If you have looked at the renewal window on a parent’s Korean driving licence and wondered “when does it become every 3 years?”, the test is not the birthday but the age on the last renewal date. Article 87 of the Road Traffic Act cuts age three times — the cycle shortens at 65, second-class licence holders need an aptitude test at 70, and training is added at 75. We read the articles and the annexes of the Decree and Rule as written, including what follows if you miss a deadline.
1. The cycle goes 10 → 5 → 3 years. If you were 65 or over but under 75 on the last renewal date it is 5 years; 75 or over, 3 years. The window is 6 months either side of your birthday in that year.
2. 70 and 75 are separate lines. Second-class holders who are 70 or over during the renewal window must take a periodic aptitude test, and those 75 or over on the renewal date must take road safety training. Without the training, renewal is not possible.
3. Miss it and the fine is 20,000 or 30,000 won; after a year, revocation. Failing to renew costs 20,000 won and skipping the aptitude test 30,000 won, and going more than 1 year past the day after the test window closes means revocation.
The renewal cycle — “how old were you last time?”
Road Traffic Act, article 87 (renewal of driver’s licences and periodic aptitude tests) (1) … 2. Other renewal periods are within 6 months before or after the birthday in the year in which every 10 years (5 years for a person aged 65 or over but under 75 on the previous renewal date, 3 years for a person aged 75 or over, and 3 years for a person blind in one eye who holds a first-class ordinary licence) from the previous renewal date falls.
| Age on last renewal date | Until next renewal | Renewal window |
|---|---|---|
| Under 65 | 10 years | 6 months either side of that year’s birthday |
| 65 or over, under 75 | 5 years | 6 months either side of that year’s birthday |
| 75 or over | 3 years | 6 months either side of that year’s birthday |
The key is “the previous renewal date.” Someone who renewed at 64 was under 65 then, so the next renewal is 10 years later, around 74. Renewing at 74 falls in the 65-to-75 band, so the next is 5 years later, around 79, and after renewing at 79 it is every 3 years. Passing your 65th birthday does not by itself switch you to a 5-year cycle.
The first renewal after passing the test is counted the same way from the age on the date you passed (item 1 of the same paragraph). Within the 6-months-either-side window, renewing before or after your birthday can change your age on the renewal date by one year, and that age sets the next cycle — this follows from the wording; if you are on a boundary, confirm your own dates with the notice you receive or the Korea Road Traffic Authority.
70 — aptitude tests for second-class licences too
Same article (2) Any of the following persons shall take a periodic aptitude test conducted by the Korea Road Traffic Authority during the renewal period under paragraph (1): 1. a person holding a first-class licence; 2. a person holding a second-class licence who is 70 or over during the renewal period.
First-class holders take the test at every renewal regardless of age. The second-class ordinary licence most car drivers hold picks up the test once you are 70 or over during the window. Decree article 54 has you file the test application with the Korea Road Traffic Authority during the renewal window.
75 — no training, no renewal
Same Act, article 73 (road safety training) (5) … a person who is 75 or over on the renewal date shall, within the renewal period, receive road safety training on: 1. ageing and safe driving; 2. medication and driving; 3. coping by cognitive ability such as memory and judgement; 4. understanding traffic laws.
Article 87(3) then fixes the order. Those who have not received the training under article 73(5) and those who have not taken or have failed the periodic aptitude test cannot have their licence renewed. For people 75 and over the sequence is therefore training → aptitude test → renewal. Article 74 sets where training is given — licensed driving schools and institutions designated by the provincial police (such as the Korea Road Traffic Authority).
If you miss it — 20,000 won, 30,000 won, and one year
| What was missed | Consequence | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Not renewing within the window | Fine of 20,000 won | Act art. 160(2)7 · Decree Annex 6 item 14 |
| Not taking the periodic aptitude test | Fine of 30,000 won | Act art. 160(2)8 · Decree Annex 6 item 15 |
| More than 1 year from the day after the test window ends | Revocation | Act art. 93(1)9 · Rule Annex 28, revocation item 7 |
Revocation item 7 of Annex 28 to the Rule reads: failing the periodic aptitude test, or not taking it and exceeding 1 year from the day after the test period expired. The fines are small, but for anyone who must take the test, going past a year ends the licence itself. Second-class holders aged 70 or over fall under this line too.
Abroad or unwell — renew early or defer
Article 87(4) and Decree article 55 leave a route. If one of the following six reasons stops you renewing or testing in time, you can do it early or apply to defer with supporting documents.
- Staying abroad
- Suffering a disaster or catastrophe
- Being unable to move because of illness or injury
- Being lawfully detained
- Serving in the military (enlisted ranks only) or as an alternative service member
- Any other substantial reason accepted as unavoidable by common standards
If the reason is accepted, the window is deferred by up to 3 years, and you must renew within 3 months of the reason ending (Decree article 55(2) and (3)).
Checklist — going over a parent’s licence
- ☐ The renewal window printed on the licence (6 months either side of the birthday, a year in all)
- ☐ First or second class — if second, 70 or over during the window?
- ☐ 75 or over on this renewal date — if so, training first
- ☐ Travel abroad or a hospital stay overlapping the window — if so, renew early or defer
Questions that remain
Do I have to give up my licence at 75?
No. What the articles set is the cycle (3 years), training and the aptitude test. Voluntary surrender is your choice, and incentives for surrendering differ by local government.
I missed the window — is my licence already gone?
If you hold a second-class licence and were under 70, so no aptitude test was due, the consequence under the articles we read is a 20,000 won fine. If a test was due, taking it within a year of the day after the window closed keeps you outside the revocation item. Either way, act quickly.
How long is the training?
Article 73(5) sets the four topics and leaves hours and method to lower regulations. We did not carry the hours over, so check with the training provider.
If you keep driving, know the school-zone amounts too — between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. the car parking fine in a children’s protection zone triples from 40,000 to 120,000 won (school-zone fines).
Sources
- Road Traffic Act [in force 1 Jul 2026] [Act No. 21246] — original text (checked 29 September 2026). Source for article 73(5) (four training topics at 75), article 74 (training providers), article 87 (cycle, test at 70, no renewal, deferral), article 93(1)9 and article 160(2)7 and 8.
- Enforcement Decree of the Road Traffic Act [in force 1 Aug 2026] [Presidential Decree No. 36114] — original text. Source for article 54 (test application), article 55 (six reasons, 3 years, 3 months) and Annex 6, standards for fines (item 14, 20,000 won; item 15, 30,000 won).
- Enforcement Rule of the Road Traffic Act [in force 24 Aug 2026] [Ministry of the Interior and Safety Ordinance No. 636] — Annex 28, standards for revocation and suspension, revocation item 7 (more than 1 year).
- Our own working. The 64 → 74 → 79 example chains the article’s cycles together.
Where to check further
- Your renewal window and training booking — the Korea Road Traffic Authority’s safe-driving online service.
- Incentives for surrendering a licence — your city, county or district website.
- Preventing falls in older adults — fall prevention.
Written on 29 September 2026. Articles and annexes are from the National Law Information Center; the table layout and example are ours. Transport and facility discounts from 65 are in senior discounts.
