BEIJING — Residents on the Chinese mainland will be able to apply for car driving licenses in any mainland city instead of having to go back to where their permanent residences were registered, starting June 1.

They can also apply to replace, renew, or regularly approve existing licenses in any mainland city, according to the traffic management bureau of the Ministry of Public Security.

Residents only need to present their ID cards as identity, without having to show other residence certificates.

Residents from Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan can also apply for the above-mentioned services. They only need to present their original residence certificates issued in HK, Macao or Taiwan.

It is estimated that the new regulation will benefit over 15 million people every year, saving more than 20 billion yuan ($2.89 billion) in transport costs.

In recent years, the ministry has been loosening restrictions on application of driving licenses. Starting June 2018, residents on the mainland can choose locations to sit exams for car driving licenses within the province one’s permanent residence was registered.

On a trial basis, residents can also apply for driving licenses for heavy and medium-duty goods and passenger vehicles within the province of their registered permanent residences, also starting June 1, the ministry said.

From 2015, China allowed residents to sit driving license exams for heavy and medium-duty goods and passenger vehicles in places of their registered permanent residences or where they live.