of experience, I must say this is not something to be taken lightly. Once your license expires, don't drive immediately—if caught by traffic police, you'll face fines, points deducted, and may even be required to retake traffic regulations, which is a real hassle. The solution is to go directly to the DMV, bringing your ID card, old driver's license, recent photos, and a medical report (if the DMV doesn't have a partnered clinic, go to an external hospital for the check-up), fill out a renewal application form, and pay a small fee of around 100 yuan. If the expiration is short, like within a week, it's usually straightforward. But if it's over three months, you might need to retake the written test (Subject One), so the sooner, the better. I recommend setting an app reminder on your phone, like the 12123 app, to regularly check the validity period and avoid forgetting.
