Renewing your driving license is a procedure related to the automobile that must be done every certain time. The same thing happens with the ITV review or the payment of the annual fee for the circulation permit and mandatory insurance, the license that accredits us to drive a motor vehicle has an expiration date. The B license, which authorizes driving cars and is the most common in our country, has a validity period of 10 years up to the age of 65, and 5 years from that age.
People over 65 years of age must pass the same medical examination as other drivers. They are also subject to the same criteria to evaluate their aptitudes as others. This measure aims to increase the frequency of medical and fitness checks to guarantee the safety of the person driving, as well as other road users.
To renew your driving license it is not necessary to take any exam. You only have to pass a psychophysical examination that must be carried out in an official medical center recognized by the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT). Broadly speaking, it consists of a medical examination (evaluation of vision, hearing and general health), a coordination test and a psychotechnical assessment.
The renewal of the driver’s license has a price of 24.58 euros, which corresponds to rate 4.3, if no special circumstances apply. When for medical reasons the extension is for a shorter period than the established one, the prices will be lower: up to 4 years of renewal, 19.67 euros; up to 3 years, 14.75 euros; up to 2 years, 9.83 euros; and up to one year or less, 4.92 euros.
People over 70 years of age are exempt from paying the fee to renew their driving license. This means that from that age they will only have to pay the cost of the psychophysical examination, which is independent of that associated with the documentation of the license. The amount that must be paid for the medical certificate ranges between 25 and 50 euros, depending on the center, although some automobile insurance and medical insurance companies offer free service among the contracted coverages.
Once the recognition has been passed, the administrative staff of the medical center gives the interested party a provisional permit with which they can circulate throughout Spain and is responsible for processing the renewal of the license. In this way, it is not necessary to go to the Traffic offices, since the new documentation will arrive directly at the home of the interested party.
The validity of the provisional permit is three months within Spain. Outside our borders you cannot legally drive with a temporary license. To do so, you must wait to receive the new document sent by the DGT by postal mail at home. For this reason, the General Driver Regulations establish the obligation to notify Traffic of the change of address within a period of 15 days.
Having the postal address updated allows the vehicle owner to receive notifications and communications from the DGT, avoiding, for example, that you do not find out about the notification of a fine and miss the deadline to appeal or pay it.
The DGT allows you to renew the card three months before it expires, although it is also possible to do so if the expiration date has been exceeded. However, it is recommended to complete the procedure before exceeding the validity period since it is not permitted to drive with an expired license. Driving with your license after the deadline is considered a serious infraction that carries a fine of 200 euros without loss of points.
