Driving licence photocard renewal - DVLA turnaround time?

OldLadyOfThreadneedleSt

Hi, wondering if MSE-ers could share their experiences and expertise about renewal of the driving licence photocard (because the photo is now 10 years old)...

• (1) How quickly do the DVLA process photocard renewals? I've sent in the D798 form with a new photograph attached, so this isn't an online renewal (which I'm guessing might be quicker as it'd be more automated). They say three weeks - is it normally quicker though? (Also, if it makes any difference, I didn't send in my old photocard and counterpart because I couldn't find it - I did tick the box saying so - dunno if that might slow things down at all?)

• (2) If there's a gap between when the old photocard expires and the new photocard is issued, is that going to cause any problems in terms of the validity of my driving licence? (Of course I understand that I shouldn't drive during this period, not until my new photocard arrives.)
  
  As you can probably guess I'm afraid I left it to the last minute to send off the renewal application - well not literally the last minute, it was a few days beforehand, and as I sent it by recorded delivery I know it got delivered to the DVLA before the expiry date of my old photocard (because the Royal Mail tracking system says so) - but now it's somewhere in the bowels of the DVLA, I don't know how long it might sit in a pile of paperwork or unopened in a sack waiting to be processed before something happens to it...
  (Yes, I know, the lesson is don't leave things to the last minute - I'll learn sometime! :doh:)

• (3) Just a follow on to the above questions - the photo I sent in for the renewal was really terrible (really!), and vain as it might be I'll definitely want to change that at some point in the future. If I've got this right, it's fairly easy to update the photo - you just need to fill out a D1 form for a renewal/replacement and send it in with the new photo, right? And I assume that once a photocard with a new photo has been issued, that'd reset the rolling 10-year clock until you next have to update the photo, right?

Thanks in advance for any help!

[Deleted User]

I posted my D798 on the 15th April by first class post. Received new photocard back on the 28th April. So less than two weeks and that included the Easter weekend in the middle of it.

Also I didn't send my old photocard or counterpart back either as I don't trust them.

And the cheque has only just cleared last Wednesday!

Paradigm

OldLadyOfThreadneedleSt wrote: »

(2) If there's a gap between when the old photocard expires and the new photocard is issued, is that going to cause any problems in terms of the validity of my driving licence? (Of course I understand that I shouldn't drive during this period, not until my new photocard arrives.)

If you have sent it off then there is no reason why you shouldn't drive, you still have a valid driving licence!

It's no different to sending it off for points to be added, you can still drive while waiting for it to be returned.

Spring_Time

Mine came back really quick this month. Just 6 days!

OldLadyOfThreadneedleSt

Paradigm wrote: »

If you have sent it off then there is no reason why you shouldn't drive, you still have a valid driving licence!

It's no different to sending it off for points to be added, you can still drive while waiting for it to be returned.

Hmm - I'll only have a valid licence if they've actually processed the renewal by the time my old photocard expires (and once they've processed it, it should be in the post and with me in a day or two afterwards). My understanding is that, without a valid (i.e. in date) photocard, the whole driving licence is invalid - so it is different to sending it off for points to be added.

Normally, not being able to drive for a few weeks wouldn't be a massive issue - but of course this time, something's come up, or at least its threatening to! Oh well - should have been more organised.

Thanks to LeeUK and Spring Time for their responses - Spring Time, did you send in the D798 form or did you do it online?

Paradigm

OldLadyOfThreadneedleSt wrote: »

Hmm - I'll only have a valid licence if they've actually processed the renewal by the time my old photocard expires (and once they've processed it, it should be in the post and with me in a day or two afterwards). My understanding is that, without a valid (i.e. in date) photocard, the whole driving licence is invalid - so it is different to sending it off for points to be added.

Sorry but your "understanding" is wrong

Your licence is valid until your 70th birthday, the only thing that's expired is the photograph & that doesn't invalidate your licence....

Taken from the Government website...http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/NeedANewOrUpdatedLicence/DG_078070

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

Spring_Time

OldLadyOfThreadneedleSt wrote: »

Thanks to LeeUK and Spring Time for their responses - Spring Time, did you send in the D798 form or did you do it online?

I was one of those that did not even realise that the photo ran out :eek: I feel so stupid! I was terrified when I realised, imagining all sorts of trouble I would be in. But DVLA were brilliant on the phone putting my mind at rest! Mine was out of date by a considerable amount of time. I sent of a D1 form and a SAE for my old licence to be returned to me as I have heard horror stories of people being sent back a provisional!

The guy on the phone told me if I was ever stopped for having an invalid photo, I could be fined up to £1000 but my entitlement to drive was not affected. Confusing a little lol

OldLadyOfThreadneedleSt

Paradigm - OK, it seems my understanding was incomplete! I see there's a similar set of bullet points saying much the same thing on the attached letter that came with the D798 renewal form. The form itself, which alas I didn't keep a copy of, said something about my photocard expiring at midnight at the end day of expiry - but I guess that doesn't inherently mean my licence as such is invalid (or at least it doesn't invalidate my entitlement to drive). They're obviously keen on trying to persuade you to renew it of course!

Spring Time - thanks for your reply. Seems like the law is more complex than one might initially (and naively) assume - the £1000 fine for having an out-of-date photocard is suggestive of it being a civil rather than a criminal matter - though I dare say it's something that an insurance company might like to try and pick up on, should one be involved in an incident whilst out on the road.

My problem is that, regardless of any theoretical entitlement to drive, I may need to present a valid and complete driving licence to someone in the imminent future - I'm not sure that showing an expired photocard is necessarily going to be a winning move in that situation! But as I said that's my problem - only got myself to blame after all... hopefully, if the DVLA are quick, things might just work out ok...

Paradigm

OldLadyOfThreadneedleSt wrote: »

My problem is that, regardless of any theoretical entitlement to drive, I may need to present a valid and complete driving licence to someone in the imminent future - I'm not sure that showing an expired photocard is necessarily going to be a winning move in that situation! But as I said that's my problem - only got myself to blame after all... hopefully, if the DVLA are quick, things might just work out ok...

All this concern is unnecessary, really! You have a valid licence, you have a recorded delivery slip to prove you have sent it away... I don't see the problem?

Should you have to produce your licence for any reason then you have a perfectly legitimate reason for not having an up to date photo & you are still able to drive... the Government say so

Just carry on driving as you normally would, nothing to worry about.

mcduff16

I applied for mine online on a Sunday night and received it on Wednesday, was really impressed by the service

OldLadyOfThreadneedleSt

Paradigm wrote: »

All this concern is unnecessary, really! You have a valid licence, you have a recorded delivery slip to prove you have sent it away... I don't see the problem?

Should you have to produce your licence for any reason then you have a perfectly legitimate reason for not having an up to date photo & you are still able to drive... the Government say so

Just carry on driving as you normally would, nothing to worry about.

That's all good and well, but I don't think that'd wash with vehicle hire companies, nor for that matter with potential employers - relying on either of them not checking, or otherwise trying to persuade them to overlook it, is not a strategy I'd consider a particularly safe one. Then there's driving abroad to consider - not sure if a gendarme would necessarily be terribly impressed with an expired photocard!

And if one does just carry on driving as one normally would, you do leave yourself open to that £1,000 fine for having an expired photocard.

I'm not fretting about this at all in terms of 'getting in trouble' - I was just interested in...
(a) how quickly the DVLA process renewals - answer seems to be fairly quickly, and
(b) whether there's any negative repercussions for having a gap in between the validity of an old and a new photocard (in terms of one's ongoing entitlement to drive) - answer is no.


mcduff16 - I'm guessing you applied online, right?