New driving licence rules change renewals and retakes

New rules taking effect on September 1 will change renewal periods, examination retakes and procedures for lost driving licences, ORF Vorarlberg reported. Holders of driving licences in categories C and D aged 60 and over will be able to renew them every five years instead of every two.

ÖAMTC lawyer Ursula Zelenka said the change would reduce administrative work for professional drivers.

International driving licences issued under the Vienna Convention will be valid for three years. The rule does not apply to countries including the United States and Canada, where the validity period remains one year.

Exam deadlines and cheating attempts

People who fail their driving test will be able to retake it after 12 days, rather than the previous two weeks.

However, the suspension period for cheating attempts will double from nine months to 18 months. Zelenka highlighted this change in particular.

Lost or surrendered licences

If a driving licence is lost or stolen, the related police confirmation will be valid for up to eight weeks, compared with four weeks previously. A replacement licence is issued more quickly in most cases, but the longer period provides additional flexibility.

People who fully surrender their driving entitlement must return their licence. Those who surrender only part of their entitlement will receive a new licence reflecting the change.