Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Driving Licence 香港特別行政區駕駛執照 | |
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Type | Driving licence |
Issued by | Transport Department |
Valid in | Hong Kong |
Cost | HK$900 (full licence) |
Website | td.gov.hk |
Driving licence in Hong Kong | |||||||||
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Traditional Chinese | 香港駕駛執照 | ||||||||
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Driving licences in Hong Kong are issued by the Transport Department. A full driving licence is valid for 10 years (unless the driver is approaching 60 years old in age) and is compulsory in order to drive a motor vehicle. [1] Most driving licences are issued after the applicant passed a driving test for the respective type of vehicles. They may be issued without a test if the applicant is a holder of an overseas driving licence issued on passing a driving test in an approved country.
In Hong Kong,a driving licence needs to be used along with Hong Kong Identity Card,so it contains less information than in most other countries. The current version includes the holder's name,identity number (usually the same as the bearer's HKID number),driving entitlements and date of issue. [2] The Hong Kong Driving Licence does not have any photo.
In Hong Kong,there are three levels of driving licences:learner's licence,provisional licence and full licence.
A new driver can start to learn to drive only a private car (class 1),light goods vehicle (class 2),motorcycle (class 3) or motor tricycle (class 22),while most other classes are considered commercial vehicles and require a driver to have certain experience to learn them.
A person can apply for a learner's licence even before passing the written test (with the exception of motorcycle and motor tricycle).
A driver with a learner's licence may drive on any public road,except roads not permitted for learners,motorways and tunnels,under the following conditions:
A learner's licence is valid for 1 year and can be renewed.
In order to apply for a motorcycle / motor tricycle learner's licence,the driver has to first attend a compulsory course in a driving school and pass the compulsory test,after then,he/she can apply for the learner's licence and learn driving on streets. Unlike other classes of vehicles,no driving instructor is necessary when learning driving a motorcycle / motor tricycle.
After 1 October 2000,any person who applies to take a motorcycle or motor tricycle driving test is required to apply for a probationary driving licence upon passing the test. This scheme was extended to private cars and light goods vehicles in 2009. The holder of a probationary driving licence needs to undergo a 12-month probationary period. The probationary period will be extended by 6 months if convicted of a minor road traffic offence,and the licence will be cancelled if convicted of a serious road traffic offence. [3]
A driver with a probationary licence may drive on any public road under the following conditions:
Light goods vehicles drivers are exempt from this scheme and can apply for a full licence after passing the test if he/she is considered an "experienced driver",i.e. have already held the full private car driving licence for 3 years,or 2 years after converting from a probationary licence,immediately before the application.
A probationary licence is valid for 1 year when first applied and can be renewed by half a year if the probationary period is not yet over for a certain class of vehicle.
After finishing the probationary period,the driver may apply for a full licence,valid for 10 years unless approaching 60 years old in age. For commercial vehicles,the driver may apply for a full licence after passing the test.
Code | Vehicle Classification | Vehicle Classification Definition [4] | Commercial licence | A/T | Probationary licence | Licences you get w/o exam if you have the licence | Other details |
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1 | Private Car | A motor vehicle constructed or adapted for use solely for the carriage of a driver and not more than 7 passengers and their personal effects but does not include an invalid carriage,motor cycle,motor tricycle or taxi | - | - | |||
2 | Light Goods Vehicle | A goods vehicle having a permitted gross vehicle weight not exceeding 5.5 tonnes | 1 (Private Car) | Holders of class 2A are eligible for applying class 1A only | |||
3 | Motorcycle | A two-wheeled motor vehicle with or without a sidecar | 22 (Motor Tricycle,M/T only) | Holders of class 3A are not eligible for applying class 22 licence | |||
4 | Private Light Bus | A motor vehicle constructed or adapted for use solely for the carriage of a driver and not more than 19 passengers and their personal effects with weight not exceeding 8.5 tonnes and total length not exceeding 7.5 meters,but does not include an invalid carriage,motor cycle,motor tricycle,private car or taxi. A private light bus means a school private light bus or a light bus (other than a school private light bus) used or intended for use otherwise than for hire or reward or exclusively for the carriage of persons who are disabled persons and persons assisting them,whether or not for hire or reward;A public light bus means a light bus,other than any private light bus,which is used or intended for use for hire or reward | Applicants only need to pass one exam only to obtain both licences (4,5) | ||||
5 | Public Light Bus | Besides having a driving test,applicants of class 5 need to pass a pre-employment course | |||||
6 | Taxi | A motor vehicle which is registered as a taxi under "Road Traffic Ordinance Ordinance" (Cap. 374) of "Hong Kong Law" | - | Applicants need to pass a written exam about general legal requirements about taxi operations,knowledge about Hong Kong Street and the Road Users' Code | |||
9 | Private Bus | A motor vehicle constructed or adapted for the carriage of a driver and more than 19 passengers and their personal effects. A private bus means a bus used or intended for use otherwise than for hire or reward or for the carriage of passengers who are exclusively the students,teachers and employees of an educational institution or disabled persons and persons assisting them,whether or not for hire or reward;A public bus means a bus,other than any private bus,which is used or intended for use for hire or reward | 4,5 (Light Buses) Applicants only need to pass one exam only to obtain both licences (9,10) | Holders of class 9,10 may drive franchise buses without applying for class 17 licence. Holders of class 9A,10A are eligible for applying class 4A,5A only. Besides having a driving test,applicants of class 10 need to pass a pre-employment course | |||
10 | Public Bus | ||||||
15 | Invalid Carriage | A motor vehicle especially designed and constructed for the sole use of a person suffering from physical defects or disabilities | - | ||||
16 | Government Vehicle | A vehicle owned by the Government | - | Applicants have to be a public servant | |||
17 | Public Bus - Franchised | A motor vehicle constructed or adapted for the carriage of a driver and more than 19 passengers and their personal effects in respect of which a franchise is in force under the "Public Bus Services Ordinance" (Cap. 230) of "Hong Kong Law" | 4,5 (Light Buses) 9,10 (Buses) | Applicants have to be an employee of a franchised bus company. Since currently all franchised buses in Hong Kong are automatic transmission,unless the applicant is a holder of class 18 or 19,he or she is eligible for applying class 17A only. Holders of class 17A are eligible for applying class 4A,5A,9A,10A only | |||
18 | Medium Goods Vehicle | A goods vehicle having a permitted gross vehicle weight exceeding 5.5 tonnes but not exceeding 24 tonnes | 2 (Light Goods Vehicle) | ||||
19 | Heavy Goods Vehicle | A goods vehicle having a permitted gross vehicle weight exceeding 24 tonnes but not exceeding 38 tonnes | 2 (Light Goods Vehicle) 18 (Medium Goods Vehicle) | ||||
20 | Articulated Vehicle | A motor vehicle with a trailer so attached that part of the trailer is superimposed upon the motor vehicle,and when the trailer is uniformly loaded a substantial part of the weight of the load is borne by the motor vehicle | 19 (Heavy Goods Vehicle) | Requires class 18/19 licence as prerequisite | |||
21 | Special Purpose Vehicle | A motor vehicle designed,constructed or adapted primarily for a use other than the carriage on a road of goods,the driver or passengers. E.g. Street washing vehicle,arrow vehicle,ice cream vehicle,road construction vehicle,food trucks etc. | - | Requires class 2/18/19 licence as prerequisite | |||
22 | Motor Tricycle | A three-wheeled motor vehicle other than a motor cycle with a sidecar and a village vehicle | - |
As stated on the application form for direct issue of full Hong Kong driving licence, [5] when a person has documentary evidence to the Commissioner's satisfaction that all of the following apply,the person is eligible to direct issue of a Hong Kong licence:
An L-plate is a square plate bearing a sans-serif letter L,for learner,which must be affixed to the front and/or back of a vehicle in many countries if its driver is a learner under instruction,or a motorcycle rider with provisional entitlement to ride restricted motorcycles.
A commercial driver's license (CDL) is a driver's license required in the United States to operate large and heavy vehicles or a vehicle of any size that transports hazardous materials or more than 15 passengers.
The Convention on Road Traffic,commonly known as the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic,is an international treaty designed to facilitate international road traffic and to increase road safety by establishing standard traffic rules among the contracting parties. The convention was agreed upon at the United Nations Economic and Social Council's Conference on Road Traffic and concluded in Vienna on 8 November 1968. This conference also produced the Convention on Road Signs and Signals. The convention had amendments on 3 September 1993 and 28 March 2006. There is a European Agreement supplementing the Convention on Road Traffic (1968),which was concluded in Geneva on 1 May 1971.
Graduated driver licensing systems (GDLS) are designed to provide new drivers of motor vehicles with driving experience and skills gradually over time in low-risk environments. There are typically three steps or stages through which new drivers pass. They begin by acquiring a learner's permit,progress to a restricted,probationary or provisional license,followed by receipt of a full driver's license. Graduated drivers' licensing generally restricts nighttime,expressway,and unsupervised driving during initial stages,but lifts these restrictions with time and further testing of the individual,eventually concluding with the individual attaining a full driver's license.
A driver's permit,learner's permit,learner's license or provisional license is a restricted license that is given to a person who is learning to drive,but has not yet satisfied the prerequisite to obtain a driver's license. Having a learner's permit for a certain length of time is usually one of the requirements for applying for a full driver's license. To get a learner's permit,one must typically pass a written permit test,take a basic competency test in the vehicle,or both.
Driver licences in Australia refer to the official permit required for a person to legally drive a motor vehicle in Australia. The issue of driver licences,alongside the regulation and enforcement of road use,are all managed by state and territory governments.
In Canada,driver's licences are issued by the government of the province or territory in which the driver is residing. Thus,specific regulations relating to driver's licences vary province to province,though overall they are quite similar. All provinces have provisions allowing non-residents to use licences issued by other provinces and territories,out-of-country licences,and International Driving Permits. Many provinces also allow non-residents to use regular licences issued by other nations and countries. Canadian driver's licences are also valid in many other countries due to various international agreements and treaties.
In India,a driving licence is an official document that authorises its holder to operate various types of motor vehicles on highways and some other roads to which the public has access. In various Indian states,they are administered by the Regional Transport Authorities/Offices (RTA/RTO). A driving licence is required in India by any person driving a vehicle on any highway or other road defined in the Motor Vehicles Act,1988. This act sets limits on the minimum age for vehicle operation ranging from 16 to 20,depending on specific circumstances. A modern photo of the driving licence can also serve many of the purposes of an identity card in non-driving contexts,such as proof of identity or age.
In Pakistan,the driving licence is the official document which authorises its holder to operate various types of motor vehicles on publicly accessible roads. Driving licences can be obtained by submitting an application to any licensing authority in the applicant's district.
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