Dominican Republic Constitutional Court annuls license renewal rule for seniors

The Dominican Republic's Constitutional Court has declared unconstitutional a decree that required drivers over the age of 75 to renew their licenses every two years instead of the standard four-year period. The ruling, issued via sentence TC/0904/26, nullifies Decree 330-26, which had modified previous regulations.

The court determined that using age as a sole criterion to restrict or condition rights violates the constitutional principles of equality and protection for senior citizens. The justices noted that age alone cannot be used to infer driving aptitude; instead, assessments should be based on objective, technical, and individualized criteria. The ruling emphasizes that any such differentiation must be established through formal law passed by Congress rather than executive decree.

The decision follows a direct action of unconstitutionality filed by Fanny Josefina Melo Abreu and Héctor Manuel Melo Abreu. In a dissenting opinion, Magistrate Amaury A. Reyes Torres argued that age should not be the primary factor, suggesting that individual evaluations of a driver's capabilities are more appropriate than blanket age-based restrictions.