Dominican Republic unifies driving license validity to four years

President Luis Abinader has issued Decree 675-26 to unify the validity of driving licenses in the Dominican Republic to four years, regardless of age. This executive action follows a ruling by the Constitutional Court (TC/0904/26), which declared that reducing license validity based solely on age was unconstitutional and discriminatory.

Previously, regulations required drivers over 65, and later those over 75, to renew their licenses every two years. Under the new decree, all licenses will expire on the holder's birthday after a uniform four-year period. The National Institute of Transit and Land Transport (INTRANT) will now determine driving aptitude through physical, theoretical, and practical exams rather than using age as a primary limiting factor.

To mitigate the impact on elderly citizens who were previously issued two-year licenses, INTRANT announced that renewals for this group will be processed free of charge to complete the full four-year term. While age no longer automatically shortens validity, licenses can still be suspended or canceled if medical certifications indicate a permanent physical or mental inability to drive or if other legal requirements are not met.