Lost your driving licence while renewing it? What to do

What to do if you lose your driving licence while renewal is under way, and how to coordinate the police report, replacement and medical examination.

Report the loss to the police immediately and explain that renewal is already under way. A temporary permit depends on whether the licence can be replaced and whether it is valid.

Report the loss and ask about a temporary permit

If your licence goes missing while you are renewing it, report the loss to a police authority and bring your identity document and photographs if requested. The police will check whether the licence can be replaced through the centralised procedure and, when the conditions are met, issue a temporary permit. The Official Motorist Portal states that the permit to drive applies to a valid licence with no disqualifying measures: reporting a lost, expired or suspended licence does not make it valid.

Explain immediately that a medical examination or renewal process has already started, and show any receipts and certificates. Do not assume that the police report replaces the medical certificate or that a replacement will arrive automatically. If the simplified procedure cannot replace the document, the police will tell you what request to submit to the Motorization Authority and the conditions for a temporary permit.

Coordinate the replacement with your renewal

Renewal may result in a new licence being issued on the basis of the digital medical certificate. If the loss occurs before renewal is complete, contact the doctor or centre that started the process and ask whether the outcome has been transmitted. Then contact the UMC or the channel indicated on the Official Motorist Portal so that a lost-licence replacement request does not conflict with a replacement issued as part of renewal.

Keep the report number, examination date, any reference number and temporary permit together. Give these details to the offices instead of opening repeated requests without a reference: your case may already be in the system. If the licence cannot be replaced through the centralised process, ask which form and office are responsible and whether you need a new photograph or a paper certificate.

Drive only with a valid document

Check the expiry date and conditions of use on the temporary permit. If renewal is not complete, a medical examination receipt is not necessarily a substitute for your driving licence. Do not drive if no temporary permit has been issued, it has expired, or it does not cover the vehicle category. If in doubt, call the authority that issued it and ask them to confirm its validity in writing.

If the replacement does not arrive when expected, consult the Official Motorist Portal's delivery page and contact its official support channels, quoting the permit number. Note when and where the new card was sent. Avoid sending full copies of your licence or identity documents through unsecured chats.

Quick checklist

Report the loss, show your identity document and renewal receipts, ask whether the licence can be replaced, check whether a temporary permit has been issued and how long it lasts, then coordinate the replacement with whoever submitted your medical examination. Each case can depend on the status of the application in the system: the police, medical centre and Motorization Authority have different roles.

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