Driving licence in Singapore

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Singaporean driving licence
TypeDriving licence
Issued bySingapore Police Force
PurposeAuthorisation
EligibilitySingaporeans above 18 who have passed a practical driving test
ExpirationLifelong, but medical clearance needed at 65
Cost$50[a]

A driving licence in Singapore is required before a person is allowed to drive a motor vehicle of any description on a road in the country. Like many other countries in the world, an individual must possess a valid driving licence before being permitted to drive on the road, and driving licence holders are subject to all traffic rules.

The minimum age to drive a motor vehicle and getting a Qualified Driving Licence (QDL) in Singapore is 18 years old.[b] The driving licence is for the normal lifespan of a person, but continued eligibility to drive requires a medical clearance after reaching the age of 65.[3]

For those who accumulated 13 demerit points and above within the one year probationary period, the licence will be revoked. Driving licences in Singapore are administered by the Traffic Police (TP) of the Singapore Police Force (SPF).[4]

Classes of driving licence

The classification of motor vehicles and eligibility of a driving licence in Singapore is as follows:[5]

Class Type Minimum age Notes
1 Invalid Carriages. 18 Only issued to those with physical disabilities, in lieu of other classes of licences
2B Motor cycles with an engine capacity not exceeding 200cc.
Electric motor cycles with a power rating not exceeding 15 kW. 		18
2A Motor cycles with an engine capacity not exceeding 400cc.
Electric motor cycles with a power rating not exceeding 25 kW. 		19 Possession of Class 2B for at least one year, hence the minimum age is 19 years old.
2 Motor cycles with an engine capacity exceeding 400cc.
Electric motor cycles with a power rating exceeding 25 kW. 		20 Possession of Class 2A for at least one year, hence the minimum age is 20 years old.
3 (a) Motor cars of unladen weight not exceeding 3,000 kg with not more than 7 passengers, exclusive of the driver; and
(b) Motor tractors and other motor vehicles of unladen weight not exceeding 2,500 kg		 18 Manual and Automatic Transmissions.
3A (a) Motor cars without clutch pedals of unladen weight not exceeding 3,000 kg with not more than 7 passengers exclusive of the driver; and
(b) Motor tractors and other motor vehicles without clutch pedals of unladen weight not exceeding 2,500 kg.		 18 Automatic Transmission only.
3C (a) Motor cars constructed solely and adapted to carry not more than 7 passengers (exclusive of the driver) and the weight of which unladen does not exceed 3,000 kilograms only.[6] 18 Work Permit and S-Pass holders only need to pass the Basic Theory Test to convert their foreign driving licence to be allowed to drive all Class 3 vehicles except for light goods vehicles, mini vans and small buses.
3CA (a) Motor cars without clutch pedals of unladen weight not exceeding 3,000 kg with not more than 7 passengers exclusive of the driver.[6] 18 The Class 3CA licence is introduced to new drivers who only want to drive automated Class 3C vehicles.
4A Omnibus 21 Licence Holder must be working for a public bus company as a Bus Captain. Licence will be revoked once they leave the company.
4 Heavy motor vehicles of unladen weight exceeding 2,500 kg which are constructed to carry load or passengers. 21 Persons must hold a Class 3 Qualified Licence before applying for a Class 4 licence. The minimum age for driving this class of vehicles is 21 years old.
5 Heavy motor vehicles not constructed to carry any load and the unladen weight exceeds 7,250 kg. 21 Persons must hold a Class 4 Qualified Licence before applying for a Class 5 licence. The minimum age for driving this class of vehicles is 21 years old.

Theory tests

There are three main theory tests in Singapore. Candidates must answer 45 questions correctly out of 50 (90%), and the questions are at random from a pool of hundreds on a selection of relevant topics.[7][8]

  • Basic Theory Test (BTT) — Valid for a lifetime unless revoked, suspended or disqualified by TP.
  • Final Theory Test (FTT) — Valid for 2 years unless revoked, suspended or disqualified by TP.
  • Riding Theory Test (RTT) — Valid for 1 year unless revoked, suspended or disqualified by TP. Additional requirement for Class 2B.

Types of driving licence

The "L" learner driver plate in Singapore.
  • Provisional driving licence (PDL) — possessed by learners in driving schools. A PDL can only be applied after passing the BTT, which can be taken at any of the established driving schools in Singapore. This restricted licence itself carries several restrictions and failure to adhere to them will lead to an immediate revocation of the PDL.
    • A certified driving instructor must be present to guide the learner driver, and they are strictly not allowed to drive by themselves.
    • A learner driver can only learn to drive around the vicinity of the driving schools where the test routes are held and are not allowed to use the expressways/semi-expressways as well as some busier roads such as those in the Central Business District (CBD), Orchard Road and Victoria Street, among others.
    • A "L" plate must be visibly placed at the front and rear of the car.
    • A PDL is valid for 2 years from the date of grant and can be renewed subsequently for every 2 years. Prior to 1 December 2017, a PDL was valid for 6 months and renewable every 6 months.[9]
    • People above the age of 65 will be required to pass a medical examination when they apply for or renew their PDLs.[9]
Only upon the passing of a FTT (as well as RTT for Class 2B) that the learner driver can then proceed to attempt the practical driving test.
  • Qualified driving licence (QDL) — full licence. On passing the practical driving test, the learner may now apply for a QDL for $50. The licence holder will subsequently undergo a 1-year probation period, in which they are required to display the high-visibility probationary licence plate which is triangular in shape, at the top right portion of the front windscreen and the rear windscreen, as seen from the outside of the vehicle. If the licence holder accumulates more than 12 demerit points within the probationary year, the licence will be revoked. Failure to display the probationary license plates will also cause the offending driver to receive a fine for the first time, then an immediate revocation of their license for the subsequent time.
  • Vocational driving licence (VDL) — a special driving licence for commercial vehicle drivers of taxis and buses. There are three types of VDL: bus driver vocational licence, private hire car driver vocational license, and taxi driver vocational licence. To apply for the bus driver vocational licence, the applicant must have a Class 3 Singapore driving licence with at least one year's driving experience, a clean driving and criminal record and be at least 21 years old. To apply for the taxi driver vocational licence, the applicant must be a Singapore citizen of at least 30 years of age and have a qualified Class 3 Singapore driving licence with at least one year's driving experience and a clean driving and criminal record. To apply for the private hire car driver vocational licence, the applicant must be a Singapore citizen of at least 30 years of age and have a qualified Class 3 Singapore driving licence with at least one years' driving experience and a clean driving and criminal record.[10]

Conversion of driving licence

Foreigners holding foreign driving licence and intend to remain in Singapore for less than twelve months are not required to convert their foreign driving licence to a Singaporean driving licence. They may drive in Singapore with a valid foreign driving licence. However, if the licence is not in English, in addition to a valid foreign driving licence, they are required to have an International Driving Permit (IDP). If an IDP is not available, an official translation of the driving licence in English is required.

Foreigners from selected ASEAN member countries need to possess a valid driving licence to drive in Singapore but would not need to require an IDP. To convert to a Singaporean driving licence, the foreigner is required to pass the BTT for familiarisation of traffic rules and Singapore's Highway Code pertaining to traffic related issues specific to Singapore. A Singaporean Permanent Resident (PR) who wishes to drive in Singapore is required to convert their foreign driving licence to a Singaporean one after becoming a PR or they will not be considered licensed to drive.

Costs

In Singapore, it is not unusual to end up cumulatively paying about SGD$3,000 to SGD$4,000 towards a Class 3 or 3A driving license, owing to the vast number of courses, tests and simulations required. Such costs may end up being much higher if the practical driving test was not passed on the first try, as the test itself ranges about SGD$320 to SGD$550[c] or if additional lessons are required to reach driving competency.[11] As of 2024, the first timer passing rate for Class 3 and 3A averages around 37% and 46% respectively.[12]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Refers only to the cost of the physical card upon passing of the practical driving test, and does not reflect the total final costs towards the license.[1] In 2022, a supplementary digital driving license (Digital DL) was made available on the Singpass app.[2]
  2. ^ For 2B, 3, 3A, 3C and 3CA only.
  3. ^ Although the actual test itself costs SGD$33, this fee rises exponentially due to vehicle rental, insurance, circuit and warm-up fees, among other factors.

References

  1. ^ "Apply for Qualified Driving Licence". eservices.police.gov.sg. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  2. ^ Leo, Lakeisha (2 March 2022). "Digital driving licence available on Singpass app from Mar 7". www.channelnewsasia.com. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  3. ^ Low, Dominic (27 July 2020). "More elderly drivers to receive six-month extension to renew driving licence | The Straits Times". The Straits Times. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  4. ^ "Traffic Matters". Singapore Police Force. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  5. ^ "Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Driving Licences) Rules". Singapore Statutes Online.
  6. ^ a b "Introduction of Class 3C Licence". Singapore Police Force. Archived from the original on 31 August 2015.
  7. ^ "Getting a Driving Licence & Learner Driver Rules in Singapore". SingaporeLegalAdvice.com. 28 February 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  8. ^ Wen, Lok Jian (30 March 2023). "Practise traffic theory tests online for free on new mock test platform". The Straits Times. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  9. ^ a b Provisional Driving Licences to have two-year validity from Dec 1, Straits Times, 30 Nov 2017.
  10. ^ "LTA sets minimum age of 30 for new private-hire driver licence applicants; they must also be Singaporean". TODAY. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  11. ^ Kang, Duckju (3 April 2023). "Average Cost of Getting a Driving License in Singapore 2024". Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  12. ^ "Waiting Time & Passing Rates of Theory and Practical Tests". Singapore Police Force. Retrieved 17 April 2024.

External links


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