Replacing a Lost Korean Driver License: Online, Test Office, Police, and Temporary Certificate

This independent guide prioritizes current laws and public-agency guidance. It is not an official government, test-center or police website. Confirm changing fees and requirements with the responsible authority before applying.

If you lose a Korean driver's license card, you do not retake the licensing tests. You apply for a replacement using the existing license record and registered photograph. The three main routes are the Safe Driving online service, a driver's license examination office, and a police civil-service desk. The right route depends largely on whether you need a temporary driving certificate while waiting.

Online application is convenient, but KOROAD does not issue a temporary driving certificate for an online request. A police station can accept a replacement request and may issue the temporary certificate during an in-person application. An examination office handles license-card services directly, so an urgent applicant should ask the selected office about its current same-day collection availability before visiting. The current fee is KRW 10,000 for a standard card and KRW 15,000 for a mobile-IC card. A new photo is not required for a simple loss replacement.

Key points

The basic document for a lost-card replacement is an identity document accepted by KOROAD.
Applications are available at examination offices, through the Safe Driving website, and at police civil-service desks. KOROAD excludes Gangnam Police Station from this service.
Standard Korean or bilingual cards cost KRW 10,000; mobile-IC Korean or bilingual cards cost KRW 15,000.
A simple loss replacement uses the registered photograph and does not require a new photo.
An online request does not produce a temporary driving certificate. KOROAD identifies an in-person police application as the route where one can be issued.
If the old card is found after replacement, Korean law requires its return within seven days.

Choosing online, an examination office, or a police station

RouteBest fitCritical checkSafe Driving websiteYou do not need a temporary certificate and can collect the card in person at the selected locationNo temporary certificate; existing photo; confirm collection place and dateDriver's license examination officeYou want direct card-service processing and a clear collection scheduleAsk about hours, congestion, and same-day collection before travellingPolice civil-service deskA nearby station is convenient or you need a temporary driving certificateGangnam Police Station is excluded; confirm the later card-collection date

KOROAD also lists the Overseas Koreans Agency Service Support Center for qualifying overseas Koreans living in Korea. Most domestic applicants can compare the three routes above. Confirm office hours, appointment requirements, and collection details on the actual application date.

What to do immediately after the loss

After checking the wallet, bag, vehicle, and recent locations, choose a replacement route if the card is unlikely to be recovered promptly. This is a card-replacement process for an existing license record, not a new driving test. Because the physical card contains a name, portrait, birth information, and license number, it is sensible not to leave the matter unresolved for a long period.

Open KOROAD's Safe Driving replacement guide and identify the available card type.
Decide whether you need a temporary driving certificate before the replacement arrives.
Choose a standard card or a mobile-IC card.
Prepare an identity document accepted by KOROAD.
For online service, confirm the collection place and date; for a visit, confirm desk hours.
If the old card is found later, keep it securely for the required return rather than using it.

If every primary identity document was lost with the license, review the accepted identification guide before relying on a student card, photocopy, or screenshot.

When online replacement works best

The Safe Driving website allows an authenticated applicant to request a replacement and choose a collection location and available date. Treat this as an online application with later collection, not as instant home delivery. Under the Enforcement Rule, an issued driver's license is generally collected by the license holder in person.

The online route uses the photograph already registered in the license record. KOROAD's issuance guide describes internet replacement as available only with the existing photograph. If you want to replace the portrait, ask an examination office or police station about the in-person procedure and the exact photo requirement.

The decisive limitation is that an online replacement does not issue a temporary driving certificate. If you must drive before card collection and do not have another valid official licensing credential, review the police-station route before finalizing the online request.

When to visit an examination office

Every driver's license examination office is an official replacement location. Direct handling by the licensing office makes this route worth considering when collection is urgent. Waiting time and collection availability can still depend on desk congestion, equipment, inventory, and arrival time. Ask the specific office instead of assuming that every visit guarantees immediate issuance.

Check the office's service hours, whether a reservation is recommended, and whether the chosen card type is available for same-day collection. Normal weekday information does not guarantee holiday, special-duty, or evening service.

Police stations and the temporary driving certificate

KOROAD lists police civil-service desks as replacement locations and specifically excludes Gangnam Police Station. A practical advantage is the possibility of obtaining a temporary driving certificate during an in-person police application while the new card is being prepared.

Article 91 of the Road Traffic Act allows a temporary driving certificate for a person who has applied for replacement and gives that certificate the same effect as a driver's license during its valid period. Article 88 of the Enforcement Rule sets a maximum period of 20 days for this replacement situation. Follow the actual expiry date printed on the document.

The certificate is not automatically created merely because a card was lost. Ask the police civil-service desk whether it can be issued with your replacement request and what to bring. If an online replacement has already been submitted, ask the station whether a separate temporary-certificate request is available rather than assuming it is.

Documents, photograph, and fees

Lost card: an identity document accepted by KOROAD.
Damaged card: the damaged license; another ID is needed if the card cannot establish identity.
Name change: the old license or ID if it was lost, plus a basic certificate, resident registration extract, or other record showing both names.
Standard card: KRW 10,000 for Korean or bilingual format.
Mobile-IC card: KRW 15,000 for Korean or bilingual format.

No photo is required for an ordinary loss replacement. A portrait change may require an in-person process and a compliant photo. Review the driver-license photo specification guide, then confirm the exact submission requirement with the receiving office.

These fees reflect KOROAD's current public guide. Postal charges, portrait changes, or additional license services may add a separate amount. Confirm the final price in the application screen or at the desk.

Standard card or mobile-IC card

A standard license is the basic physical card. A mobile-IC license is a physical card containing the function used to issue the official mobile identity credential. Choosing mobile IC can make later mobile setup easier, but the replacement fee is higher.

KOROAD explains that a phone change, app deletion, physical license change, or expiration of the mobile credential's three-year period can require a new mobile issuance process through IC tagging or an on-site QR request. Compare both methods in the IC license and on-site QR guide.

Proxy application is not proxy collection

KOROAD permits a proxy to submit a standard replacement request when the applicant's ID, the proxy's ID, and the applicant's signed power of attorney are provided. The issued driver's license must still be collected by the license holder. Do not assume that a proxy can complete both submission and card collection.

A mobile driver's license must be requested by the holder personally. If the application combines physical replacement with a mobile-IC choice, state the exact request type when asking whether a proxy can be used.

If the old card is found after replacement

Do not alternate between the new and recovered cards or keep the old card as a spare. Article 95 of the Road Traffic Act requires a license holder who finds a lost card after replacement to return it to the competent police authority within seven days from the discovery.

Ask the local police authority where and how to return the recovered card before destroying or mailing it. If the card is found overseas or an immediate visit is difficult, obtain instructions rather than sending it to an unconfirmed address.

Mistake-prevention checklist

Decide whether a temporary driving certificate is needed before choosing the route.
Remember that online application does not issue the temporary certificate.
For a police request, confirm the Gangnam Police Station exclusion and later collection schedule.
Ask an examination office about hours and same-day availability before travelling.
Prepare an ID accepted by KOROAD.
Separate the no-photo loss replacement from a portrait-change request.
Confirm the KRW 10,000 standard and KRW 15,000 mobile-IC fees.
Review the collection location and date before submitting online.
Remember that a proxy application still requires personal collection.
Plan to return the old card within seven days if it is found after replacement.
If using a mobile license, check whether the physical-card change requires mobile reissuance.

Frequently asked questions

Must I take a new photo after losing the card?

No photo is required for a simple loss replacement. The online route uses the existing registered photograph. Ask about an in-person process if you want to change it.

Does an online request mean instant home delivery?

No. Review the collection office and date shown during the application. The issued card is generally collected by the holder in person.

Can I drive while waiting for the new card?

Ask a police civil-service desk about a temporary driving certificate with an in-person replacement request. A valid certificate has the same effect as a license during its stated period. Online replacement does not issue one.

How long is the temporary certificate valid?

The Enforcement Rule allows up to 20 days for a replacement request. The expiry printed on the issued certificate controls the actual period.

Can a proxy apply and collect for me?

A proxy may submit a standard request with the required IDs and power of attorney, but the holder must collect the card. A mobile driver's license requires personal application.

May I discard the old card if I find it later?

No. The Road Traffic Act requires its return within seven days after it is found. Ask the competent police authority for the return method.

Related guides

Official references

Written and last reviewed: September 23, 2026. Fees, hours, collection dates, mobile-device conditions, and accepted ID can change. Recheck KOROAD's Safe Driving service on the application date.

This independent information site publishes editorial guidance based on public material from KOROAD and the National Law Information Center. It does not represent those authorities and cannot guarantee same-day issuance at a particular desk or acceptance of an individual document.