If I accidentally exchanged my driver's license for the wrong one, is it possible to return it?

Those who mistakenly exchanged their B1 or B2 driver's license for a B license and wish to exchange it back for a C1 license should contact the Department of Transportation that issued their B license to cancel the issued license and reapply.

From January 1st, the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety will come into effect, including the application of a new driver's license classification system.

Accordingly, the law stipulates that those currently using a driver's license under the old category may continue to use it until it expires. When a new or renewed license is issued, the new category will apply.

However, following the announcement that the Ministry of Transport would stop issuing and renewing driver's licenses to transfer the responsibility to the Ministry of Public Security , people have been rushing to renew their licenses in recent days. Among them are many cases of B1 and B2 licenses that are about to expire.

Mr. Phan Van Ha (Thanh Xuan, Hanoi ) said he tried to exchange his B2 driver's license through the national public service portal. However, the system only allowed exchanging from B1 and B2 to B.

“Previously, many opinions were expressed that converting the old B1 and B2 licenses to B would put drivers at a disadvantage. This is because the B license is more restrictive than the B1 and B2 licenses in terms of truck load capacity. Specifically, B1 and B2 licenses allow drivers to drive passenger cars with up to 9 seats or trucks with a load capacity of less than 3.5 tons, while the B license, although still allowing drivers to drive passenger cars with up to 9 seats (including the driver's seat), only allows them to drive trucks with a total design weight of up to 3.5 tons,” Mr. Ha said.

To change your driver's license from B1 or B2 to C1, you must go in person. Photo: N. Huyen

This is also the reason why Mr. Ha had to go directly to the Department of Transportation's driver's license renewal office on Cao Ba Quat Street and queue up.

Explaining this issue to VietNamNet, Mr. Luong Duy Thong, Head of the Vehicle and Driver Management Department (Vietnam Road Administration), stated that the national public service portal currently does not support online conversion of old B1 and B2 driver's licenses to the new C1 license.

Accordingly, the online driver's license conversion software only has a default setting for one option: from B1 or B2 to B class, and does not support multiple options simultaneously.

"Therefore, if people want to upgrade to class C1, they must go through the procedure in person. Those registering to upgrade to class C1 must come to complete the procedure in person, submitting an application to upgrade to class C1 along with a health certificate confirming they meet the requirements to drive a class C1 vehicle," Mr. Thong advised.

Regarding cases where drivers mistakenly switched from B1 or B2 licenses to B license, Mr. Thong believes it was because they hadn't thoroughly researched the new regulations.

Specifically, the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety clearly stipulates that old B1 and B2 driver's licenses will be exchanged for B or C1 licenses (according to the new license classification). A C1 license allows you to drive all vehicles in the B category, and also allows you to drive trucks with a total design weight of over 3.5 tons up to 7.5 tons.

Therefore, if a driver chooses to switch to class B, they will be at a disadvantage, but switching to class C1 gives them more advantages, such as being able to drive all class B vehicles and trucks with a load capacity of 3.5 tons up to 7.5 tons.

Mr. Thong affirmed that during the process of renewing driver's licenses, drivers with old B1 and B2 licenses can directly exchange them for the new C1 license if they do not wish to switch to the B license. However, after renewal, automatic B1 licenses will still only allow drivers to drive automatic transmission vehicles, not manual transmission vehicles.

In response to a question about whether it's possible to switch back to C1 after mistakenly changing a B1 or B2 driver's license to a B license, Mr. Thong stated that drivers wishing to switch back to C1 should contact the Department of Transportation (the agency that issued the B license) to cancel the previously issued B license and reapply for a C1 license.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/doi-nham-bang-lai-xe-muon-chuyen-lai-duoc-khong-2373142.html