Driving Licence Photo Renewal: New one runs for less than 10yrs from old one's expiry

DonnyDave

I sent off my photocard licence, couterpart and application form to renew my licence which ran out in March. This date was printed clearly at the top of the letter from the DVLA, along with the threat in bold that I could be fined up to £1,000 if I didn't renew.

The letter which contained the application form was dated near the beginning of January, and I didn't send it off straight away. I waited almost a month to post it.


I have just received my new licence today and it expires one day in February 2020. :mad:

So I've paid £20 to renew my licence for 9 years and 343 days. No where in the letter or INS197 "Driving licence photo renewal" leaflet does it say that the expiry date will run for 10 years after renewal.

There is no way to renew exactly on the day of expiry, other than to wait and risk not having a licence to drive and a £1,000 fine for breaking the law.

Most people will send their applications off soon after receiving the letter, and will find that their Driving Licence expiry date will be brought forward around a month or month and a half.

BikerEd

Photo card is valid for 10 years from date of issue, so what's your problem?

DonnyDave

BikerEd wrote: »

Photo card is valid for 10 years from date of issue, so what's your problem?

It is indeed. But renewal date is before expiry date of the "old" licence. Thus, the new licence now runs for less than 10 years from the expiry of the old one, and I have amended the title of this thread to explain this.

Thus, in practice, the expiry dates of an individual's successive licences will each be brought forward (from 10 years in the future).

The claim that I need to renew my licence "every 10 years" is therefore only true if the renewal of each individual licence is carried out on the expiry date of the proceeding one. This crucial qualification is not set out in the bumf from the DVLA.

uberalles

Mrs just got her renewal notice through.

I knew that they had to be renewed but was not aware there was a charge, the thieving swines.
(Yes I appreciate that someone has to administer the renewal but the real reason this was introduced in my view was a fund raising scheme. And a £20 fee is too high).

Also, as like my mrs, what if your looks have not changed? I know the answer would be then how could the DVLA administer who should and who should not renew but I therefore believe this reinforces the 'fund making' view.