【26 What You Need to Know】Real‧Nanjing: Procedures for License Renewal

2022-09-15

In Hong Kong, every car owner has to face a trouble every year, that is, to renew the license. When can the license be renewed, whether it is necessary to renew the license at the Transport Department in person, whether it can be done online, and which insurance and license fee should be renewed first, these are all frequently asked questions. When many novices buy a car for the first time, there will be an agent or the owner of the first-hand car to help them get the license plate, but when they have to renew the license plate in person after a year, problems will gradually surface. This time, we will dismantle these "True Years" problems for you, help you renew your license smoothly, and continue to gallop on the road with your car!

Why do you want to renew your license?

The law stipulates that all vehicles driving on the road must be registered and licensed, and the validity period of a car license is generally one year or four months, and must be renewed upon expiration before continuing to drive on the road. After the vehicle has a license plate, in addition to the internal records of the government, the owner will also be issued a license plate with information such as the expiration date of the license plate and vehicle information. The owner needs to display the license plate on the vehicle for identification.

When can I renew my license?

Within four months before the expiry date of the vehicle license, the vehicle owner can apply to the Transport Department for license renewal. After renewal, the validity date of the new license will be extended for one year from the expiry date of the original license. As for the renewal of the license after it has expired, the new license will be valid for one year from the date of issue, and the owner of the vehicle must also sign a statement confirming that the vehicle has not been driving on the road during the license expiration period when applying for license renewal. According to the number of expiration days, an additional fee of 0.33% of the annual license fee (calculated based on the current annual license fee of $1314, or about $4.3 per day) will be paid every day.

Generally speaking, vehicle inspection is not required for motorcycle license renewal, but if the license has expired for more than two years, vehicle inspection is required when re-applying for a vehicle license.

How to apply for license renewal?

The most direct way is of course to go to the office of the Transport Department in person. Vehicle owners can make an appointment in advance through the government’s online booking system. The waiting time is generally shorter than on-site waiting. If the documents are complete, the new vehicle will be issued on the same day. certificate.

Car owners can also choose to apply for license renewal online, submit the required documents and pay the license fee in the "GovHK" system, but they must hold a "Smart Convenience" account with the digital signature function enabled, or hold a digital certificate. After completing the procedures, the driving license will be mailed to your home within 10 working days. As it takes time to process the application and mail it, we recommend that knights who intend to renew their license online apply at least one month in advance to avoid the embarrassing situation that the license has expired but the new driving license has not yet been received.

If you don’t have the time to do it in person and can’t do it online, there are many companies that can do it for you, but the fees and time required vary. Knights can shop around before making a decision.

What documents are required for license renewal?

When renewing the license, you need to fill in a form numbered TD558 from the Transport Department to provide the owner and vehicle information. In addition, the car owner must also have a valid insurance policy or temporary insurance policy, as well as the vehicle registration document (ie license book), as well as the owner's identity document and address proof issued within three months. Of course, you must also prepare enough renewal fees, which is $1314 per year.

What should I do if the insurance and the license fee are not due at the same time? As long as the policy is still valid on the effective date of the new license, it is eligible for renewal. However, the law stipulates that a rider must have a valid third-party insurance to drive on the road. Therefore, even if the license has not expired, if the insurance expires, the insurance must be renewed in order to continue driving. In addition, after purchasing the insurance, the agent will first issue a temporary insurance policy commonly known as a cover note, and the official policy will not be issued until a certain period of time after the insurance takes effect. The validity period of the temporary insurance policy is generally only one month, so the car owner should remember to get back the official insurance policy, otherwise the old temporary insurance policy cannot be renewed.

How to display the driving license?

Finally, I would like to discuss with you a question that has been debated for many years-where should the license plate be placed on the vehicle? At present, there are three main ways for riders to display their license plates: rolled up on the left front fork, photographed at the bottom left of the license plate, or attached to the windshield on the front of the car. Paragraph 1(c) of Regulation 25 of the Road Traffic (Registration and Licensing of Vehicles) Regulations, Chapter 374E of the Law reads: "In the case of a motorcycle, it shall be displayed in such a manner that it can be clearly seen from the left hand side of the vehicle . In a conspicuous place on the left hand side of the car." As for whether it is the front or the rear of the car, it is not specified.

In 2018, the police took a video ( fragment portal) on social media to explain how to display motorcycle licenses. In the film, the license is pasted in the middle of the left side of the vehicle. I believe this is the most standard display method in the eyes of the police. However, considering the vehicle model and the possibility of the license plate being blown away during driving, it is estimated that most riders may not place the license plate in this way.

In fact, as long as the driving license can be clearly displayed, I believe it can be placed in the front or the rear. However, riders who roll up their license plate should be careful. If they fail to read the content on the license plate, especially the QR code in the lower right corner, they may be charged with “failure to show the license plate” and pay a fixed penalty of $320 .

In addition, I would like to remind novice riders that the driving license issued by the government itself is just a paper document. It is recommended to glue it before displaying it on the car to avoid damage to the driving license due to sun and rain.