As of November 2026, if your Korean driver's license is due for renewal or an aptitude test this year, you can renew until whichever ends later: December 31, 2026, or the end of your new birthday-based window. An amendment to the Road Traffic Act that took effect on January 1, 2026 replaced the old calendar-year renewal window with a period running six months before and six months after your birthday. A transitional provision, however, lets people whose license was issued before that date also use the old January 1 to December 31 window for their first renewal under the new rules (KoROAD guidance). Miss the deadline and a Class 2 license draws a 20,000 won fine, a Class 1 license draws 30,000 won, and an overdue Class 1 aptitude test leads to cancellation one year after the window closes.
This matters to anyone who drives in Korea on a Korean license, including foreign residents who converted an overseas license. Car owners often track the annual car tax, insurance and periodic vehicle inspection carefully, yet forget the date printed on their license card. This year that is easier than usual, because the date printed on an older card may not match the legal window.
How the new birthday-based window works
Under Article 87(1) of the Road Traffic Act, as summarized by the government's Easy Law portal, you must renew within six months before or after your birthday in the year that marks the end of your renewal cycle. The cycle is counted from the date you passed the license test, and after that from your last renewal:
- Standard cycle: every 10 years
- Aged 65 to under 75 on the pass or renewal date: every 5 years
- Aged 75 or older: every 3 years
- Class 1 ordinary license holders who cannot see with one eye: every 3 years
Previously, the whole calendar year of the due date served as the window, which is why license test centers and police station counters were crowded every December. Under the new rule, the one-year window is centered on your birthday instead. KoROAD's own example, reported by Yonhap, is a driver due in 2026 whose birthday is October 1: the new window runs from April 2, 2026 to April 1, 2027.
The transitional rule adds the old window on top. For the same October 1 driver, the two windows combined allow renewal from January 1, 2026 through April 1, 2027. A driver with a birthday early in the year, such as March, sees the birthday-based window close well before December, so the old December 31 deadline is the one that actually ends later.
How to check your exact deadline
KoROAD warns that the renewal period printed on a license issued before January 1, 2026 may differ from the legal period. Check the real dates online instead:
- KoROAD Safe Driving portal (safedriving.or.kr), under My Page after logging in.
- Korean National Police Agency traffic portal (efine.go.kr), under the driver's license menu.
While you are there, confirm whether you need an aptitude test or a simple renewal. Class 1 holders and Class 2 holders aged 70 or older take the aptitude test, which includes a physical check. Class 2 holders under 70 only renew the card. If the dates are unclear, KoROAD's customer center is on 1577-1120.
Older licenses can also follow different cycles. According to KoROAD, people who obtained or last renewed a license on or before December 8, 2011 have a 7-year cycle for Class 1 and a 9-year cycle for Class 2, each with a six-month window printed on the card. Those licensed or renewed from December 9, 2011 onward follow the 10-year cycle.
Fees, photos and documents
You can apply at any driver's license test center or police station traffic office nationwide, though KoROAD notes that Gangnam Police Station does not handle renewals and directs people to the nearby Gangnam test center. Fees listed by KoROAD as of November 2026:
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| Service | Who | Fee (standard / mobile IC card) | Photos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aptitude test | Class 1; Class 2 aged 70+ | 16,000 / 21,000 won, plus physical check | 2 (1 if using a medical certificate or health checkup) |
| Renewal | Class 2 under 70 | 10,000 / 15,000 won | 1 |
Photos must be color, passport style, 3.5 cm by 4.5 cm and taken within the last six months. A physical check at an on-site center costs 8,000 won for Class 1 large or special licenses and 7,000 won for other licenses. Police stations and several smaller test centers have no physical check office, so you would need to visit a local clinic first.
Class 1 ordinary and Class 2 holders can skip the separate physical check by consenting to share their National Health Insurance Service checkup results, as long as the checkup was done within two years of applying and meets the vision standard. Class 1 requires at least 0.8 with both eyes open and at least 0.5 in each eye; Class 2 requires at least 0.5 with both eyes open, or 0.6 in the remaining eye for people who cannot see with one eye. Class 1 large and special license holders must take the physical check in person.
Class 2 holders can apply online, and Class 1 ordinary holders with NHIS checkup data can also file the aptitude test online. Someone else can submit your application with a power of attorney and their ID (not for Class 1 large or special licenses), but only you can collect the new card.
What happens if you miss the deadline
The law caps the fine at 200,000 won, but the amounts KoROAD lists are much lower:
- Class 2, under 70: 20,000 won. Suspension or cancellation for a missed renewal was abolished on December 9, 2011, so the license itself stays valid.
- Class 1: 30,000 won, and the license is cancelled once one year passes from the day after the aptitude test window ends.
- Class 2, aged 70+ (aptitude test holders): 30,000 won, with the same one-year cancellation rule where the card shows an aptitude test period.
Unpaid fines add a 3% surcharge after the due date and a further 1.2% each month, up to 75%. If a Class 1 license is cancelled, driving becomes unlicensed driving. Within five years you can regain it by passing the physical check and written test only; after five years you retake every part of the exam unless another exemption applies.
Deferrals and drivers aged 75 or older
If you are abroad, hospitalized, serving in the military or otherwise unable to renew in time, you can request a deferral. You then have three months from the day the reason ends, such as your return to Korea or hospital discharge, to complete the renewal. Drivers aged 75 or older on the renewal date must also complete KoROAD's traffic safety course within the window, and cannot renew without it.
A quick checklist before December
- Look up your exact end date on safedriving.or.kr or efine.go.kr.
- Confirm whether you need an aptitude test or a simple renewal.
- Check for an NHIS health checkup within the last two years.
- Prepare recent passport-style photos and choose a standard or mobile IC card.
- Apply online if eligible, or book a visit to a test center or police station.
- If you are 75 or older, finish the safety course first.
- If your window has already closed, renew within a year to avoid cancellation of a Class 1 license.
Because the rules changed this year, windows vary from person to person. Recheck the KoROAD page and your own record right before you apply.
