Age of license

bigmun

Hi,

When asked "how long have you had the license for", do I read the date off field "4a" of my license or off field "10"?

Thanks!

DaveF327

Field 10.

It states the date your full entitlement to drive a vehicle of that category began. This is usually what the insurance company want to know, i.e. How long you have held a full licence (since passing your test).

Field 4a only gives the date your particular edition or "update" of your licence was issued and will change every time you change address, photograph or simply apply for a replacement issue for any reason.

Lum

Some insurance companies word this question as "When did you pass your driving test?"

That should indicate what they actually want to know with this question. What would be the point of knowing when you last updated your photograph?

bigmun

Lum wrote: »

Some insurance companies word this question as "When did you pass your driving test?"

That should indicate what they actually want to know with this question. What would be the point of knowing when you last updated your photograph?

Sure. That'd be less ambiguous. The reason I'm asking is that I've recently exchanged my original license to a UK license, so I wasn't sure whether insurance companies account for the "driving experience" accumulated elsewhere.

Lum

Ahh, that's a somewhat different situation, unless you previously had a Northern Ireland licence. Probably best to ask the insurance company in that case as it will vary.

AnythingButChardonnay

Field 10 does not necessarily give the date you passed your test.

Before the early 1970s, driving licences were issued by local authorities (often in a rather snazzy red book form). The DVLA only took over records circa 1973, so the date given may be around then even if you passed your test in the 1960s, 50s or even earlier (maybe you didn't need to pass a test at all!).

iolanthe07

Field 10 does not necessarily give the date you passed your test.

My licence starts from 7 March 1976, but in fact I passed my test on 12 December 1963.

SailorSam

Over 40yrs now and two minor bumps, one was on my motorbike at 16.