How to renew a full driving licence?
Transport DepartmentContents
A full driving licence holder should renew his/her licence within 4 months before the expiry date of the current licence, or within 3 years after the licence has been expired. Should a driving licence holder fail to renew his/her full driving licence within 3 years after the expiry date, he/she will need to take driving test again and to complete the probationary driving period before obtaining a full driving licence for private car, light goods vehicle, motor cycle or motor tricycle. Furthermore, the licence holder will only be eligible for applying for commercial driving licence 2 years after obtaining his/her full driving licence of private car or light goods vehicle.
If you have court fines to pay, you must settle the outstanding court fines before renewing your driving licence. Please click here, if you need to pay court fines, or have settled the court fines by cheque within the last 7 working days.
Application Procedures
Means of Submission
- Online application: an 'iAM Smart+' account with digital signing function or a valid personal digital certificate is required for online application. Alternatively, licence holders can also use the 8-digit Renewal Password printed on the TD578 (Transport Department (TD) will mail this form to licence holders 2 to 3 months before expiry) or TD601 (TD will mail this reminder to licence holders whose licences about about to expire for 3 years shortly and yet to be renewed), together with the number of their identity document registered with TD, to authenticate their identity. If you have not received the renewal password or have lost it, you may obtain a new password by submitting an application to TD.
- By post to P.O. Box 68115, Kowloon East Post Office, Kowloon (You are advised to send by registered mail to avoid loss of documents);
- by drop-in box at any Licensing Office or designated post offices in 18 districts (no stamp is required); or
- in person at any Licensing Office. An appointment booking service is available through the Internet or by phone (Tel: 3763 8080 ) and . The appointment can be made 10 weeks in advance. After making the appoinment successfully, the applicants shall visit the Licensing Office concerned at the scheduled time. If the application is submitted by an agent, the agent shall produce his/her own original identity document for record purposes.
(Remark: For driving licensing services processing over the counter, if no prior appointment has been made online or by phone, applicants are required to obtain a same-day queue ticket on-site before using the counter services. Same-day queue tickets are distributed at 9am in the morning and 2pm in the afternoon on each working day.)
[Note: If a driving licence holder is a non-permanent Hong Kong resident and is approved to drive commercial vehicle (i.e. vehicles other than private car/light goods vehicle/motor cycle/motor tricycle) , he/she must submit the application in person or by agent to the licensing office];
Verification of E-contact Means (ECM) (applicable to applications submitted on or after 18 November 2024)
- If applicants submit application through online service, the ECM will be verified in the application process instantly.
- For submission of applications in paper form, applicants are required to verify a mobile phone number or email address as the ECM on the designated online platform within three months prior to application submission.
- Please click here for details.
Form
- Application for new issue, renewal and addition full driving licence & driving instructor's licence - TD557 (you may also fill in this form online and print a filled version for submission)
- Applicants aged 70 or above should also submit Medical Examination Certificate (for applicants aged 70 or above) - TD256. The form should be completed by a registered medical practitioner within the last 4 months before the submission of renewal application.
Supporting Documents
- Document of identity:
HK Identity Card/Passport. If a driving licence holder being a non-permanent Hong Kong resident is approved to drive commercial vehicle, he/she must produce his/her Passport (Original and Copy) to show that the applicant is not subject to any condition of stay as defined by the Immigration Department; and - address proof
Payment Method
- Cash;
- FPS;
- EPS; or
- Crossed cheque payable to “The Government of the HKSAR”.
For application by post / drop-in box, the payment of fee should be settled by crossed cheque.
Processing Time
Depending on submission method:
- In person to Licensing Office: To be issued on the same day
- Others: To be sent to applicants by registered mail within 10 working days from the date of receipt of application.