Korean Driver's License Translation
Korean driver's license translation for a DMV that will swap a 운전면허증 for a state license, an insurer or a rental company, or a traffic court. Many US states exchange a Korean license without a road test under agreements with Korea, and each one wants the Korean card in English.
- Up to 250 words per page
- $25 per page
- Standard turnaround
- From 24 hours
- Certificate of accuracy
- Signed & stamped
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Written for Korean driver's license records
Reading a Korean 운전면허증
The card is small, the classes do not map to US ones, and the number encodes where it was issued. The translation has to explain all three.
License classes
Korea licenses by 종 and 구분: 1종 대형 for buses and large trucks, 1종 보통 for cars and trucks up to 12 tons, 2종 보통 for cars, 2종 소형 for motorcycles, and 1종 특수 for trailers and tow trucks. A US DMV reads these as Class D or commercial, so we translate the class name literally and add what it covers rather than inventing a US class.
Number, period and conditions
The 면허번호 reads like 11-19-123456-78: the first pair is the issuing region, the second the year, and the rest the serial and a check pair. The card gives the 적성검사 기간 or 갱신기간, the window in which the holder must renew, usually every ten years, and a DMV reads its end date as the expiry. Restrictions sit in the 조건 box as letter codes, such as A for automatic transmission only, and we write each one out in words.
English license, IDP and the mobile card
Since 2019 the 도로교통공단 issues an 영문 운전면허증 with English on the back, and since 2022 a 모바일 운전면허증 on a phone. Neither replaces a certified translation at most DMVs, which want the front and back of the plastic card translated with the translator's signature on the page. A 국제운전면허증 from a 경찰서 is a separate booklet for driving abroad, not a license, and we translate it when a rental company or an officer asks.
Who is asking for your Korean driver's license translation?
The translation is the same. What changes is whether the recipient wants anything added to it.
State DMVs
Most DMV offices accept a certified translation of a foreign license. A few want it notarized as well, so check with your office before you order.
USCIS
USCIS asks for a complete English translation and a signed certification from the translator. No notarization is needed.
US passports and the Department of State
The Department of State wants the translation notarized. Add notarization at checkout and we handle the rest.
Before you upload
Three things that save a day of back and forth on a Korean driver's license.
Scan both sides
The categories, restrictions and the issue and expiry dates are usually on the back. Upload the front and the back in one order so the translation covers the whole card.
Match the name to your passport
Tell us the English spelling you use. The translation shows the name as the license prints it and notes your spelling so the office can match both.
Ask the office which format they accept
Some DMVs want a certified translation, others want it notarized as well. Check before you order and add notarization at checkout if they ask for it.
Details and pricing
What is included in a Korean driver's license translation
One price per page covers the translation and its certification. A page is up to 250 words, and the quote tells you the page count before you pay.
Everything on the driver's license is translated, including stamps, seals and handwritten notes. Tell us the English spelling you use for each name when you order.
Certified Translation
Word-for-word translation with a certificate of accuracy for official use.
$25
USD / page
up to 250 words per page
Included
- Signed & stamped certification of translation accuracy
- Certified by a professional translator
- Digital delivery via PDF
- Review and approve final translation
- 100% Guaranteed Acceptance
- Standard turnaround starting at 24 hours
Optional services
- Expedited turnaround
- Priority handling when your deadline is shorter than the standard turnaround.
- By deadline
- Notarization
- A notary public signs and stamps the certification statement.
- $20 per order
- Physical copy
- A wet-ink original of your translation, mailed by express courier.
- $35 per order
- Apostille
- Authenticates the notary’s signature and seal for use in Hague Convention countries.
- $180 per document
What the certificate of accuracy states
Your translation arrives with a Certification of Translation Accuracy issued by ImmiTranslate. It is the page the receiving organization checks first.
- The translation is complete and accurate.
- The document title and the language pair.
- The translator is competent in both languages.
- A signature and the ImmiTranslate certification stamp.
- Our American Translators Association corporate membership.
Our translation process
Our goal is to make the translation process as simple as possible for you. Our service is streamlined specifically for documents of this nature.
Korean Driver's License FAQ
Most questions about pricing and turnaround can be answered faster by requesting a quote.
- Which US states swap a Korean license without a test?
- Korea has reciprocity agreements with a growing list of states, including Maryland, Virginia, Washington, Massachusetts, Texas and Florida. Each DMV sets its own rules; most want the Korean card, a translation and proof of residence, and some want a 운전경력증명서 from the 도로교통공단 as well. Check your state's DMV page before you book, since the list keeps changing.
- What is a 운전경력증명서 and should I translate it?
- It is the driving record certificate the 도로교통공단 issues, showing the license history, the date of first issue and any 취소 or 정지. Some DMVs and most US auto insurers want it to grant a clean-record rate or to waive a probationary period. It is one or two pages and we translate it alongside the license.
- I am moving to Korea. Can I exchange my state license there?
- Usually, at a 운전면허시험장. The 도로교통공단 asks for the license, an apostille or an embassy confirmation of it, and a Korean translation; many offices want the translation notarized. We translate the card and add notarization if your office asks for it.
- How much does a certified translation cost?
- Certified translation is $25 per page, with a page counted as up to 250 words. Notarization, a mailed physical copy and an apostille are optional and priced separately.
- How long does a certified translation take?
- Standard turnaround starts at 24 hours and depends on the length and language of your documents. If you have a deadline, include it in your quote request.
Other Korean documents we translate
Driver's license translation in other languages
Each of these pages is written for that language's driver's license records.
Sending it with an application? Read the Notarized translations, Apostille service before you order.