Check your driving licence discussion

tenuissent

I will be 70 on May 26th and sent my old paper licence in to be converted to a photo one towards the end of April, as it is due to expire on 25th May.

Nothing has happened since, and I am expected to drive my family to France on May 26th.....what is the position if my new license has not yet arrived?

After all, I passed a test decades ago and have driven ever since - am I suddenly to stop driving on May 26th because I am 70 and the DVLA has not got around to renewing my licence?

I am afraid of the French police if they ask for my licence for some reason and I have not got one......

tenuissent

P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; direction: ltr; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: left; }P.western { font-family: "Liberation Serif","Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; }P.cjk { font-family: "DejaVu Sans"; font-size: 12pt; }P.ctl { font-family: "DejaVu Sans"; font-size: 12pt; }A:link { } [FONT=Bitstream Charter, serif]In case it helps anyone else, I phoned the DVLA today and they were very helpful. My application was in fact returned to me because of several errors, one by me, the rest by them. My still valid paper licence (to 25th May) now has “CANCELLED” stamped on it, leading me to believe I was not allowed to drive at all, though I have to make a journey of several hundred miles tomorrow.[/FONT]
[FONT=Bitstream Charter, serif]However, they say I AM still allowed to drive, and if anyone queries it, the DVLA will confirm my status when asked. It does NOT invalidate my insurance. Here is the best bit: if I write “For the manager's attention” on the envelope, they promised to speed up the application in view of my journey to France on 26th May.[/FONT]
[FONT=Bitstream Charter, serif]If the licence does not arrive in time, they can FAX an authorisation to me, that I can carry while waiting for the licence to arrive.[/FONT]
[FONT=Bitstream Charter, serif]Seems too good and reasonable to be true, but I am trying to believe it all. Good luck to all others applying for their licence renewals.[/FONT]

Dreamscometrue

I received the letter today which states "if you do not renew your license with a new photo you will be breaking the law and may have to pay a fine of up to £1000". I gave the DVLA a buzz as I don't fancy paying the £20 whilst I'm inbetween jobs. I explained to them that I don't have a car, don't plan to get one and I haven't driven since 2004! I still like to keep the license as it's useful i.d. I was told by the DVLA that I can ignore the letter and renew when I want. I hope this is correct as I don't fancy the fine.

Aretnap

Dreamscometrue wrote: »

I was told by the DVLA that I can ignore the letter and renew when I want. I hope this is correct as I don't fancy the fine.

Strictly speaking that's not correct - the offence is failing to surrender the expired licence, not driving with an expired licence, so you commit the offence whether you drive or not. However in practice it's unlikely that you'd actually be prosecuted for it, especially if you didn't drive.

Rover_Driver

Aretnap wrote: »

Strictly speaking that's not correct - the offence is failing to surrender the expired licence, not driving with an expired licence, so you commit the offence whether you drive or not. However in practice it's unlikely that you'd actually be prosecuted for it, especially if you didn't drive.

The licence has not expired, only the photograph. The offence would be failing to update the details.

tenuissent

I pass this on in case anyone finds it useful. I applied for a post 70 licence 4 weeks ahead of my birthday but they took three weeks to reject it because of a spelling mistake they once made with my name. I immediately applied again, following their advice to write “For the manager's attention” on the envelope to speed it up. Because I have to drive in France this Sunday (70th birthday, the day I should stop driving if I don't have the new licence) I rang them up yesterday and was told they had not even BEGUN to process it yet after having it for 10 days. I kicked up such a desperate fuss over having to cancel ferries and hotel rooms, that they resorted to what they call "URGENT REQUEST" status and gave me a reference number. The extraordinary thing is that when I rang up today expecting to hear that nothing had happened, I was told they HAD now processed the licence and I AM now entitled to drive from my 70th birthday onwards (even though the licence itself will not arrive for up to 2 weeks....) Several people on this thread seem to have their lives seriously disrupted by delays in their licences being processed, so this seems to be an answer: explain your difficulties and ask for the "URGENT REQUEST" to be applied. The DVLA man told me that once it is applied, they have to process your licence the same day. Another interesting fact I learned was that they can be asked to fax you an image of your new licence, but strangely not within the UK; they have a rule that you can only be faxed if you are abroad...... And finally, it turned out to be important that I sent the second application by registered post, as its arrival is then logged on your file. If I understood correctly, they would not have been able to find my application otherwise.

gerbinflit

When the paper counterpart is no longer required (2014?), will we have to get a new type of Photo Card licence, or does the current one just continue on ??

mini76

I have a paper licence and refuse to renew to a photocard. As Lots of reports say you can lose some of your entitlements.
Only problem I'm having is when asked for id for something am informed I need a photo licence or passport. Which I have neither. :mad:
Also my paper licence does not expire till I'm 70. Yet photo runs out every 10 with a renewal cost of £20-00

gerbinflit

Yes I agree with Mini76.
I have had my 'Pink' paper licence since they were first issued (1978?) although I passed my test a few years before that.
I agree in principle with the PhotoCard licence - useful for ID etc, but it is daft that you also need the 'Paper Counterpart'.
I will be forced to have one in four years time when I am 70, but I need one this year for driving in Australia on my holiday in a few months time. So I will have to renew it twice !!

Helensdatter

I really want to keep my paper only driving licence, the pink and green one, until absolutely forced to change to photocard. I must have had it since 1997 when we moved house, as the address is up to date. However I have got married since then but it still bears my maiden name. This has never been a problem, and has never been queried. My argument would be anyway that I work under my maiden name and have a bank account and lots of other financial things under that name. It is my name just as much as the married one surely? Threats of £1000 fines are outrageous.

Only cloud on the horizon is a trip to USA next year when hiring a car will be necessary. My passport is in my married name. I can see a situation where the authorities over there are not happy with the mismatch. Yet only a few years ago I remember driving a hire car in the States with licence and passport in different names as they are now. Does anyone know what the situation is now?