Renewing the driver's license is a procedure related to the car that must be done every so often. The same thing that happens with the inspection of the ITV or the payment of the annual fee for the circulation permit and the obligatory 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, is valid for 10 years up to the age of 65, and 5 years after that age.
People over 65 must pass the same medical examination as other drivers. They are also subjected to the same criteria to evaluate their aptitudes as others. This measure is intended to increase the frequency of medical and aptitude reviews to guarantee the safety of the person driving, as well as other road users.
To renew the driver's license it is not necessary to take any test. 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 state of 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 there are no special circumstances. When for medical reasons the extension is for a period shorter 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 a year or less, 4.92 euros.
People over 70 years of age are exempt from paying the fee to renew their driver's license. This means that from that age they will only have to pay the cost of the psychophysical examination, which is independent of the cost associated with the card documentation. The amount that must be paid for the medical certificate ranges between 25 and 50 euros, depending on the center, although some car insurance and medical mutuals offer the service free of charge among the coverages contracted.
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 in Spain and is in charge of processing the renewal of the card. In this way it is not necessary to go to the Traffic offices, since the new documentation will arrive directly at the address 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 have to wait until you receive the new document sent by the DGT by post at home. For this reason, the General Regulations for Drivers establishes the obligation to notify Traffic of the change of address within a period of 15 days.
Having the postal address updated allows the owner of the vehicle to receive notifications and communications from the DGT, avoiding, for example, that you do not find out about the notification of a fine and you miss the deadline to appeal or pay it.
The DGT allows you to renew the card from three months before it expires, although it is also possible to do so if the expiration date has passed. However, it is recommended to carry out the procedure before exceeding the validity period since it is not allowed to drive with an expired license. Driving with the license after the deadline is considered a serious infraction that entails a fine of 200 euros without loss of points.
