1.8 Million Drivers Did Not Renew Their Licenses: Deadline Has Passed

The Renewal Process for Old Licenses is Complete

In Turkey, the period granted for replacing old type driver licenses (driving licenses) with new type driver licenses has ended as of October 31, 2023. Initially, a deadline of December 31, 2020, was set for citizens regarding the new type driver licenses, which have been issued since January 1, 2016. However, this period was extended a total of 4 times to prevent citizens from facing difficulties.

Minister Yerlikaya's Call

The Minister of Interior, Ali Yerlikaya, warned citizens via social media throughout October to renew their licenses, emphasizing, "Don’t wait until the last day." He highlighted that this process would not be extended again. Following these calls, during October, 275,608 people applied to renew their licenses. By the end of the business day today, another 40,771 people had applied for the renewal process.

The Number of Those Who Did Not Renew is Concerning

Since 2016, 35 million 794 thousand 515 people have obtained the new type driver license, while 1 million 799 thousand 172 individuals did not complete the license renewal process. The validity of old type licenses has ended as of October 31, 2023. This situation increases the risk of being stranded and facing legal issues.

License Renewal Fees Have Changed

License renewal fees are also an important topic on the agenda. The renewal fee for class B driver licenses has been set at 7,438 lira 60 kuruş instead of 15 lira. This high amount could be another factor accelerating citizens' decision to renew their licenses.