Below find information on:

Rules & Regulations

• Drive on the left (Hong Kong does not allow left-hand drive vehicles to be registered in Hong Kong except in special circumstances)
• Overtake on the right unless there are traffic queues
• All drivers must be aged at least 18 and hold a valid driving licence
• Driver and passengers - front or back - must wear a seat belt if one is fitted. (It is not necessary for the driver to wear a seat belt when carrying out manoeuvres such as reversing, three-point turns or parking)
• By law all drivers must have third party insurance
• A valid vehicle licence must be displayed on the left hand side of the windscreen
• Using a mobile cellular telephone is forbidden (drivers may use a hands-free system)
• Cars entering from minor roads must give way to traffic on main roads
• Cars turning right must give way to oncoming traffic
• Give way to buses and minibuses
• It is compulsory for motorcyclists to wear a helmet

Other rules, and items to be carried in the vehicle

• A valid driving licence must be kept with the driver at all times when driving
• Insurance documents must be carried in the vehicle
• Prescription glasses should be used if needed to meet the driving test standard, which is the ability to read a vehicle number plate at a distance of 23m in good daylight
• Learner drivers must have L-plates fitted to their vehicle. They can only drive at certain times of the day with a qualified driving instructor and must not carry passengers. Certain roads are prohibited to them
• It is not compulsory to carry a warning triangle or first aid kit in the vehicle
• The Road Users' Code is available from the Transport Department

After a car is six years old, it must pass an annual Roadworthiness Test at any of the 23 designated car testing centres. 

• See AngloINFO INFOrmation page Vehicle Roadworthiness Tests in Hong Kong

Annual Vehicle Licence

There is an annual vehicle licence fee which is calculated on engine size. Proof of identity (photocopy or original), proof of third party insurance, the original registration document, a roadworthiness certificate and the appropriate fee will need to be shown when applying for or renewing a vehicle licence. It can be paid at any of the following Licensing Authorities:

• Hong Kong Licensing Office
  At: 3/F, United Centre, 95 Queensway, Hong Kong
  Tel: 2804 2600
  Fax: 2804 2599
• Kowloon Licensing Office
  At: 2/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon
  Tel: 2150 7728
  Fax: 2782 0153
• Kwun Tong Licensing Office
  At: 5/F, Kowloon East Government Office, 12 Lei Yue Mun Road, Kowloon
  Tel: 2775 6835
  Fax: 2348 2150
• Sha Tin Licensing Office
  At: 2/F, Sha Tin Government Offices, 1 Sheung Wo Che Road, Sha Tin, New Territories
  Tel: 2606 1468
  Fax: 2691 1242
• For information on vehicle licence fees from the Transport Department: Click here

Vehicle licences can be renewed up to four months before the expiry date. 

• A vehicle licence renewal form can be downloaded: Click here (PDF)
• Alternatively the licence can be renewed online: Click here

Types of Roads

Road signs in Hong Kong are in both Chinese and English. The speed limit is shown on signs and road markings. The limit for cars on urban roads is 50 Km/h or 70 Km/h unless road signs show otherwise. In some residential areas speed can be limited to 30 Km/h. There are fines for speeding.

Hong Kong Strategic Route and exit number system

Hong Kong roads are organised into a series of major roads classified into three categories:

• North-South routes
• East-West routes
• New Territories Ring Road

Route numbers are green, black or blue on yellow overhead signs. Exit numbers are white in yellow boxes on road signs.

• For a map of Hong Kong's strategic routes: Click here
• For real-time information on traffic flow and congestion on all Hong Kong roads: Click here

Toll Roads

There are tolls on the following tunnels:

• Aberdeen Tunnel
• Cross Harbour Tunnel
• Discovery Bay Tunnel Link
• Eastern Harbour Crossing
• Lion Rock Tunnel (North Kowloon to Sha Tin)
• Shing Mun Tunnels (Tsuen Wan to Sha Tin)
• Tai Lam Tunnel (Yuen Long)
• Tate's Cairn Tunnel
• Tseung Kwan O Tunnel (Kwun Tong to Tseung Kwan O New Town)
• Western Harbour Crossing
• Further information from the Highways Department

A prepaid electronic toll collection system, known as Autotoll, allows drivers to avoid having to stop and pay cash at the toll booths. Expenses are charged to a prepaid account.

• Autotoll Hotline 
  Tel: 2627 8888
  Website

Parking & Fines

There are around 17,800 pay and display or individual parking meters available throughout Hong Kong. These operate from 08:00 until midnight on weekdays, and from 10:00-22:00 on Sundays and public holidays. There are fixed time limits on parking meters ranging from 30 minutes to two hours, and stored-value Octopus cards are used for making payment. There are fourteen government-owned multi-storey car parks and an estimated 600,000 plus private parking spaces.

• For a list of their locations and opening hours: Click here

Illegal parking can lead to a fixed penalty ticket, wheel clamping or the vehicle being towed away. All fines can be paid at any bank teller machine. 

Speeding fines can be given or on the spot, or sent by post if speeding was registered on one of the hidden cameras. The speeding ticket will contain information on where, how and before when to pay the fine. Reminders will be sent in case of non-payment.

Driving & Drinking

The prescribed alcohol limit is: 

• 22 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath
• 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood
• 67mg of alcohol per 100ml of urine

Any driver found exceeding the prescribed limit may face prosecution.

• First conviction: 10 demerit-offence points or possible disqualification from driving
• Subsequent conviction: driving licence suspended (two years or more), a fine and up to three years' imprisonment

It is also an offence if a motorist, without reasonable excuse, refuses or fails to provide specimens of breath, blood or urine for analysis.

The Driving-Offence Points System

A driving-offence points system has been used in Hong Kong since 1984. Committing an offence which has a direct bearing on road safety will result in points being recorded. When a certain number of points has been recorded, the motorist can be disqualified from driving for a certain period.

If a motorist has incurred more than 8, but less than 15 points, the Transport Department will issue an Advice of Driving Offence-Points. This advice will detail the Driving-Offence Points accrued within two years and remind the driver of the consequences arising from the accumulation of more points.

A driver with more than 15 points in a two-year period may be disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence for a period of three months. This increases to six months for any subsequent convictions.

• For a comprehensive list of driving offences and the points attached to them: Click here

A Certificate of Traffic Conviction Record can be obtained from the Police Traffic Conviction Records Office. This has to be done in person at the office below and there is a fee.

• Police Headquarters
  At: 11/F, Arsenal House, 1 Arsenal Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
  Tel: 2866 6552

Queries concerning the record of any driving-offence points should be sent in writing to:

• The Commissioner of Police (Attn: Central Traffic Prosecutions Division) 
  11/F, Arsenal House, 1 Arsenal Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

All other enquiries regarding the driving-offence points system should be addressed to:

• The Driving-offence Points Office
  Transport Department
  At: 3/F United Centre, 95 Queensway, Hong Kong
  Tel: 1823

Breakdown Assistance

The Hong Kong Automobile Association (HKAA) offers various services from car inspection and storage to evaluations and emissions tests.

• The Hong Kong Automobile Association
  At: 391 Nathan Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon
  Tel: 2739 5273
  Website
• HKAA 24-hour emergency rescue service: Tel: 2304 4911

Further Information

• For further information on all driving-related matters including the driving licence, the driving test, taxes and expressway regulations see the Hong Kong Transport Department
• Clear the Air: organisation dedicated to improving Hong Kong's air quality
• Environmental Protection Department
• The Motor Insurers' Bureau
• The AngloINFO INFOrmation Page on Accidents in Hong Kong
• The AngloINFO INFOrmation Page on Insuring a Vehicle in Hong Kong
• The AngloINFO INFOrmation Page on Vehicle Roadworthiness in Hong Kong
• The AngloINFO INFOrmation Page on Buying & Selling a Car in Hong Kong
• The AngloINFO INFOrmation Page on Registering a Foreign Vehicle in Hong Kong
• The AngloINFO INFOrmation Page on How to Get a Driving Licence in Hong Kong
• The AngloINFO INFOrmation Page on Exchanging a Driving Licence in Hong Kong

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