The sequence for an ordinary small car (普通小型車) license is this: be at least 18 and pass the medical and physical fitness test, then apply for a learner's permit (學習駕駛證, NT$100). You can register for the test only after learning for 3 months. The test is a written test (pass mark 85) and a road test, which consists of a closed-course test (場考) and an on-road driving test (道路駕駛考驗) (pass mark 70 each). The registration fee is NT$450 and the license NT$200. From June 30, 2026, the car written test changes to 50 all-multiple-choice questions and includes hazard-perception scenario video questions. From March 31, 2026, the new small-car closed-course scoring sheet requires "turning the head to check the rear-view mirror and check blind spots" at items such as starting, pedestrian crossings, railway level crossings and the circuit road; the Ministry of Transportation and Communications explains that this is a newly added blind-spot-check test item. The legal basis is Articles 56 to 67 of the Road Traffic Safety Rules (道路交通安全規則).
Note: The new car written test rules follow the explanation of the new system posted by the motor vehicles offices on the motor vehicle services website (監理服務網) on July 8, 2026. The closed-course scoring follows Ministry of Transportation and Communications order no. 1155003569 (交授公監字第 1155003569 號令) of March 31, 2026, published in the Executive Yuan Gazette, Volume 032, Issue 057. The official sources this article found do not state the number of video questions or their points in the new written test; rely on the website's mock tests and announcements from the motor vehicles offices. Driving school tuition is set by each school and is not listed here.
Process overview
| Step | What happens | Basis |
|---|
| 1. Medical and physical fitness test | Done at a public hospital or a hospital designated by the motor vehicle authority; valid for 1 year. If you already had the medical check when applying for the learner's permit, you do not need to repeat it within 1 year | Safety Rules Articles 57 and 64; motor vehicle services website |
| 2. Apply for a learner's permit | Aged 18 or older; the learning period is 1 year from the date the permit is issued | Safety Rules Articles 56, 57 and 59 |
| 3. Learn for 3 months or more | You can attend a driving school, or practice on designated learning routes with a license holder beside you | Safety Rules Articles 58 and 60 |
| 4. Book and register | On the motor vehicle services website, choose "test appointment and registration" (考照預約報名) and select ordinary small car | Motor vehicle services website |
| 5. Written test | Traffic rules, pass mark 85; no mechanical knowledge test for an ordinary license | Safety Rules Article 65 |
| 6. Closed-course test | Pass mark 70; if you fail, you cannot take the on-road driving test | Safety Rules Article 65-1 |
| 7. On-road driving test | On roads designated by the motor vehicle authority, with an examiner beside you scoring; pass mark 70 | Safety Rules Article 65-1 and Annex 20 |
| 8. Collect your license | License issuing fee NT$200 | Highway license and motor vehicle fee regulations (公路證照及監理規費收費辦法) |
Learner's permit and practice rules
- Eligibility: Aged 18 or older, and passing the physical examination and fitness test (Safety Rules Article 57).
- Fees: Learner's permit NT$100; electronic learner's permit NT$50.
- Validity: 1 year from the date of issue (Article 59).
- Where to practice: In principle, within a driving practice ground. To practice on a learning route, you must stay on the roads and within the times designated by the competent authority, with a person who holds a license for that vehicle class beside you to instruct and supervise (Article 58). The road test routes can be used as learning routes.
- Penalties for violations: Under Article 21 of the Road Traffic Management and Penalties Act (Chinese: 道路交通管理處罰條例), a learner's permit holder who practices without a license holder instructing beside them, practices outside the practice ground, or practices on roads or at times that have not been permitted is fined from NT$6,000 up to NT$12,000, and the vehicle is moved and held in custody on the spot.
Driving school or self-study?
Article 60 of the Safety Rules requires only 3 months or more of learning to drive for first-time applicants for an ordinary small car, and does not require completing a driving-school course. Whether you choose a driving school or self-study, the differences are in the test location and the vehicle:
| Driving school | Self-study |
|---|
| Test location | Graduates, with approval, may be tested at their original training institution using its vehicles (Safety Rules Article 69) | Go to the test ground at a motor vehicle office or station (監理所站) |
| Order of written and road tests | Graduates tested at their original training institution can take the road test first and take the written test after passing (Article 65) | You must pass the written test before you can take the road test |
| Closed-course test vehicle | The driving school's training car | You may bring your own car: it must come with its vehicle license (行照), have insurance within its validity period, and be a private passenger car with a wheelbase greater than 230 cm |
| On-road driving test vehicle | A test vehicle fitted with the required "on-road driving test" sign and insured as required | Supplied by the highway motor vehicle authority (Article 66) |
From June 30, 2026, a person whose license was revoked and who is barred from testing for 3 years or more must, before retaking the exam, complete the driving-school course for that vehicle class in addition to the road safety seminar (道安講習). Those barred for 6 years or more must also attend a course at the highway personnel training institute (公路人員訓練所), and can only take the test for small cars and ordinary heavy motorcycles. This does not affect ordinary first-time applicants.
Written test: new rules from June 30, 2026
- Everyone taking the car license written test on or after June 30, 2026 uses the new format: all multiple-choice questions, increased to 50 questions, including hazard-perception scenario video questions.
- The new question bank has 1,100 questions in four categories, "correct concepts and attitudes", "culture of actively stopping and yielding", "safe driving ability" and "hazard-perception ability", and adds speed management concepts.
- The pass mark under Article 65 of the Safety Rules is 85 for traffic rules; applicants for an ordinary license are exempt from the mechanical knowledge test.
- The motor vehicle services website offers online mock tests so you can get familiar with the new question types.
Road test: closed-course test and on-road driving test
Article 65-1 of the Safety Rules provides that from May 1, 2017, the small-car road test includes the closed-course test and the on-road driving test. The small-car driver closed-course scoring standard and record sheet (小型車駕駛人場考評分基準及成績紀錄表) that took effect on March 31, 2026 is out of 100 points, with 70 to pass. The main subjects and key deductions:
| Closed-course subject | Key deductions (points) |
|---|
| 1. Pre-drive check and actions before starting | Not checking around the vehicle before getting in 32; not wearing a seat belt 32; not using the turn signal before starting 32; before starting, not turning the head to check the rear-view mirror and blind spots, or not pausing for vehicles or pedestrians 32 |
| 2. Reverse parking into a bay | Touching a line or not stopping within the area 16 (limited to completing it with 1 reverse); stalling 8 |
| 3. Pedestrian crossing | Not slowing down or not pausing to let pedestrians cross first 32; front overhang beyond the stop line when stopped 32; not checking blind spots before starting 32 |
| 4. Parallel parking by the curb | Touching a line or not stopping within the area 16; stalling 8 |
| 5. Curved course forward and reverse | Touching a line going forward 32; for an ordinary small car, touching a line when reversing is not penalized, but each forward correction costs 8 |
| 6. U-turn in a curved alley | Ordinary small cars are exempt from this test |
| 7. Railway level crossing (including MRT) | Not stopping to look, or rushing through 32; stopping, shifting gears or stalling with the vehicle body within the track area 32; not slowing to 15 km/h or below after seeing the level-crossing sign 16 |
| 8. Gear-shift stability test | Manual cars: not shifting up in order to 3rd gear within 45 meters 16; touching a line or stalling while driving 32 |
| 9. Uphill and downhill | Rolling back 15 cm or more on the uphill 16 (consecutive deductions); putting the car in neutral or stalling on the downhill 32 |
| 10. Circuit road driving | Not using the turn signal or not checking blind spots before changing lanes or turning 32; crossing a solid line or scraping or colliding 32; not following the prescribed route 32; steering with one hand 16; braking with the left foot 16 |
If you fail the closed-course test, you cannot take the on-road driving test. In the on-road driving test, an examiner sits beside you and scores. You drive the test vehicle on a road route designated by the motor vehicle authority, and you must obey the road traffic rules and follow the examiner's instructions; the examiner is responsible only for scoring and has no duty to direct or supervise. If accumulated deductions in the closed-course test or the on-road driving test exceed 30 points, the examiner will notify you that the test is terminated, and you must stop the vehicle at a safe place, get out and sit in the back seat (Safety Rules Annex 20).
Fees at a glance
| Item | Amount |
|---|
| Learner's permit | NT$100 (electronic version NT$50) |
| Full car license test (first attempt, or a retake after failing more than 1 year ago) | NT$450 |
| Retaking a single item within 1 year after failing (unlimited times) | NT$225 |
| Closed-course test vehicle fee (free if you bring your own car) | Market price of 4 liters of 95 unleaded gasoline |
| On-road driving test vehicle fee | Market price of 4 liters of 95 unleaded gasoline |
| Car driver's license | NT$200 |
Article 66 of the Safety Rules further provides that for small cars where the Ministry of Transportation and Communications designates specific items to be tested, the test vehicle fee adds the market price of 2 liters of 95 unleaded gasoline. Medical exam fees follow the hospital's charges, and driving school tuition is set by each school. Outstanding traffic fines must be paid off before you can take the test and receive a license; for how to check, see how to look up and pay a traffic ticket.
Retakes, Taipei and New Taipei test sites, and after getting your license
- Retakes: After failing, at least 7 days must have passed since the last test. If you failed the road test, you do not need to retake the written test within 1 year. If you passed the closed-course test but failed the on-road driving test, you do not need to retake the closed-course test within 1 year (Safety Rules Article 67).
- Taipei and New Taipei test sites: When booking on the motor vehicle services website, for Taipei City choose the option 臺北市區監理所（含金門馬祖） (the Taipei City office, including Kinmen and Matsu): No. 21, Sec. 4, Bade Rd., Songshan Dist., Taipei City (臺北市松山區八德路四段 21 號), 02-27630155; Shilin Motor Vehicles Office (士林監理站) 02-28314155. For New Taipei City choose the option 臺北區監理所（北宜花） (the Taipei regional office): No. 7, Ln. 248, Zhongzheng Rd., Shulin Dist., New Taipei City (新北市樹林區中正路 248 巷 7 號), 02-26884366; Banqiao Motor Vehicles Office (板橋監理站) 02-22227835, Luzhou Motor Vehicles Office (蘆洲監理站) 02-22886883.
- No light motorcycles: Car licenses newly obtained from June 30, 2023 do not allow you to drive a light motorcycle (輕型機車). To ride a motorcycle, take a separate test; see how to take the motorcycle license test.
- Renewal: An ordinary license generally does not need to be renewed, and there are separate renewal rules for those aged 70 and over; see whether you need to renew your driver's license.
FAQ
How much does it cost in total to get a car license?
The fees: learner's permit NT$100, full-item test NT$450, license NT$200. If you use the motor vehicle office's test vehicles, add the market price of 4 liters of 95 unleaded gasoline each for the closed-course test and the on-road driving test. Medical exam fees and driving school tuition are extra.
How long must I hold the learner's permit before I can take the test?
Under Article 60 of the Road Traffic Safety Rules, taking the ordinary small car license test requires 3 months or more of experience learning to drive. The learner's permit is valid for 1 year from the date it is issued.
Can I take the car license test through self-study?
Yes. When practicing on designated learning routes during the learning period, a license holder must be beside you to instruct, otherwise you are fined NT$6,000 to NT$12,000 under Article 21 of the Road Traffic Management and Penalties Act. For the closed-course test you can bring your own private passenger car with a valid vehicle license and insurance and a wheelbase greater than 230 cm, and the on-road driving test vehicle is supplied by the motor vehicle authority.
How many questions are on the new car written test?
From June 30, 2026 it is 50 all-multiple-choice questions, drawn from a bank of 1,100 questions, and it includes hazard-perception scenario video questions. The pass mark for traffic rules is 85.
If I fail the closed-course test or the on-road test, which part do I retake?
If you fail the road test, you do not need to retake the written test within 1 year. If you pass the closed-course test but fail the on-road driving test, then within 1 year the next attempt is the on-road driving test only. A retake must be at least 7 days after the last attempt, and a single-item retake within 1 year costs NT$225.
Last updated: 2026-11-03
This article was compiled by SOSfix editors from public information and is for general reference only. For individual cases, contact the Taipei City office (臺北市區監理所) at 02-27630155 or the Taipei regional office (臺北區監理所) at 02-26884366.
Sources
- Motor vehicle services website: car license test requirements (in Chinese, verified 2026-11-02): the medical and physical fitness test is valid for 1 year, photos, proof of identity, 3 months of learning, registration fee NT$450 / NT$225, vehicle license, insurance and 230 cm wheelbase for your own car, fines paid off, retake after 7 days.
- Motor vehicle services website latest news: new license management rules, driving school first after revocation, major written test reform (in Chinese; Qishan Motor Vehicles Office (旗山監理站), published 2026-07-08, verified 2026-11-02): from June 30, 2026 the car written test is all multiple choice with 50 questions, hazard-perception scenario video questions and a bank of 1,100 questions; a test ban of 3 years or more after revocation means driving school first.
- Executive Yuan Gazette Volume 032, Issue 057 (2026-03-31): Ministry of Transportation and Communications order no. 1155003569 amending the small-car driver closed-course scoring standard and record sheet (in Chinese, downloaded 2026-11-02): effective March 31, 2026; closed-course subjects and deductions, 32 points for blind-spot checks and yielding to pedestrians, 70 to pass.
- Ministry of Transportation and Communications press release: driving license system reform, 17 new measures phased in from 2026 (in Chinese, published 2025-10-01, verified 2026-11-03): the road test adds test actions for yielding items, and small cars add a blind-spot-check test item.
- Laws and regulations database (全國法規資料庫): Road Traffic Safety Rules (in Chinese; amended June 26, 2026, verified 2026-11-02): Articles 56 to 61, 64, 65, 65-1, 66, 67 and 69.
- Laws and regulations database: Annex 20 of the Road Traffic Safety Rules, test provisions, insurance amounts and sign plates for on-road driving test vehicles (in Chinese, downloaded 2026-11-02): the test is terminated when deductions exceed 30 points, the examiner has no duty to direct or supervise, and the test vehicle sign plate and insurance.
- Laws and regulations database: highway license and motor vehicle fee regulations (公路證照及監理規費收費辦法) (in Chinese; amended May 29, 2026, verified 2026-11-02): schedule: learner's permit NT$100 (electronic NT$50), car test NT$450 / NT$225, license NT$200.
- Laws and regulations database: Road Traffic Management and Penalties Act (in Chinese; amended August 17, 2026, verified 2026-11-02): Article 21, paragraph 1, items 6 and 7: learner's-driving violations, NT$6,000 to NT$12,000 (the effective date of Article 21 as amended on August 17, 2026 is to be set by the Executive Yuan; the amounts for these two items were the same before the amendment).
- Motor vehicle services website: motor vehicle office locations (in Chinese, verified 2026-11-02): addresses and phone numbers of the Taipei and New Taipei offices.
- Motor vehicle services website: test appointment and registration (in Chinese, verified 2026-11-02): test location options.
