Can I drive with expired licence?

Glaswegian

I've had my licence for 10 years so need to renew. My current one is now expired by a few weeks. I am sending the form for renewal today. Do I need to wait until I get the new licence till I can drive again legally?

Many thanks

derrick

Glaswegian wrote: »

I've had my licence for 10 years so need to renew. My current one is now expired by a few weeks. I am sending the form for renewal today. Do I need to wait until I get the new licence till I can drive again legally?

Many thanks

I would say yes as you currently have no driving licence.

Quote from HERE;-
" Driving before your licence is returned You can drive before you get your licence as long as you:

• have held a Great Britain or Northern Ireland licence issued since 1 January 1976 or another exchangeable licence
• are not disqualified from driving
• haven't been refused a licence for medical reasons or for failing to comply with medical enquiries
• wouldn't be refused a licence for medical reasons - if in doubt, check with your doctor
• keep to any special conditions that apply to your licence"

But I would read that as applying before expiry.

vaio

And from the insurance point of view a phrase often used is “driver must hold or have held and not be disqualified from holding…….” So you should be OK there too but obviously check the wording in your own policy

triticale

If it's the photocard which has expired, you are free to drive while waiting for the new one in the post.

Keith

triticale wrote: »

If it's the photocard which has expired, you are free to drive while waiting for the new one in the post.

This is correct, the DVLA even preguess why you are calling with a prerecorded note

Gordon_Hose

When I renewed mine I carried on driving while I was waiting for the new one to come through.

Your license privilege doesn't get revoked whilst it's being renewed, you're still licensed to drive, it's just they like to update the picture and signature every 10 years.

PZH

Gordon_Hose wrote: »

When I renewed mine I carried on driving while I was waiting for the new one to come through.

Your license privilege doesn't get revoked whilst it's being renewed, you're still licensed to drive, it's just they like to update the picture and signature every 10 years.

Make sure that you know what vehicles you are CURRENTLY licensed to drive. There have been some documented stories that some people lose entitlements following a simple re-issue by the DVLA ( eg. they used to be able to ride a motorbike, but the new license does not include this anymore )

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2009/05/dvla_update.html

aaajjj

Road traffic act sect 88 states that if renewall covers the period without licence then you can drive, I am in a similar quandry, just received my notice for photo renewal which expires 31 Oct, but I am 70 in mid dec when renewal is free, hence they want me to pay £20 for 6-7 weeks of photo renewal before they take it away and make me renew again, my 90 day? age renewal notice is due within a couple of days if on time, anybody faced a similar problem or any answers.

bigjl

We got warned in an official letter at work that we must ensure that our license is renewed before expiry, if it expires it will be a disiplinary offence and you will be barred from driving Trust vehicles.

Do not under any circumstances drive whilst you are waiting for a new license, unless it hasn't expired, as saying somebody on MSE said it was OK, isn't a defense in law, and neither is ignorance.



As mentioned above, watch for loss of driving classes, bloke at work drives school buses and sometimes cement trucks for extra money, his came back with no PSV entitlement.


Whe I send mine I will take photcopies and scan it to my computer, though I may just send of for a completely new one and say I can't find it, if it comes back OK then I will "find" the other and send it to DVLA for destruction.

bigjl

Gordon_Hose wrote: »

When I renewed mine I carried on driving while I was waiting for the new one to come through.

Your license privilege doesn't get revoked whilst it's being renewed, you're still licensed to drive, it's just they like to update the picture and signature every 10 years.

The legal team in my NHS Trust would beg to differ, they are the ones that have made sure that we have been informed as detailed in my last post.

I believe the Met Pol have informed their staff in a similar way.

Markyt

phoodless wrote: »

Make sure that you know what vehicles you are CURRENTLY licensed to drive. There have been some documented stories that some people lose entitlements following a simple re-issue by the DVLA ( eg. they used to be able to ride a motorbike, but the new license does not include this anymore )

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2009/05/dvla_update.html

Don't send off your current licence. The cost of renewal and replacement is the same, and as DVLA won't accept photocopies if they do lose the odd entitlement from your new licence you can still miraculously find your old one.