From March 1 next year, drivers whose licenses are suspended or revoked would have to apply for a new license that is valid for six months to two years, depending on the severity of their traffic offense, the Highway Bureau said on Friday.
Since July 1, 2013, driver’s licenses have been valid until after the driver turns 75, as long as their license is not revoked. Drivers whose licenses are suspended can have them back once the suspension is over and need not apply for a new one.
The only exceptions are drivers who do not have household registration in Taiwan and people with controllable epilepsy, who need to renew their license every six and two years respectively. Drivers who are banned from having a driver’s license for life can receive a one-year license if a series of conditions are met.
Photo: Taipei Times
To better manage drivers who repeatedly contravene traffic regulations, the bureau announced that it would soon reintroduce the limited-term driver’s license policy by proposing amendments to the Road and Traffic Safety Rules (道路交通安全規則), Road and Traffic Safety Lecture Regulations (道路交通安全講習辦法) and the Chart for Standard Rates for Fines Regarding Traffic Violations (違反道路交通管理事件統一裁罰基準表).
Aside from receiving a limited-term driver’s license, drivers would be required to take a three-hour defensive driving course and pay all unpaid fines, the bureau said.
From 2018 to last year, 311,808 drivers had their licenses suspended and 82,084 had their licenses revoked, bureau data showed.
Proposed amendments say that drivers whose licenses are suspended for less than a year can apply for a new license that is valid for six years once the suspension expires, Department of Public Transportation and Supervision Director-General Lin Fu-shan (林福山) said.
Drivers whose licenses are suspended for more than a year could apply for a new license that is valid for three years, while those whose licenses were revoked would have to retake the test before applying for a license that is valid for two years, Lin said.
“Drivers holding limited-term licenses would be given licenses allowing them to drive six months to two years if their licenses were suspended or revoked while their licenses were valid. However, if their licenses were neither revoked nor suspended during this period, they can apply for a license that is valid until they turn 75,” he said.
If they do not change to a new license after their limited-term license expires, they would be fined NT$1,800 to NT$3,600 for contravening the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例) and be banned from driving, Lin said.
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