Quick answer
What size is a Chinese driving licence photo?
A Chinese driving licence photo is 32 mm high and 22 mm wide, about 1 inch, in colour on a white background and taken within 6 months, with the head 14–16 mm wide and 19–22 mm long, according to Beijing traffic police. You can renew in the 交管12123 app after a medical check.
A Chinese driving licence photo (驾驶证照片) is 32 mm high and 22 mm wide, about 1 inch, in colour on a white background and taken within the last 6 months. The head is 14–16 mm wide and 19–22 mm long, and the digital photo for the electronic licence is 520 × 756 pixels.
The photo rules come from the mandatory public security standard GA 482-2012 《中华人民共和国机动车驾驶证件》, clause 5.2.3, in force since 1 January 2013. The Ministry of Public Security's licence regulation, 《机动车驾驶证申领和使用规定》 as amended by Order No. 172, says only that the licence shows your photo. To apply you need proof of identity and a medical certificate of your physical condition.
Driving licence photo size
| Print size | 32 mm high × 22 mm wide, "相当于1英寸" (about 1 inch) |
|---|---|
| Head width | 14–16 mm |
| Head length | 19–22 mm |
| Background | White |
| Type | Colour, straight-edged, front-facing, bare-headed half-length photo of you alone |
| Taken within | 6 months before you apply |
| Digital (e-licence) | 520 × 756 px, head 331–378 px wide |
| File size and format | Not published on the official pages we checked |
Print rules from Beijing traffic police (2026); pixel sizes from a district government explainer on the 12123 electronic licence that cites GA 482-2012 clause 5.2.3.
Clothing and appearance
Do
- Use a plain white background and even light
- Sit upright with your shoulders level, and look straight at the lens with a natural expression
- Keep your hair off your face and ears
- Use a sharp, undistorted photo taken in the last 6 months
Don't
- Wear very light-coloured clothes or a uniform
- Wear a mask, sunglasses, a hat, a scarf or jewellery
- Wear heavy make-up, pull a face, gesture or blink
- Retouch your features or use a composite photo
Uploads in the app are also checked for content: the photo must not show slogans, symbols, numbers or text that break the law or public decency.
Sample photos
The samples use the 33:48 passport shape. A licence photo is narrower, at 22 × 32 mm.
Renewing: at the counter or in 交管12123
| Step | At a vehicle administration office (Beijing) | In the 交管12123 app |
|---|---|---|
| Medical check | 《机动车驾驶人身体条件证明》 from an approved hospital or clinic. No paper copy is needed if the clinic sent the result online | Take the check at a designated clinic first. In Beijing the result uploads automatically |
| Photo | 3 photos to the size above | Submit a licence photo when prompted: one you uploaded before, or one taken live |
| Fee | 10 yuan per licence | 10 yuan, plus postage if mailed (Qingdao) |
| Collection | Licence issued within half a working day | Collect at an outlet or have it mailed |
Drivers aged 70 or over in Beijing must also pass a memory, judgement and reaction test at a branch office. After renewing, apply again for the electronic licence in 交管12123 if you had one.
Photos you already have on record
Some cities share police-captured photos between services. In Shanghai, a photo taken at a police photo point can be reused for driving licence business within 6 months. Guangzhou's photo receipts, valid for 1 year (180 days for under-16s), cover vehicle and driver services as well as ID cards and exit-entry documents. See photo receipts.
How to get a Chinese driving licence photo
- Take the medical check first. For a renewal, go to a designated hospital or clinic for the driver medical check. In Beijing the result is uploaded online automatically.
- Dress for a white background. Avoid very light clothes and uniforms. Take off sunglasses, hats, scarves, masks and jewellery, and keep your hair off your face and ears.
- Get a 32 × 22 mm photo. Use a studio, or crop a white-background photo to 32 mm high and 22 mm wide with the head 14–16 mm wide and 19–22 mm long.
- Submit it. Bring 3 prints to the counter in Beijing, or submit a photo in the 交管12123 app when prompted, either one you uploaded before or one taken live.
- Pay and collect. Pay the 10 yuan licence fee, then collect the licence at an outlet or have it mailed.
There is no ready-made licence preset
Our linked photo tool has no 22 × 32 mm driving licence size. The button opens its 26 × 32 mm white-background ID photo, which has the same height. Trim 2 mm from each side to get 22 mm wide, keeping your head centred. For the app, use the 12123 live photo option if you are unsure.
Driving licence photo FAQ
32 mm high and 22 mm wide, which Beijing traffic police describe as about 1 inch. The head is 14–16 mm wide and 19–22 mm long. The digital version for the electronic licence is 520 × 756 pixels.
No. Both are 32 mm high on a white background, but the ID card photo is 26 mm wide and the licence photo only 22 mm wide. A 26 × 32 mm ID photo can be trimmed to 22 mm wide if the head stays centred.
Beijing's guide for expiry renewal at a vehicle administration office asks for 3 photos. If you renew in the 交管12123 app, you submit one photo in the app, either one you uploaded before or one you take live.
Yes, in the 交管12123 app or on the traffic management website. First take the medical check at a designated clinic, which can send the result online. Then apply in the app, submit your photo and choose collection or delivery. Beijing and Qingdao charge 10 yuan for the licence, plus postage if it is mailed.
The rules we found do not mention clear glasses. They do ban sunglasses, hats, masks, scarves and jewellery, and ask that your hair does not cover your face or ears. If you wear glasses, make sure there is no glare on the lenses.
It must be taken within 6 months of your application. In Shanghai, a photo taken at a police photo point can be reused for the driving licence only within 6 months, against 3 years for the ID card.
Official sources
- Beijing Traffic Management Bureau: 驾驶人相片要求 (driver photo requirements)
- Beijing Traffic Management Bureau: 机动车驾驶证期满换证及审验 (expiry renewal guide)
- Beijing Traffic Management Bureau: renewing in the 交管12123 app
- Lishi District Government: electronic driving licence photo rules (GA 482-2012)
- Qingdao government: driving licence expiry renewal guide
- National standards platform: GA 482-2012 中华人民共和国机动车驾驶证件
- Beijing government: 机动车驾驶证申领和使用规定 (Order No. 172)
- Shanghai Public Security Bureau: unified photo library
- Guangdong government: Guangzhou extends ID photo validity to 1 year
Last checked . Requirements and fees can change, so always confirm with the issuing agency before you apply. This site is independent and not affiliated with any government agency.