Photo Card Driving Licence due to Expire

74jax

The photocard part of my driving licence is due to expire in a month.

To save money do I have to renew this or is the fact that my paper licence is still valid enough?

Is the photocard part just a form of ID?

Piggo_2

Hi I think both parts have to be valid - the photo part & the paper part. You should get a renewal form/reminder from the DVLA through the post about renewing your photocard. I think you have to provide a new photo and pay the fee for renewal otherwise I don't think you licence will be valid. You can check out more upto date and full info on the DirectGov DVLA's website:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/NeedANewOrUpdatedLicence/index.htm

Hope this helps.

spiro

Yes you do or you will be driving with an 'expired' licence.

dzug1

The photocard is part of the licence - it isn't legally 'ID' in any shape or form - though in reality often used as such.

Yes you need to renew it.

bigjl

There will be people along saying you don't have to renew it, as they reckon you don't need to.

The Met and LAS will argue otherwise, if your photocard expires you can't drive, no exceptions.

I challenged these people to continue to drive when their photocard expires, as that is their position and by definition what they advise other do. I will advise everybody to renew well in advance and not to drive if they forget to renew.

Though from what I can see if you have appiled for your photocard renewal in good time and it hasn't turned up, I believe you can still drive in that circumstance, hence why I think the DVLA info is a little vague on purpose, to cause confusion, and therefore a chance to send out some fines.

In the case of the OP I would apply for a new Photocard before it expires.

If the usual suspects come on here to advise you don't need to then ask them if they are not going to renew.

There is nothing worse than somebody that dishes out advise but deep down knows they will not follow it themselves.

Saying you read it on MSE is no defense when in court for driving with an expired photocard licence.

The bit that doesn't have an expiry date is only a counterpart licence.

This is something that was discussed at length in the motoring press when photocard licences where introduced, and was out down as another way to hammer the motorist, or at least the law abiding ones.

It doesn't affect the illegal driver in any way, funny that.

alexlyne

It's a shame you can get a licence renewal without having to re-prove that you can actually drive... Imagine if other areas of life was like that... benefits for one...

thenudeone

As you can imagine there is a lot of talk about this in various forums but my interpretation of the law as expressed here: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/section/99 is:
1) you are entitled to drive until you are 70. [s 99 (1) a)]
2) if you fail to surrender and renew your licence when the photo expires you have committed an offence under s 99 (2) a)

So: you should renew it or risk prosecution (although unlikely), but you are still licenced.

This is confirmed on another government website:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DG_068315 which describes the dates on the BACK of the licence (i.e. until you are 70) as

"Category validity periods (16)
These are the dates when entitlement to drive each category begins and ends"

bigjl

thenudeone wrote: »

As you can imagine there is a lot of talk about this in various forums but my interpretation of the law as expressed here: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/section/99 is:
1) you are entitled to drive until you are 70. [s 99 (1) a)]
2) if you fail to surrender and renew your licence when the photo expires you have committed an offence under s 99 (2) a)

So: you should renew it or risk prosecution (although unlikely), but you are still licenced.

This is confirmed on another government website:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DG_068315 which describes the dates on the BACK of the licence (i.e. until you are 70) as

"Category validity periods (16)
These are the dates when entitlement to drive each category begins and ends"

Lets talk specifics, are you going to renew or just let the photocard expire and carry on?

If that is your advice then obviously that is what you are going to do, since your post would infer that this is the way forward.

Personally I will renew it, and this is the course of action that I will advise everybody to follow.

I am happy to write back with my experiences when I folow my advice.

Even if you don't say it specifically you are infering this is a reasonable course of action.

Paradigm

bigjl wrote: »

Lets talk specifics, are you going to renew or just let the photocard expire and carry on?

If that is your advice then obviously that is what you are going to do, since your post would infer that this is the way forward.

How is he inferring that anyone should let the photo expire & carry on?
He's merely quoting the law &, by doing so, clearly shows that driving with an expired photograph is an offence

if you fail to surrender and renew your licence when the photo expires you have committed an offence under s 99 (2) a)

.... just not the offence that you (& others) seem to think, spiro being one with this quote

Yes you do or you will be driving with an 'expired' licence

Your licence (entitlement to drive) has not expired, the photograph has!

thenudeone

There are plausible stories on other forums of people's cars being seized and / or being reported for prosecution for "driving other than in accordance with a licence" or "failing to produce your licence to a constable".
Even if you do manage to persuade the court that you are entitled to drive, you will have been put to a great deal of expense and / or trouble, if either of those things happen, and you are unlikely to get a sympathetic hearing by the police if you ask them to refund the garage's storage fees because you will, after all, have committed an offence under s 99 (2) a). Remember they only need a "reasonable suspicion" in order to seize your vehicle.

For the sake of £20 or so, and to avoid the risk of prosecution, I would renew it.

Mrs_Arcanum

My paper licence expires 2029 (stated on the front) so why would I not have a driving license if I failed to renew the photo part?