Driving Licence - What happens if you don't use it for 9-10 years until expiration?

jumperabv3

If I'm going to leave the UK soon and I have a full UK licence and I am not leaving to another country in Europe so I won't be using the licence at all.

Its expiration year is 2020. (about 9-10 years from now)

What happens if I don't use it for 9-10 years and keep it "dormant", I don't know how to you call it - then will I lose the licence in this case?

wealdroam

How will anyone know that you are not using it?

It will just expire in due course.

Will you receive any reminders?
E.g. to renew it or the photo (if there is one).

Are you planning to come back the the UK at some time?

jumperabv3

wealdroam wrote: »

How will anyone know that you are not using it?

Technically no one will know, I assume.

wealdroam wrote: »

It will just expire in due course.

That's good to know.

wealdroam wrote: »

Will you receive any reminders?
E.g. to renew it or the photo (if there is one).

Good question - I have no clue! They cannot place an address in the US for the licence, can they? So I have no clue about these reminders - how often are these being sent out, anyone knows?! My photo is quite up-to-date from last year and updated and such.

wealdroam wrote: »

Are you planning to come back the the UK at some time?

Not sure ... all my family is there, I don't have any family here, I just came here coz of personal reasons...

scheming_gypsy

does your license 'expire'; ie you get old.. or just your photo license and you need to renew the photo?

AnythingButChardonnay

According to http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DG_10023103 you do not need to change your address when moving abroad. This may become slightly annoying for whoever occupies the house after you(!), but there doesn't seem to be any alternative.

You should be able to get a new licence on your return should you ever wish to. In theory they are renewable for life as long as you're not deemed medically unfit...and the DVLA don't 'forget' you have one.

thenudeone

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

does your license 'expire'; ie you get old.. or just your photo license and you need to renew the photo?

This has been discussed many times before. Your driving entitlement does not "expire" when the photo does, but you are required to surrender it in exchange for a new one when the photo expires, and it is an offence ito fail to surrender it. So far, no-one has ever been prosecuted for it AFAIK.

scheming_gypsy

thenudeone wrote: »

This has been discussed many times before. Your driving entitlement does not "expire" when the photo does, but you are required to surrender it in exchange for a new one when the photo expires, and it is an offence ito fail to surrender it. So far, no-one has ever been prosecuted for it AFAIK.

i knew that'd happen but couldn't be bothered changing it.

i was asking the OP if their photo license was going to expire or if they were getting old and their license would expire within the 10 years.

jumperabv3

Many thanks for your answers.
:money: