DVLA Blunder

Money_Grabber13579

Yes but they obviously have deleted the record when they say he never passed his test! This problem has affected thousands of people, with some losing qualifications and others gaining them. One person became qualified to drive a tank overnight!

lisyloo

op has not said they have deleted the records...Only that the paperwork has been lost in the post

No they haven't.
They have said the licence was "lost".
It doesn't specify whether that is on a computer or the paperwork.
Could be either.

But nevertheless, either way unless you have written paperwork then they will not yield.
If he'd recently passed it there might be a possibility of getting a duplciate pass certificate from the test center, but from 20 years ago there is pretty much no chance.
You have to take your own copies.
Preferably certified ones if you can.

asbokid

I was another of DVLA's victims.. I passed my motorcycle test(s) 20 years ago.. Back then there were "only" two motorcycle tests to take - the CBT and the road test. In the good old days there was thankfully still no theory test.

We moved house a few years ago and I sent my licence to DVLA to be updated with our new address (as all motorists are required to do by law).

When the licence was returned many weeks later, I noticed that both my name and my new address were shown incorrectly! On closer inspection, I also noticed that I no longer had entitlement to ride any sized motorcycle. I.e. I now only had provisional entitlement to ride up to 125cc, or is it just 50cc these days? No matter.. I was no longer entitled to ride my CBR1000 any more.

Fortunately, I had taken a photocopy of my old paper licence before I sent it in to DVLA, where it was supposed to be updated and exchanged for a plastic police-state ID card licence.

I wrote to DVLA pointing out the errors in my new licence. In the Agency's reply, they demanded proof of entitlement in the form of the original test pass certificate from 20 years ago.

I explained that the pass certificate had been sent more than 20 years ago to the Agency (as all motorists are required to do by law). I pointed out that back then, it was not normal practice to routinely photocopy every document that is sent to a government agency.

However, in my reply to DVLA, I also enclosed that photocopy of my old paper licence which still showed my full m/c entitlement.

Weeks later, I received a nice shiny plastic police-state ID card licence, with no explanatory letter nor apology, but at least showing my full entitlement to drive my Honda CBR motorcycle once again.

To be honest, I was surprised that the DVLA accepted the photocopy as genuine. On the original paper licence, the crucial information was printed in a simple typeface and font, and it would have been trivial for an amateur forger to fake the document so that it falsely showed entitlement.

One place where you might find the 'proof' you need to get back your full motorcycle licence is, erm.. Her Majesty's Court Service...

If you were prosecuted for any motoring offence in relation to the riding of a motorcycle, then court transcripts or court summons, etc. could help you to prove that at the time of the alleged offence, you did at least hold a licence entitling to ride that motorcycle... IYSWIM...

Perhaps old insurance certificates and MOT certificates for our bikes could help provide that proof, as well.

In fact, arguably, the DVLA must itself have reasonable proof of our entitlements in the form of the tax discs we purchased for our vehicles from the Agency.

On the 'balance of probabilities', is the following scenario very likely? A motorcyclist who had no entitlement to ride a motorbike, nevertheless insured, MOT-ed and taxed it? Isn't it more likely that he was also licensed to ride that motorbike?

Just a thought!

Chippy_Minton_2

maninthestreet wrote: »

Because they have records of who has a license, and what they are licensed to drive/ride.

Sadly they reley on the dvla they don't have their own records.