Lost Your Driver’s License in Hanoi? Here’s What to Do

“When a house is on fire, rats will come out,” the saying goes. This is especially true for drivers like us, whose livelihood depends on the steering wheel. Losing a driver’s license feels like losing a fortune, filled with worry and uncertainty about what to do next. Fellow drivers at My Dinh bus station have shared their tragicomic stories of forgetting their licenses at roadside cafes. Luckily, after a frantic search, they were fortunate enough to retrieve them. But for less fortunate drivers, losing a driver’s license is a real nightmare. So, when this “fortune” disappears from your wallet, what should you do? Don’t worry, this article will guide you through the process!

Losing a Driver’s License: A Common Problem for Drivers

What Does it Mean to Lose Your Driver’s License?

Simply put, losing your driver’s license means you no longer have the blue plastic card that contains your personal information and driving class due to various subjective and objective reasons.

Reasons Why Drivers Lose Sleep

There are many reasons for losing a driver’s license, the most common being:

• Losing it: Leaving it at a cafe, in a taxi, or even dropping it on the street… are “tragicomic” situations that many drivers encounter.
• Theft: Pickpocketing and theft are increasingly common, and driver’s licenses have become a “tasty morsel” for criminals.
• Damage: A driver’s license can be damaged by water, fire, or tearing to the point of being unusable.
• Expiration: Less common, but there are cases where drivers completely forget to renew their licenses.

Lost driver's license after dropping it

Serious Consequences of Losing Your Driver’s License

Losing your driver’s license not only causes inconvenience in proving your identity but also leads to more serious consequences than you might think:

• Administrative Fines: According to current regulations, drivers will be fined from 300,000 to 500,000 VND for operating a vehicle without the required documents.
• Loss of Income: Not being able to drive means that drivers have to “hang up their keys,” temporarily stop working, directly affecting their income.
• Difficulties in Administrative Procedures: A driver’s license is one of the essential documents needed for many administrative procedures such as buying and selling vehicles, registering for residence, etc.