More than 360,000 drivers in the Czech Republic are required to renew their driving licenses this year. Although it’s no longer mandatory to always have a driving license while traveling in the Czech Republic since the start of this year, it’s crucial for the licenses to be valid. Most of these expiring licenses are in the Central Bohemian Region, as the Ministry of Transport indicates.
A national ID card is sufficient instead of a driving license in a local police check. Additionally, since April, police have been able to verify these documents via a mobile application called eDocuments. The database can also check whether or not you have a valid driving license.
Drivers who decide to keep their plastic license in the drawer now face an even higher risk of overlooking the expiration date. Therefore, it’s recommended that notifications for expiring documents in the Citizen’s Portal be set up, which can be sent via email or SMS.
The Ministry of Transport encourages all drivers to apply for a new driving license online through the Transport Portal. This saves one office visit and facilitates and speeds up the entire process due to the automatic pre-filling of the form, including photos and signatures. The applicant just needs to set up contact details and choose the office where they will pick up the document. Applying for a new license in person at the branch is still possible.
Driving with an expired license can result in a fine of up to 50,000 crowns in administrative proceedings and a driving ban of up to two years. This is a reminder for all drivers to ensure their licenses are valid, especially as driving licenses are international documents, and the requirement for drivers to have a valid document still applies according to international regulations.