When is it required to verify a driver license in Vietnam? When is a driver license in Vietnam restored with 12 points?
When is it required to verify a driver license in Vietnam?
Based on Article 33 of Circular 35/2024/TT-BGTVT regulating verification of a driver license:
Article 33. Verification of a driver license
- Cases for verification
a) Issuance or renewal of a driver license issued by the Department of Transportation
The Department of Transportation must search and print information about the driver license in cases of examination for promotion, renewal, re-issuance from the driver license management information system; if there is no information, a written request must be sent to the agency that issued the driver license for verification of the issued driver license.
When verification results of a driver license are not available or the verification results show the driver license was not issued by the Department of Transportation, renewal, re-issuance of the driver license will not be conducted by the Department of Transportation;
b) Exchange of military driver license issued by the Ministry of Defense to a driver license issued by the Department of Transportation
In case of suspicious circumstances, the agency exchanging the driver license will issue a written request to the Department of Vehicles - Machinery under the Ministry of Defense for verification of the issued driver license.
When verification results of a driver license are not available or the verification results show the driver license was not issued by the Ministry of Defense, the Department of Transportation will not exchange the driver license;
[...]
Thus, the driver license is verified in the following cases:
- Issuance or renewal of a driver license issued by the Department of Transportation
- Exchange of a military driver license issued by the Ministry of Defense to a driver license issued by the Department of Transportation
- Exchange of a driver license issued by the Ministry of Public Security to a driver license issued by the Department of Transportation
When is it required to verify a driver license in Vietnam? When is a driver license in Vietnam restored with 12 points? (Image from the Internet)
When will a driver license be restored to full 12 points?
Based on Article 58 of Road Traffic Safety and Order Law 2024 regulating points of a driver license:
Article 58. Points of a driver license
Points of a driver license are used to manage the compliance with road traffic safety and order laws by drivers on the road traffic safety and order database system, totaling 12 points. The number of points deducted for each violation depends on the nature and severity of the violation of road traffic safety and order laws. Data on points deducted from the violator's driver license will be updated to the database system immediately after the enforcement of the penalty decision and notified to the license holder.
A driver license not fully deducted in points and without point deduction within 12 months from the last point deduction will be restored to full 12 points.
If a driver license is fully deducted in points, the license holder is not allowed to operate a vehicle according to that driver license. After a minimum period of 06 months from the date of full point deduction, the license holder may participate in a knowledge assessment of road traffic safety and order as regulated in Clause 7, Article 61 of this Law organized by Traffic Police, achieving satisfactory results to restore the full 12 points.
[...]
According to the above regulations, a driver license will be restored to full 12 points when it hasn't been fully deducted in points and hasn't been deducted within 12 months from the last point deduction.
Which driver licenses are valid for 5 years in Vietnam?
Based on Clause 5, Article 57 of Road Traffic Safety and Order Law 2024 regulating driver licenses:
Article 57. Driver license
[...]
- The validity period of a driver license is regulated as follows:
a) Licenses of Class A1, A, B1 are unlimited in term;
b) Licenses of Class B and Class C1 are valid for 10 years from the issuance date;
c) Licenses of Classes C, D1, D2, D, BE, C1E, CE, D1E, D2E, and DE are valid for 05 years from the issuance date.
[...]
Thus, the driver license valid for 05 years from the issuance date includes:
[1] Class C issued for drivers of trucks and special-use cars with a total design weight above 7,500 kg; all types of trucks regulated for Class C license towing trailers with a total design weight up to 750 kg; vehicles regulated for Licenses of Class B and C1
[2] Class D1 issued for drivers carrying passengers in vehicles with more than 08 seats (excluding the driver's seat) to 16 seats (excluding the driver's seat); all vehicles regulated for Class D1 licenses towing trailers with a total design weight up to 750 kg; vehicles regulated for Licenses of Class B, C1, C
[3] Class D2 issued for drivers carrying passengers (including buses) with more than 16 seats (excluding the driver's seat) to 29 seats (excluding the driver's seat); all vehicles regulated for Class D2 licenses towing trailers with a total design weight up to 750 kg; vehicles regulated for Licenses of Class B, C1, C, D1
[4] Class D issued for drivers of passenger vehicles (including buses) with more than 29 seats (excluding the driver's seat); sleeper passenger vehicles; all vehicles regulated for Class D licenses towing trailers with a total design weight up to 750 kg; vehicles regulated for Licenses of Class B, C1, C, D1, D2
[5] Class BE issued for drivers of vehicles regulated for Class B licenses towing trailers with a total design weight over 750 kg
[6] Class C1E issued for drivers of vehicles regulated for Class C1 licenses towing trailers with a total design weight over 750 kg
[7] Class CE issued for drivers of vehicles regulated for Class C licenses towing trailers with a total design weight over 750 kg; tractor-trailers pulling semi-trailers
[8] Class D1E issued for drivers of vehicles regulated for Class D1 licenses towing trailers with a total design weight over 750 kg
[9] Class D2E issued for drivers of vehicles regulated for Class D2 licenses towing trailers with a total design weight over 750 kg
[10] Class DE issued for drivers of vehicles regulated for Class D licenses towing trailers with a total design weight over 750 kg; train passenger cars
