People with car driver's licenses that have expired for 1 year or more from the expiration date will have to retake the theory test, practical driving test in the picture and practical driving test on the road to be re-issued a driver's license.
The above regulations are further stated in Circular No. 108/2026/TT-BCA dated June 29, 2026 of the Minister of Public Security regulating testing and issuing driver's licenses; issuing and using international driver's licenses.
This Circular replaces Circular No. 12/2025/TT-BCA and takes effect from July 1, 2026.
According to Circular No. 108/2026/TT-BCA, the issuance of driver's licenses for people with car driver's licenses of all classes that have expired; people who have lost their car driver's licenses and those driver's licenses that have expired, including people with military driver's licenses issued by the Ministry of National Defense, people with driver's licenses in the People's Police when they are no longer performing national defense and security duties, is carried out according to the following regulations:
People with driver's licenses in the above cases must have their names in the driver's license information system at the Traffic Police Department or the list of driver's licenses issued (management book).
In case the military driving license issued by the Ministry of National Defense is lost, there must be confirmation from the agency that issued it before the test.
For cases where the driver's license is overdue for less than 30 days from the expiration date to the time of submitting a valid dossier, the driver's license holder does not have to retake the theory test.
In case the driver's license is overdue from 30 days to less than 1 year from the date of expiration to the time of submitting a valid dossier, the theoretical part must be re-examined.
In case the driver's license has expired for 1 year or more from the expiration date, it is necessary to conduct theoretical and practical driving tests in the field and on the road to reissue the driver's license.
Compared to Circular No. 12/2025/TT-BCA, the regulations on re-examination and re-issuance of driver's licenses have changed.
According to Circular No. 12/2025/TT-BCA, only in cases where the driver's license is overdue for less than 1 month from the expiration date and the driver's license holder cannot carry out the procedure to renew the driver's license due to illness, natural disaster, fire, epidemic, they are not required to take a theory test to be issued a driver's license.
Meanwhile, Circular No. 108/2026/TT-BCA stipulates that people with car driving licenses of all classes that have expired for less than 30 days from the expiration date to the time of submitting valid dossiers are not required to retake the theory test.
