Dominican Republic standardizes driver license validity

The Dominican Republic’s Constitutional Court annulled a decree that required drivers over the age of 75 to renew their licenses every two years instead of the standard four-year period. In ruling TC/0904/26, the court found that using age as the sole criterion for such restrictions violated constitutional principles of equality and protection for senior citizens. The justices stated that age alone cannot be used to infer driving aptitude and that any such differentiation must be established through formal law passed by Congress rather than executive decree.

Following the ruling, President Luis Abinader issued Decree 675-26 to modify driver's license regulations and establish a uniform four-year validity period for all drivers. This measure aims to prevent age discrimination by stipulating that age alone cannot be the sole criterion for limiting or denying license validity. Under the new decree, licenses will expire on the holder's birthday to ensure a uniform term in accordance with Law 63-17. Instead, driving aptitude will be determined through physical, theoretical, and practical evaluations.

The National Institute of Transit and Land Transportation (INTRANT) has begun administrative adjustments to its systems and procedures to comply with the decision. 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 the renewal period is now standardized, the decree maintains that licenses can still be suspended or canceled based on medical certification of permanent physical or mental incapacity or failure to meet legal requirements.