Who Cannot Get a Chinese Driver's License: Medical, Criminal and Revocation Bars
Meeting the age and height rules is not enough. The Ministry of Public Security’s licensing provisions list situations in which the traffic police must refuse a driver’s license application. For a foreigner converting a foreign license, a refusal can mean wasted time and fees, so it is worth knowing the list before you apply. It applies to Chinese citizens and foreigners alike.
This is a plain-English summary of the official list. It is not legal or medical advice. If you think one of these conditions might apply to you, ask the vehicle administration office (车管所) or a qualified professional before applying.
1. Medical conditions
You cannot apply if you have:
- organic heart disease,
- epilepsy,
- Meniere’s disease or vertigo,
- hysteria,
- Parkinson-type tremor,
- mental illness or dementia,
- a neurological disease that affects movement of the limbs,
- or another illness that hinders safe driving.
The doctor who issues your medical certificate checks for these conditions. Hospitals that issue false certificates can lose recognition by the police.
2. Drugs
You cannot apply if:
- you took drugs by injection or smoking within the last three years, or less than three years have passed since you left compulsory drug detox, or
- you are addicted to dependence-forming psychotropic medicines and have not yet recovered.
3. Crimes involving driving
| Situation | How long the bar lasts (per the provisions) |
|---|---|
| Fled the scene of a traffic accident and it amounted to a crime | Bar applies |
| Caused a major accident while driving after drinking or while drunk, and it amounted to a crime | Bar applies |
| License revoked for drunk driving, or for drink driving a commercial vehicle | Less than 5 years since revocation |
| License revoked for drunk driving a commercial vehicle | Less than 10 years since revocation |
| License revoked for criminal racing, overloading, speeding or carrying dangerous chemicals against the rules | Less than 5 years |
| License revoked after another major accident amounting to a crime | Less than 10 years |
| License revoked for another reason | Less than 2 years |
| Drove without a license and, with equal or greater responsibility, caused serious injury or death | Less than 10 years |
4. Fraud and cheating
- Your driving permit was cancelled because it was obtained by deception or bribery, less than three years ago.
- You took a driving test on behalf of someone else within the last three years.
- You hid facts or gave false documents (see the penalties in failing and cheating on the test).
5. Other cases
Any other situation that laws or administrative regulations say bars a license also applies.
Extra bars for large vehicles
You cannot apply for a large bus, heavy tractor-trailer, city bus, medium bus or large truck if:
- you caused a fatal accident and had equal or greater responsibility,
- you have driven after drinking in a way that counted as drunk driving, or driven again after drinking,
- you have a record of driving after taking drugs, or of community drug treatment or detox,
- you committed a driving crime such as racing, overloading, speeding or carrying dangerous chemicals,
- your license was revoked or cancelled less than ten years ago, or
- you drove without a license and, with equal or greater responsibility, caused serious injury or death.
Foreigners and the hit-and-run bar
The Beijing government’s English guidance for foreign license applicants lists the same ideas in short form: certain diseases, drug use, a license revoked within three years, and a license revoked for fleeing the scene of an accident. Note that older English summaries use shorter periods than the 2022 provisions for some items, so rely on the list above and confirm locally.
Can a bar end?
Yes. Most bars are time-limited, as the table shows. Once the period ends and you meet the other requirements, you can apply. Cancelled licenses for non-penalty reasons (expired for over a year, for example) may be regained by passing the written test within two years. See the validity guide.