Re-issuance of driving license in Da Nang

Drivers need a driving license when participating in traffic. If the driving license is lost, how to apply for a replacement is a matter of concern for many people. This article will provide detailed instructions on the procedure for replacing a driving license. The validity period of a driving license is regulated in article 17 of circular no. 12/2017 of the ministry of transportation as follows:

- driving licenses of class a1, a2, a3 have no expiration date;

- driving license of class b1 has an expiration date until the driver reaches 55 years old (for females) and 60 years old (for males). In case the driver is above 45 years old (for females) and above 50 years old (for males), the driving license will be issued for a period of 10 years, starting from the date of issue.

- driving licenses of class a4, b2 have an expiration date of 10 years, starting from the date of issue.

- driving licenses of class c, d, e, fb2, fc, fd, fe have an expiration date of 05 years, starting from the date of issue.

Step 1: prepare the application for replacement of lost driving license.

If the driving license is still valid or has expired within 3 months, according to Article 36, Clause 2 of Document No. 12/2017/TT-BGTVT, the person who lost the driving license needs to prepare a set of documents requesting a replacement driving license as follows:

- Application form for replacement of driving license according to the prescribed form;

- Original documents corresponding to the driving license (if any);

- Health certificate of the driver issued by a qualified medical facility according to regulations, except for the case of issuing an indefinite driving license of class A1, A2, A3;

- Copy of ID card, copy of ID card, valid passport with ID card number (for Vietnamese citizens) or valid passport (for foreigners with Vietnamese names, residing abroad). After 2 months from the date of submitting the complete documents, if the driving license is not held by the competent authority for temporary retention, photo taken, and fees paid according to regulations, the driving license will be reissued to the person whose name is in the record of the examination management agency.

If your license has been expired for more than 3 months
In case the person with a driving license has lost or expired for more than 03 months, their name is in the record of the examination management agency but has not been temporarily retained by the competent authority, then after 02 months from the date of issuing the driving license, the following regulations must be reviewed: submit a complete and valid dossier:
- If the license is still valid for 03 months to less than 01 year, the person must retake the theory test;
- If the license has been expired for 01 year or more, the person must retake both the theory and practical tests.

The driver should prepare a set of documents for retesting including:
- Copy of ID card or Citizen Identification Card or valid passport with ID card number or Citizen Identification Card (for Vietnamese citizens); valid passport (for Vietnamese nationals residing abroad, foreigners);
- Health certificate of the driver issued by a qualified medical facility;
- Application form for changing (reissuing) the driving license according to the prescribed form, date of receiving the application;
- Lost original driving license (if any).
Clause 6 of Article 36 of Circular No. 12/2017/TT-BGTVT stipulates that the driving license must be issued within a maximum of 10 working days from the date the person completes the examination.

Step 2: Submitting the application

Submit the application for reissuing the lost driving license at the receiving and document-returning department of the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam or the Department of Transport. The driver should have their photo taken directly and present the original copies of the aforementioned documents for verification.

Step 3: Pay the fee for reissuing the driving license

Circular 188/2016/TT-BTC specifies the fees for reissuing a lost driving license as follows:

- Fee for reissuing the driving license: 135,000 VND/time.

- Examination fees:

+ For motorcycle driving test (categories A1, A2, A3, A4): Theory test: 40,000 VND/time; Practical test: 50,000 VND/time.

+ For car driving test (categories B1, B2, C, D, E, F): Theory test: 90,000 VND/time; Practical test in a closed area: 300,000 VND/time; Practical test on public roads: 60,000 VND/time.

Step 4: Receive the reissued driving license

According to the appointment date on the notice, the person completing the procedure should go to the receiving and document-returning department of the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam or the Department of Transport to receive the reissued driving license.

Therefore, it is mandatory for all drivers to go through the procedure for reissuing a lost driving license. According to point a, clause 5 and point b, clause 7 of Article 21 of Government Decree 100 dated 2019, the fine for driving motorcycles, cars, tractors, and similar vehicles without a driving license ranges from 800,000 VND to 4 million VND.