Hong Kong Driver’s Licence: Tests, Probation, and Renewal

To get a Hong Kong driver’s licence, you apply for a learner’s licence, pass a three-part driving test, then serve a 12-month probationary period before applying for a full licence. If you already hold a full licence from a recognized overseas country, you may be able to skip the tests entirely under the Transport Department’s direct issue scheme.¹

Who Can Apply

You must be at least 18 to apply for a licence to drive a private car, light goods vehicle, motorcycle, or motor tricycle. Heavier classes — medium and heavy goods vehicles, buses, and articulated vehicles — require you to be 21 or older.² Identity and residency are proven with a Hong Kong Identity Card or a valid travel document with the appropriate visa.

Every applicant must meet the physical fitness standards in the Road Traffic (Driving Licences) Regulations (Cap. 374B). Applicants aged 70 or above must submit Form TD256, a medical examination certificate completed by a registered medical practitioner and dated within four months of the application.²

Learner’s Licence

You need a learner’s licence before you can book a driving test. For a private car, light goods vehicle, motorcycle, or motor tricycle, submit Form TD555. Commercial vehicle applicants use Form TD556.³ Applications can be filed online through iAM Smart with digital signing, by post, or in person at any licensing office.

You’ll need proof of your current address dated within the last three months. Utility bills, bank statements, and fixed telephone bills are all accepted.⁴ Processing takes 10 working days, and the licence is sent to your registered address by registered mail.³

The Three-Part Driving Test

The test has three parts, and you must pass all of them. Part A is a written test on the Road Users’ Code; a passing score is at least 16 out of 20. Part B is an off-road skills test covering slopes, parking, and a U-turn on a narrow road. Part C is a road test that assesses your driving in real traffic.

The fee is HK$510. Appointments are booked through the Transport Department’s online system with iAM Smart or a personal digital certificate. If you fail, you can register for a repeater early test slot, allocated by computer ballot. Postponing or cancelling requires at least seven clear days’ notice.⁵

The Probationary Year

Passing the test doesn’t get you a full licence yet. You get a probationary licence, and you hold it for 12 months under restrictions that catch new drivers out. You must display P-plates on the front and back of your vehicle. Your speed is capped at 70 km/h even on roads with higher posted limits. On motorways with three or more lanes, you cannot use the rightmost lane except when exiting on that side. Motorcycle probationary licence holders cannot carry passengers.

A conviction for a minor traffic offence during this period adds six months to the probation. A serious traffic offence conviction cancels the licence, and you would have to start the whole testing process over.

Applying for a Full Licence

Once you finish the probationary period without a disqualifying conviction, apply for a full licence on Form TD82. Submit it in person at a licensing office in Admiralty, Cheung Sha Wan, Kwun Tong, or Sha Tin, drop it in the box at any of those offices, or send it by post.⁶

For applicants aged 60 or younger, the standard 10-year full licence costs HK$900.⁷ Between 60 and 70, you can choose a licence valid until the day before you turn 70, or a three-year term. From 70 onward, the options are one-year or three-year, and you must submit a TD256 medical certificate at each renewal.

Processing takes 10 working days from receipt of a complete application, and the licence arrives by registered mail.⁸ If four weeks pass with no licence, call the Transport Department on 2804 2600.

Converting an Overseas Licence

The Transport Department’s direct issue scheme lets holders of a full licence from a recognized overseas country obtain a Hong Kong licence without taking any test. You have to meet all three conditions:

Your overseas licence is currently valid or has expired no more than three years ago.
You resided in the country or place that issued the licence for at least six months while the licence was in force.
You obtained the overseas licence by passing a driving test in that country, not through reciprocal exchange.

⁸

Submit Form TD82 with your overseas licence, proof of identity, proof of address dated within three months, and evidence of your residency in the issuing country such as passport stamps or employment records.⁹ The Transport Department verifies your foreign credentials with the issuing authority, so processing can run longer than a domestic application. The approved licence is posted by registered mail within 10 working days of verification.⁸

Renewing a Full Licence

A full driving licence is normally valid for 10 years. You can renew as early as four months before expiry, or up to three years after it lapses. If it has been expired for more than three years, you cannot simply renew. You have to obtain a new learner’s licence and pass the road test again, though you are exempted from the written test.⁷

Online renewal through GovHK is available to licence holders under 70 who have an iAM Smart+ account, a personal digital certificate, or a renewal password issued by the Transport Department. Payment can be made by credit card, PPS, or FPS online, or by cash, FPS, EPS, or a crossed cheque payable to “The Government of the HKSAR” at a licensing office counter.⁷

Insurance and Demerit Points

A licence alone doesn’t put you on the road legally. Before driving any motor vehicle on a public road, it must be covered by valid third-party risk insurance under Section 4 of the Motor Vehicles Insurance (Third Party Risks) Ordinance (Cap. 272). The insurance must cover injury, death, and property damage to third parties. Driving without valid coverage carries a maximum fine of HK$10,000 and up to 12 months’ imprisonment, regardless of whether an accident occurs.¹⁰

Once you’re driving, Hong Kong’s demerit points system tracks specified offences over a rolling two-year period. At 8 or more points, the Transport Department sends an advisory notice listing the offences on your record. At 10 or more, you receive a formal notice requiring you to attend and complete a Driving Improvement Course at your own cost. At 15 or more, you face court-ordered disqualification: three months for a first occurrence, six months for each subsequent one.¹¹ Points are tied to the offence date, not the conviction date, so several offences from one period can push you past multiple thresholds at once. Failing to attend a required improvement course is itself an offence.

1
GovHK. Driving Licences and Tests
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Transport Department. Requirements for Obtaining a Driving Licence
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GovHK. Online Application for Learner’s Driving Licence
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1823. What Are the Requirements on Address Proof About Transport Department Licensing
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GovHK. Online Booking for Driving Tests
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Transport Department. Licensing Offices
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GovHK. Online Application for Renewal of Full Driving Licence
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GovHK. Online Application for New Issue and Addition of Full Driving Licence
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Transport Department. Driving in Hong Kong for Overseas Driving Licence Holders
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Transport and Logistics Bureau. Taking Out Third Party Risks Insurance for Vehicles by Owners
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Transport Department. Driving-Offence Points System