Driving licence (civil vehicle) in Laos: statutory documents, competent authority and legal basis

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Who can apply

Both Lao citizens and foreigners may apply; the documents differ.

Competent authority: Testing and issue at your provincial or capital vehicle and driving management office, with class 4 applications also accepted at the district or municipal transport office; the licence is signed by the Transport Department. Foreign licence exchanges and certificates of use go first to the Transport Department and then back to the office where you live for testing

At a glance

Where to apply: Testing and issue: your provincial or capital vehicle and driving management office, with class 4 applications also accepted at the district or municipal transport office; the licence itself is signed by the Transport Department (Arts. 13, 26 and 29). Foreign licence exchanges and certificates go first to the Transport Department and then back to the office where you live for testing (Arts. 16, 17 and 18).

Steps:

  1. First settle which matter you have: first test, renewal, replacement, foreign licence exchange, certificate of use, international licence, military conversion or file transfer
  2. First test: complete the theory and practical course at a driving school and take the certificate, and have the medical done
  3. Prepare the file and lodge it with the provincial or capital office; a foreigner also needs three months of residence or work permit

The full list has 5 items; work through them in the guided form — Open the guided form

How long: The agreement sets no processing times, only fixed points: renewal at least 30 days before expiry; five years for a civil licence and one year each for the international licence and the certificate of use; and, for an international licence, one year of holding the civil licence with more than 30 days left. How many days the office takes is for the counter to say.

Cost: The agreement sets no national fee: Art. 29 merely authorises the provincial and capital offices to charge for testing and printing. As a regional reference, the 2017 Sekong province decision lists 2,000 kip for the form, 5,000 for the document check record, 4,000 for the security stamp, 4,000 for a temporary licence and, for the long-term licence, a figure the Chinese translation gives as 1,006,000 although the Lao table is damaged at that cell and 1,006,000 is the figure on the vehicle registration line above it. The same article gives a total of 121,000, which only adds up if the long-term licence is 106,000, so both figures are given here and the posted rate at the counter prevails.

Statutory document list

Sit the test for a first civil driving licence

Renewal, at least 30 days before expiry

Replace a soiled, broken or snapped licence

Replace a lost licence

Exchange a foreign licence: Lao citizens, foreigners married to a Lao national, or foreigners residing in Laos

Exchange a foreign licence: foreign investors holding an operating licence in Laos

Certificate to use a foreign or international licence in Laos, valid one year

Certificate to use a foreign or international licence in Laos, valid one year

Certificate to use a foreign or international licence in Laos, valid one year

Apply for a Lao international driving licence, for use abroad

Convert a military licence to a civil one

Move the driving file to another province

Statutory requirements

Common issues

The full list has 9 items; work through them in the guided form — Open the guided form

Legal basis (Lao Official Gazette texts)

Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses · Article ມາດຕາ 4 (2024-09-20) — Read the law · Lao Official Gazette
Excerpt: Article 4 Types of Driving Licenses Driving licenses of the Lao PDR are of the following three types: 1. Civil driving license; 2. International driving license; 3. …
Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses · Article ມາດຕາ 5 (2024-09-20) — Read the law · Lao Official Gazette
Excerpt: Article 5 Types of Civil Vehicle Driving Licenses Civil vehicle driving licenses are of the following five types: 1. Motorcycles, three-wheelers, wheeled tractors and trailers; 2. Light vehicles; 3. Cargo trucks; 4. …
Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses · Article ມາດຕາ 11 (2024-09-20) — Read the law · Lao Official Gazette
Excerpt: Article 11 Conditions for Examination for Civil Vehicle Driving License Lao citizens, stateless persons, foreigners and aliens residing or performing duties in the Lao PDR who intend to take the examination for a civil v …
Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses · Article ມາດຕາ 12 (2024-09-20) — Read the law · Lao Official Gazette
Excerpt: Article 12 Procedures for Examination for Civil Vehicle Driving Licenses The examination for obtaining a driving license has the following procedures: 1. …
Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses · Article ມາດຕາ 13 (2024-09-20) — Read the law · Lao Official Gazette
Excerpt: Article 13 Issuance of Civil Vehicle Driving Licenses The Department of Transport, Ministry of Public Works and Transport, is responsible for signing civil vehicle driving licenses, international driving licenses, and ce …
Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses · Article ມາດຕາ 14 (2024-09-20) — Read the law · Lao Official Gazette
Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses · Article ມາດຕາ 15 (2024-09-20) — Read the law · Lao Official Gazette
Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses · Article ມາດຕາ 16 (2024-09-20) — Read the law · Lao Official Gazette
Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses · Article ມາດຕາ 17 (2024-09-20) — Read the law · Lao Official Gazette
Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses · Article ມາດຕາ 18 (2024-09-20) — Read the law · Lao Official Gazette
Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses · Article ມາດຕາ 19 (2024-09-20) — Read the law · Lao Official Gazette
Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses · Article ມາດຕາ 20 (2024-09-20) — Read the law · Lao Official Gazette
Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses · Article ມາດຕາ 21 (2024-09-20) — Read the law · Lao Official Gazette
Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses · Article ມາດຕາ 22 (2024-09-20) — Read the law · Lao Official Gazette
Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses · Article ມາດຕາ 23 (2024-09-20) — Read the law · Lao Official Gazette
Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses · Article ມາດຕາ 24 (2024-09-20) — Read the law · Lao Official Gazette
Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses · Article ມາດຕາ 26 (2024-09-20) — Read the law · Lao Official Gazette
Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses · Article ມາດຕາ 29 (2024-09-20) — Read the law · Lao Official Gazette
Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses · Article ມາດຕາ 33 (2024-09-20) — Read the law · Lao Official Gazette
Traffic Raod Law · Article 13 (2012-12-12) — Read the law · Lao Official Gazette
Traffic Raod Law · Article 14 (2012-12-12) — Read the law · Lao Official Gazette
Traffic Raod Law · Article 15 (2012-12-12) — Read the law · Lao Official Gazette
Traffic Raod Law · Article 16 (2012-12-12) — Read the law · Lao Official Gazette
Traffic Raod Law · Article 17 (2012-12-12) — Read the law · Lao Official Gazette
Decision on Approval of Fees and Printing for Long-Term Vehicle Registration Certificates and Driving Licenses by the Department of Public Works and Transport in Sekong Province · Article 1 (2017-05-04) — Read the law · Lao Official Gazette

Frequently asked questions

Who can apply for a Driving licence (civil vehicle) in Laos?

Both Lao citizens and foreigners may apply; the documents differ. Competent authority: Testing and issue at your provincial or capital vehicle and driving management office, with class 4 applications also accepted at the district or municipal transport office; the licence is signed by the Transport Department. Foreign licence exchanges and certificates of use go first to the Transport Department and then back to the office where you live for testing.

What documents are required for a Driving licence (civil vehicle) in Laos?

28 statutory items: Test application filed with the provincial or capital vehicle and driving management office; class 4 may also be filed with the district or municipal transport office; Certificate of theory and practical training from a driving school under the syllabus, or training by the Public Works and Transport sector; Copy of the identity card or household book; a foreigner must hold a Lao residence or work permit for at least three months; Health certificate from a hospital or from a provincial or capital office equipped for the check: hearing and eyesight sound, not colour-blind, not mentally unfit; The current licence, filed with the health check result at least 30 days before expiry at the provincial or capital vehicle and driving management office; Soiled, broken or snapped: take the original licence and an application straight to your provincial or capital office; Lost: a loss declaration confirmed by the village authority or your own organisation, so that the office can check the record and issue a certificate; Lost: a copy of the identity card or household book; Lost: the office certificate of loss, checked by the provincial or capital traffic police and returned before a new licence is issued; The exchange application on the prescribed form, filed with the Transport Department; The original proof of address; The original health certificate; The foreign licence, still valid for six months or more, with the original presented when filing; Two 3x4 cm colour photographs; A copy of the operating licence, with the original presented when filing; A copy of the passport, with the original presented when filing; A letter of recommendation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the embassy; A copy of the foreign licence valid for twelve months or more, with the original presented when filing; A copy of the passport; Two 2x2.5 cm colour photographs; A letter of recommendation from the relevant authority; The residence permit from the public security authority, original presented when filing; The work permit from the Labour and Social Welfare authority, original presented when filing; You must have held a Lao civil licence for one year from the day you passed, with more than 30 days still to run. The rule sets the conditions but does not itemise the papers, so follow what the Transport Department asks for; The certificate of discharge to civilian status, or the decision on a pension or lump-sum allowance, or the decision assigning you to the civil side or the administration; The exchange application carrying the endorsement of the competent defence unit, plus the transfer letter from the defence ministry licence office; The original military licence with a copy, proof of address, health certificate and six 3x4 cm colour photographs; The file transfer application with a copy of the household book or identity card, filed with the vehicle and driving management office of the province you move to. Competent authority: Testing and issue at your provincial or capital vehicle and driving management office, with class 4 applications also accepted at the district or municipal transport office; the licence is signed by the Transport Department. Foreign licence exchanges and certificates of use go first to the Transport Department and then back to the office where you live for testing.

What is the legal basis for a Driving licence (civil vehicle) in Laos?

Based on Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses Article ມາດຕາ 4; Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses Article ມາດຕາ 5; Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses Article ມາດຕາ 11; Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses Article ມາດຕາ 12; Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses Article ມາດຕາ 13; Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses Article ມາດຕາ 14; Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses Article ມາດຕາ 15; Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses Article ມາດຕາ 16; Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses Article ມາດຕາ 17; Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses Article ມາດຕາ 18; Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses Article ມາດຕາ 19; Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses Article ມາດຕາ 20; Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses Article ມາດຕາ 21; Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses Article ມາດຕາ 22; Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses Article ມາດຕາ 23; Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses Article ມາດຕາ 24; Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses Article ມາດຕາ 26; Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses Article ມາດຕາ 29; Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses Article ມາດຕາ 33; Traffic Raod Law Article 13; Traffic Raod Law Article 14; Traffic Raod Law Article 15; Traffic Raod Law Article 16; Traffic Raod Law Article 17; Decision on Approval of Fees and Printing for Long-Term Vehicle Registration Certificates and Driving Licenses by the Department of Public Works and Transport in Sekong Province Article 1. The full texts are available in the LaoPaniti law library, sourced from the Lao Official Gazette.

Are there time limits or hard requirements for a Driving licence (civil vehicle) in Laos?

Foreigners can obtain a driving licence: Lao citizens, resident aliens, stateless persons and foreigners living or serving in Laos may all sit the civil driving test (Driving Licence Agreement Art. 11). This is the opposite of the land title, which a foreign individual cannot hold. Validity: a civil licence runs five years; a Lao international licence one year; and the certificate to use a foreign or international licence in Laos one year. The last two must be applied for afresh on expiry (Driving Licence Agreement Art. 14). No interpreter may assist in the theory or practical test; the theory paper may not be given orally, and the practical may not be held on a course below the ministry technical standard (Art. 24). For a foreigner this is a hard constraint: you must handle the language yourself. Conditions for a first licence (Art. 11): sound health with good hearing and eyesight, no colour blindness and no mental incapacity, evidenced by a certificate from a hospital or from a provincial or capital office equipped for the check; theory training with the transport sector or a driving school; the theory paper is sat on a computer system and the practical on a course laid out to simulate traffic. Age and class follow the Land Traffic Law: from 16 for motorcycles up to 125cc; from 18 for larger motorcycles, three-wheelers, tractors with trailers, tuk-tuks and vehicles under nine seats or 3,500 kg; and from 21, 25 and 28 for progressively heavier and larger vehicles (Art. 14). Classes are lettered A, A1, A2, A3, B, C, C1, C2, D, D1, D2, E and E1 (Art. 16). The Driving Licence Agreement Art. 11 carries another age table, but the class codes in our scan are garbled, so the law governs and the counter has the final word. Renew early: at least 30 days before expiry take the health check result and the current licence to the provincial or capital vehicle and driving management office (Art. 13). The Transport Department of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport signs civil licences, international licences and the certificates for using foreign licences in Laos. If the licence has been seized by the traffic police for an offence, the office will not consider issuing a new one (Art. 22). A lost licence needs a loss declaration confirmed by the village authority or your organisation, then a certificate from the office checked by the provincial or capital traffic police. Exchanging a foreign licence does not exempt you from testing: after the Transport Department grants the exchange you must still be tested by the vehicle and driving management office where you live, and only on passing is the civil licence issued (Arts. 16 and 17). Certification and exchange are different things: to drive here for a short while on a foreign or international licence you obtain a one-year certificate of use (Arts. 14.3, 15 and 18); to settle here you exchange the licence under Arts. 16 and 17. Certification splits into three groups with different papers: diplomats and international organisation staff bring a recommendation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or their embassy; experts serving in state bodies and students bring one from the relevant authority; businesspeople and foreign workers bring the residence permit and the work permit. A Lao international licence may not be used inside Laos: it is issued to holders of a valid Lao civil licence for use abroad (Art. 19). You must have held the civil licence for a year with more than 30 days still to run; the international licence lasts one year and is then reapplied for (Art. 20). If you move your household registration to another province, transfer the driving file from the province where you passed to the one you move to; that office issues a new licence bearing the new province number while the Transport Department number stays the same (Art. 23).

How much does a Driving licence (civil vehicle) cost in Laos and how long does it take?

Cost: The agreement sets no national fee: Art. 29 merely authorises the provincial and capital offices to charge for testing and printing. As a regional reference, the 2017 Sekong province decision lists 2,000 kip for the form, 5,000 for the document check record, 4,000 for the security stamp, 4,000 for a temporary licence and, for the long-term licence, a figure the Chinese translation gives as 1,006,000 although the Lao table is damaged at that cell and 1,006,000 is the figure on the vehicle registration line above it. The same article gives a total of 121,000, which only adds up if the long-term licence is 106,000, so both figures are given here and the posted rate at the counter prevails.. How long: The agreement sets no processing times, only fixed points: renewal at least 30 days before expiry; five years for a civil licence and one year each for the international licence and the certificate of use; and, for an international licence, one year of holding the civil licence with more than 30 days left. How many days the office takes is for the counter to say..

Can LaoPaniti obtain the Driving licence (civil vehicle) for me?

LaoPaniti organises the document list, offers online form filling, document upload and pre-check hand-off by staff. It is not a government filing, does not represent acceptance or approval by any authority, and promises neither results nor expedited handling. Formal processing follows the current requirements of the Testing and issue at your provincial or capital vehicle and driving management office, with class 4 applications also accepted at the district or municipal transport office; the licence is signed by the Transport Department. Foreign licence exchanges and certificates of use go first to the Transport Department and then back to the office where you live for testing.

Organise documents online and submit for pre-check →

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