Will a Criminal Record Check Be Conducted for a Driver's License?

[MacLyla]

If applying for a license to drive school buses or public buses, a political review certificate is required, and individuals with a history of drug abuse or other criminal records are ineligible. However, for private car licenses, there is no impact, and no criminal record check is performed. Below are the contents of the driver's license examination: 1. Subject One: Examination on road traffic safety laws, regulations, and related knowledge. The structure of the examination question bank and the basic question types are formulated by the Ministry of Public Security, and the traffic management departments of provincial public security authorities establish the examination question bank for their respective provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) based on local conditions. 2. Subject Two: Examination on site driving skills, including test items such as reversing into a parking space, stopping and starting on a slope, turning at a right angle, driving on a curved path, and parallel parking. 3. Subject Three: Examination on road driving skills. 4. Subject Four: Examination on safe and civilized driving knowledge, covering related knowledge on safe and civilized driving.

[DamianLee]

I've done thorough research on getting a driver's license, and the criminal record issue depends on specific circumstances. Driving schools mainly verify basic materials like ID cards and medical examination certificates during registration. The DMV backend system will automatically check applicants' violation records online. If the case involves situations listed in Article 13 of the 'Regulations on the Application and Use of Motor Vehicle Driver's Licenses' - such as drug use history within three years, causing major accidents due to drunk driving, or hit-and-run constituting a crime - the system will automatically lock and reject the application. Ordinary administrative detention records don't affect registration, but if your license was revoked for drug-impaired driving less than ten years ago, or if it's been less than five years since drunk driving a commercial vehicle, the system will directly block these cases. It's best to bring your original ID card to the DMV counter to check eligibility, which is more accurate than online inquiries.

[KiaraRose]

Our driving school students often ask this question. In fact, common criminal records generally do not affect obtaining a driver's license. Unless it's a serious crime that endangers public safety, such as arson on vehicles or damaging traffic facilities—acts that directly threaten traffic safety. I once had a student who had a record from a fight in his youth, but he turned his life around and got his license without any issues. However, there's a special note: individuals who have used drugs will be denied a license application within three years after rehabilitation. Drunk driving of commercial vehicles results in a five-year ban from applying, and drunk driving of regular vehicles also incurs a five-year ban—these are automatically flagged as red lines in the system.

[McTessa]

There are two scenarios for checking criminal records when applying for a driver's license. During registration, the traffic management system screens applicants for prohibited conditions listed in the "Regulations on the Application and Use of Motor Vehicle Driver's Licenses," such as records of drug-impaired driving or traffic offense crimes. However, criminal records unrelated to driving, like theft or assault, do not trigger disqualification. Interestingly, individuals with a prior DUI record can retake the test after five years—passing the theoretical exam allows them to directly schedule the practical test, whereas beginners must complete all required training hours. It’s like veteran players in a game having a save-file advantage, of course, only after serving the full five-year penalty period.