Is Your Driving Licence Valid?

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Is your driving licence valid?

30-second check to save a £1,000 fine

1.7 million people carry an expired driving licence photocard, yet you risk a £1,000 fine if you drive without renewing it - so urgently check yours.

DVLA logoThis quick guide shows you how to check whether your licence is valid, how and where to renew.

Has your photocard licence expired?

Photocard licences replaced paper driving licences in 1998. Yet these must be replaced every ten years, and 1.7 million photocards are now out of date as of July 2011, according to the DVLA. This means ONE in THREE holders are carrying an expired card.

Under the new system, photos must be replaced every 10 years (no matter how young you look!).

It's all too easy to forget, but a quick check now could save you a fine of up to £1,000 if you drive while your photocard's driving licence expiry dateexpired. It costs an annoying £20 to renew, but that's a far more MoneySaving option.

Check yours NOW

There are a few dates printed on the photocard, but the one you need's the photo's expiry date, printed on section 4b on the front of the card. If you really can't find it, see how to renew below.

How to renew
The process is the same whether renewing or replacing a lost or stolen licence. There are three ways to apply:

 

  • Online: You can apply online at Directgov, providing you've a had a new digital passport issued in the last five years.
  • By post: Alternatively, anyone can get forms from most Post Offices, or print an 'application for a driving licence' (D1) form from the Directgov website above.
  • In person:  at selected Post Offices. Though if you do this, it'll cost an extra £4.50 on top of the standard £20 fee.
  • How much does it cost?

 

You need to renew every ten years, and there's an annoying £20 fee for each renewal.

You should be sent a reminder and form about two months before expiry. However, as many miss this or forget, it's well worth diarising when yours expires.

If you only need to update the address, or you're over 70 and you're just renewing it, this is free. There's no limit to the number of times you can update your address for free.

When will I get my new photocard?

DVLA aims to send your new driving licence to you within three weeks of getting your application. It'll take longer if your health or personal details need to be checked. Allow at least three weeks for your driving licence to get to you before contacting DVLA.

When your licence is issued it'll have a number of added security features. One of the main differences is a laser engraved black and white photo.

If you only have a paper licence ...

 old driving licenceThough no new all-paper licences are now issued, if you have one these generally don't expire until you're 70, so you don't need to do anything until then unless your address or personal details change. However, by 2033 all licences must be in the photocard format; you'll receive reminders to update it closer to the time.

Once you reach 70 there's no fee to renew, and you'll then get a photocard. If you want to upgrade before then, you can apply to change your paper licence for a photocard, though it'll cost £20 and you'll need to show extra ID (see Directgov).

Why does it expire every ten years?

A DVLA spokesperson told us: "Appearances can change, and it's important that photo card licences are updated every ten years.
"This is to ensure the police and other enforcement agencies have the best possible photograph to help them correctly identify whether a driving licence is being used fraudulently, and so help prevent driving licence impersonation - stopping disqualified and perhaps dangerous drivers taking to our roads.

"The DVLA writes to every driver when their photo card driving licence is due for renewal, providing instructions on how to renew and the penalty for not doing so."

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Last Updated on Wednesday, 27 July 2011 12:21