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

The Renewal Process for Old Driver's Licenses is Complete

In Turkey, the period for replacing old driver’s licenses (licenses) with new ones has ended as of October 31, 2023. Initially, the deadline for citizens to obtain the new driver’s licenses, which were first issued on January 1, 2016, was set for December 31, 2020. However, this period was extended a total of 4 times to prevent citizens from facing hardships.

Minister Yerlikaya's Call

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reminded citizens to renew their licenses through social media throughout October, stating "Do not wait until the last day." He emphasized that this process would not be extended again. Following this call, 275,608 people applied to renew their licenses in October. By the end of the business day today, an additional 40,771 people applied for the renewal process.

Concern Over the Number of Those Not Renewing

Since 2016, 35 million 794 thousand 515 people have obtained the new driver’s license, while 1 million 799 thousand 172 people have not completed the license renewal process. The validity of old licenses expired as of October 31, 2023. This situation increases the risk of getting stranded and facing legal issues.

Changes in License Renewal Fees

License renewal fees have also been an important topic. The renewal fee for class B driver’s licenses has been set at 7,438 Turkish Lira and 60 kuruş instead of 15 Lira. This high amount could be another factor accelerating citizens' decisions to renew their licenses.