What to Do If Your Driver's License Has Been Expired for Over a Year?

[DeChase]

It will be revoked. If your driver's license is expired, traffic police will impose a fine but no points will be deducted. There is a deadline for renewing a driver's license. If it has been expired for less than a year, you can renew it through the normal process. If it has been expired for one to three years, the license will be revoked, but you can regain it by passing the subject one test. If it has been expired for more than three years, the license will be revoked. Article 57 of the "Traffic Regulations and Point Deduction Rules": Motor vehicle drivers shall apply for renewal of their motor vehicle driving license within 90 days before the expiration date at the vehicle management office of the issuing authority or elsewhere. Remedial measures for a driver's license that has been expired for over a year: Stop driving on the road: Avoid being penalized for driving without a license. Prepare for Subject One: Before preparing, report to the vehicle management office, explain the situation to the staff, and then schedule the Subject One test. Handle traffic violations: Complete this at the vehicle management office or traffic police station. Get a nearby medical check-up: Mainly includes color blindness identification, limb integrity, and corrected vision. You can choose the vehicle management office's medical examination hall, manual examination room, community hospital (with medical examination qualifications), or convenient medical examination service station. The results will be uploaded to the traffic management system. When applying, you should fill out the application form and submit the following documents: the motor vehicle driver's identity proof, motor vehicle driving license, and a medical condition certificate issued by a county-level or higher medical institution or a military medical institution at the regiment level or above. For applying for a special small automatic transmission passenger car for the disabled, you should submit a medical condition certificate issued by a specialized medical institution designated by the provincial health authority. Materials required for renewing a driver's license: original and photocopy of ID card, qualified medical examination form from a designated hospital by the vehicle management office, three one-inch white background color photos, completed driver's license renewal application form, and processing fee. Photos and medical examination certificates for renewal can be brought by yourself. If you are worried about them not meeting the requirements, you can directly handle them at the traffic police station's certification hall to avoid delays. Relevant matters for renewing a driver's license upon expiration: About renewal: For annual review and renewal of an expired driver's license, the old license must be surrendered to the vehicle management office. Before renewal, all related traffic violations must be resolved; otherwise, the application will not be accepted. Renewal of a motor vehicle driving license can be done through the mobile app Traffic Management 12123, or through the vehicle management office, traffic management department, or public security authorities, effectively renewing the motor vehicle driving license.

[VonGiselle]

My driver's license had been expired for over a year, and I was really worried at the time, thinking I'd have to start from scratch with driving lessons and tests. But it turned out to be less troublesome than expected—just follow the procedures at the local DMV. First, bring your ID card and old license to inquire and confirm whether the expiration period requires retaking the theory test (usually, if expired for over a year, you'll need to take Subject One). Then, schedule a medical check-up, mainly for a vision test and health certificate, which is simple and free. After passing the medical exam, the DMV will arrange the theory test. A few days of practice questions should suffice, and once passed, you can directly get a new license. The whole process takes about one or two weeks, but don’t drive during this period—driving without a license is dangerous. A fine of a few hundred bucks is the least concern; you could face detention or even impact your credit. I recommend finding a free day to get it done early to avoid complications affecting your travel plans.