Check your driving licence discussion

SMAC

I have hired a car in the USA each year for the last 6 years using the old style paper licence with no problems. I have never been asked for an International Driving Permit.
Are the DVLA and the AA hoping to scare up some extra customers with the help of Moneysavingexpert?:eek:

andyplymouth

Neither my licence nor my photo expire until the day before my 70th birthday in just under 36 years' time (if I'm still around then!) :j

GlynD

Had to renew last year because of house move. Came back wiped clean of all previous transgressions.

Stephen_Leak

SmallFry wrote: »

Been trying for a few weeks to renew online using my passport photo which is still valid. The website keeps crashing out while trying to do it. Very irritating if I have to go into main post office.

Evidently, it costs you extra to do that. No wonder the website doesn't work.

Anyway, my driving licence simply confirms that I've passed my driving test. It is NOT an identity card.

sanodomo

joshgeake wrote: »

Mine expired in March and I've not bothered renewing - why should I pay £20 to the DVLA for it? Just because they threaten to fine me £1000?!

I had my lawyer read through the reminder when I was in his office and he pointed out that at no point in the reminder did it say I had to renew. Indeed he said it said I only 'may' be fined. So I've not bothered and neither have my friends.

I guess if I need to drive abroad I'll probably do it.

I dont intend to renew mine one reason i haven,t got 20 quid and if i did i can think of better things to spend it on so bring it on.:rotfl:

SmallFry

SmallFry wrote: »

Been trying for a few weeks to renew online using my passport photo which is still valid. The website keeps crashing out while trying to do it. Very irritating if I have to go into main post office.

Finally got it to work this evening. Used Internet Explorer rather than Google Chrome so there seems to be a problem with Chrome on the online renewal site. Good luck.

Josie64

so if it's just a change of address, how much does that cost £20?

robpitt

A few points which are correct as far as I know ...

The license doesn't expire - the photo does, it is the the failure to surrender the photocard that is the actual offence. As far as google is concerned... the DVLA have said no one has ever been prosecuted for failure to surrender the photocard.

If you're required to produce a license to the police or a police station, tell them you are in the process of renewing the photo. You won't get prosecuted because there's a statutory defense for 'failure to produce' of it being 'reasonably impractical' and the license being in the post to the DVLA is about as reasonably impractical as it gets!

Stigy

When I was a naughty boy and had points on my licence a few years ago (11 in the end, although 8 in one go and a further 3 for SP30 a couple of years later...) and eventually they became spent, I sent my licence off for my address to be changed for £20, and it came back clean! I'm sure it costs a lot more than £20 to have the licences "cleansed" (or am I wrong?). If so, I got myself a little MSE bargain!

*cassius*

sent my old photocard and counterpart off a few weeks ago for an updated card, took less then a week for a new photocard to arrive including the counterpart which was also retuned without the original 3 points written on it, they also havent cashed the cheque yet and that was 2 months ago, so hopefully im a winner on this particular deal