What to Do If Your Driver's License Has Been Expired for One Year?
2 Answers
If the validity period of your driver's license has expired for more than one year but less than two years, the license will be revoked and locked. You need to go to the vehicle management office to retake the subject one exam. After passing the exam, the revoked status of the license will be unlocked, and you can proceed to replace it with a new one normally. If you fail the subject one exam, you can continue to register for the exam until you pass it before applying for a replacement. Below are the relevant details: 1. Validity period of a driver's license: (1) If the license has expired for less than one year, you can follow the normal replacement process, but note that you cannot drive a motor vehicle after the license expires; (2) If the license has expired for more than one year but less than three years, you need to go to the vehicle management office to retake the subject one exam, and only after passing the exam can you apply for a replacement; (3) If the license has expired for more than three years, it will be invalidated and cannot be restored. You will need to retake the driver's license exam from scratch. 2. Process for replacing a driver's license: You can apply to the vehicle management office up to 90 days before the expiration of the license. Prepare the required materials and follow the replacement process at the vehicle management office to obtain a new driver's license.
My driver's license expired two years ago, and I only recently realized how serious the situation was. I panicked and immediately went online to check and visited the vehicle management office. They told me that if it's been expired for more than a year but less than three years, I only needed to retake the theoretical exam (Subject 1). I went for a medical checkup and photo session, registered for Subject 1, spent two weeks reviewing the question bank, and passed the exam smoothly. Now my license is back to normal. I advise everyone not to follow my example—always check your license expiration date before driving. Driving with an expired license is considered unlicensed driving. Getting caught could result in fines and demerit points, which are the least of your worries. If an accident occurs, insurance won't cover anything, causing a lot of trouble. Safety first—remind yourself to handle license renewal early.
