1.2 Licence Validity, Renewal, Medical Requirements & Refresher Training

1.2 Licence Validity, Renewal, Medical Requirements & Refresher Training

Core Principle: A PDVL is a time-limited privilege, not a permanent entitlement. LTA re-checks medical fitness, driving conduct and MediSave standing at every renewal, imposes extra checks as drivers age, and caps public service vehicle driving at 75 years of age.

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1. Validity and the Renewal Fee

A renewed vocational licence is valid for 3 years. The renewal fee is $40.

[!IMPORTANT] If you are 67 years old and above, the validity period of your vocational licence may be shorter than 3 years. Do not assume a full three-year term once you pass that age - check the expiry date printed on your Digital LTA Vocational Licence.

Renewal on OneMotoring

1. LTA sends a renewal notice before the licence expires.
2. Log in to the OneMotoring portal with Singpass and submit the renewal.
3. Pay the $40 renewal fee.
4. Satisfy the renewal prerequisites below.

Renewal Prerequisites

• CPF MediSave: contributions paid in full, or an active GIRO arrangement in place.
• Driving licence status: LTA will not renew a vocational licence if the holder's driving licence has been disqualified or suspended, or if the holder has been convicted in court.
• Medical clearance: required from age 50 (see below).

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2. Age-Related Requirements

LTA publishes three age thresholds that matter to every vocational driver. Learn them as a ladder.

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                  Age Thresholds for Vocational Licence Holders              |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Age 50 and above  | Medical check-up + certification of fitness to drive a |
|                    | public service vehicle, required before renewal        |
|  Age 67 and above  | Validity period of the renewed licence may be SHORTER  |
|                    | than the standard 3 years                              |
|  Ages 70, 73, 74   | On-road assessment test IN ADDITION to the medical     |
|  Age 75            | Statutory ceiling - cannot drive a public service      |
|                    | vehicle beyond this age                                |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Medical Examination from Age 50

From age 50, a vocational licence holder must undergo a medical check-up and be certified by a doctor as medically fit to drive a public service vehicle before the licence is renewed. With effect from 2 February 2026, doctors submit all medical forms digitally to LTA or the Traffic Police through the Harmonised Medical Examination Report (HMER), so the driver no longer submits a hardcopy medical form.

On-Road Assessment at 70, 73 and 74

At ages 70, 73 and 74, a holder must pass an on-road assessment test in addition to the medical examination. This is a practical driving assessment, not a written or cognitive test. Holders of a Bus Attendant's Vocational Licence, who do not drive, are not required to take it.

The Age 75 Ceiling

75 years old is the age limit for driving a public service vehicle in Singapore. A PDVL cannot be extended past that ceiling, so a driver approaching 75 should plan for the end of commercial driving.

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3. Mandatory Refresher Training

Holders of a Private Hire Car Driver's Vocational Licence must attend a 3-hour refresher course once every 6 years. The course fee is $40 excluding GST.

Taxi drivers follow a related but different rule: active taxi drivers with good service records attend the same 3-hour course, while other taxi drivers attend a longer 5-hour course. Refresher training covers regulatory and policy updates, customer service, and road safety topics such as sharing the road with vulnerable users.

[!WARNING] Refresher training is a renewal condition, not an optional top-up. A driver who has not completed the required refresher course when it falls due should expect the renewal to be held up.

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4. Late Renewal and Expired Licences

LTA publishes three late-renewal tiers. The boundaries are exam-relevant because the driver's obligations change at each one.

Driving on an Expired Vocational Licence

Driving a chauffeured private hire car or taxi with an expired vocational licence contravenes section 110(1) of the Road Traffic Act. It is a scheduled offence carrying 21 demerit points under the Vocational Licence Points System, which by itself exceeds the 20-point revocation threshold. Because no special penalty is prescribed, the general penalty in section 131(2) applies - a fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 3 months or both for a first conviction, rising to $2,000 or 6 months for a repeat conviction.

Two further consequences follow automatically:

• Platform deactivation. Ride-hail operators must satisfy themselves that their drivers hold a valid vocational licence, so an expired PDVL ends dispatches.
• Insurance exposure. A commercial motor policy is written for use as a licensed chauffeured private hire car. Carrying passengers for reward without the vocational licence that use depends on puts the driver at risk of having a claim repudiated.