Will an A2 driver's license be downgraded after accumulating 12 points?
2 Answers
An A2 license will not be downgraded after receiving 12 penalty points. According to the new regulations implemented on April 1, 2022, A2 license holders who accumulate 12 points within a scoring cycle will no longer face downgrading. Instead, they need to participate in subject one study and examination to clear the violation points and retrieve their license. The A2 license allows driving articulated vehicles, which can tow heavy and medium full trailers/semi-trailers. There are two types of trailers: full trailers and semi-trailers. A full trailer bears its total weight independently, while a semi-trailer shares part of its weight with the towing vehicle. Only drivers with an A2 license can operate such articulated vehicles; even those with an A1 license cannot drive them. To downgrade an A2 license, visit the local vehicle management office with your ID card and driver's license. The A2 license will be downgraded to B1 or B2. The A2 license corresponds to articulated vehicles, the B1 license to medium-sized buses, and the B2 license to large trucks. Other vehicle types that an A2 license holder can drive include: B1 (medium-sized buses), B2 (large trucks), C1 (small cars), C2 (small automatic transmission cars), C3 (low-speed trucks), C4 (three-wheeled cars), and M (wheeled self-propelled machinery). Article 68 of the new traffic regulations stipulates: If a driver holding a license for large buses, articulated vehicles, city buses, medium-sized buses, or large trucks meets any of the following conditions, the vehicle management office shall revoke their highest-level driving qualification and notify the driver to complete the downgrade and license replacement within 30 days: Being involved in a traffic accident resulting in death and bearing equal or greater responsibility, without constituting a crime. Accumulating 12 points within a scoring cycle. Failing to participate in the inspection for three consecutive scoring cycles. The driver's license, officially called the motor vehicle driver's license, is the document required by law for individuals to drive motor vehicles. Driving a motor vehicle requires certain skills. Those lacking these skills may cause accidents if they drive recklessly. Generally, unlicensed individuals are not allowed to drive on roads. For those who have mastered safe driving techniques, the document permitting them to drive is the "driver's license." The permission to drive is granted through the issuance of a driver's license, indicating that obtaining a license is a formal process requiring specialized authorities. Internationally, a driver's license is defined as "a document issued by competent authorities permitting the holder to drive a motor vehicle." In China, the driver's license is defined as: a legal certificate issued by administrative authorities to individuals who have learned and mastered traffic regulations and driving skills through training and passed the required examinations, permitting them to drive specific types of motor vehicles.
I've been driving heavy trucks for over 20 years, and many of my long-haul buddies have fallen victim to the 12-point penalty. Once an A2 driver's license accumulates 12 penalty points, it's guaranteed to be downgraded - that's clearly written in traffic regulations. It usually gets downgraded to a B1B2 license, making it much harder to drive articulated trucks in the future. Old Zhang from our team lost 12 points for overloading last year and was immediately out of work after the downgrade. This job is tough enough as it is - I strongly advise against risking speeding or overloading. Otherwise, you'll have to wait several years with a clean record before you can retake the upgrade test.
