Fees for vehicle and driving licenses renewal freeze until late June amid Budget Day panic

The Transport Department said on Wednesday that the renewal fees of expiring and expired vehicle and driving licenses will remain the same before June 27 this year and citizens need not to rush to licensing offices to submit their applications before the Budget is delivered on February 28. 

Until June 27, the current rates will apply to all vehicle licenses as well as all full Hong Kong driving licenses and driving instructor’s licenses eligible for renewal on or before Budget Day, the department said. 

The department added that the special arrangements only apply to the applications for renewal of vehicle licenses, full driving licenses and driving instructor's licenses that meet the conditions above. They do not apply to any other licensing services. 

“It is not necessary for eligible license holders to rush to the department’s licensing offices to submit applications for renewal of their vehicle or driving licenses on speculation that those license fees may increase in the coming Budget,” a spokesman for the department said. 

“The aforementioned arrangements are not related to the content of the Budget, on which the department has no information.” 

According to the department’s website, the annual license fee for private cars that run on petrol ranges from HK$5,074 to HK$14,694, depending on their engine’s cylinder capacity. 

As for private cars that run on light diesel, the fee ranges from HK$6,972 to HK$16,592. 

For a full driving license, the fee now stands at HK$900 for applicants aged 60 or below. The fee for a driving instructor’s license is currently HK$760.