MSE News: Driving licence warning: Keep it up to date or face £1,000 fine 14 June 2013 at 4:03PM in Motoring 59 replies 7.5K views

Former_MSE_Helen

"Motorists face fines of up to £1,000 for out-of-date information on their driving licence – so check yours now ..."

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Driving licence warning: Keep it up to date or face £1,000 fine



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mysterons

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-22686167

Caddyman

Sounds harsh I know, but failure to update a photocard driving license, is just poor personal administration. Every driver who has legally passed their driving test should know that their photocard license has an expiry date of ten years. It is there to read in the information booklet supplied with it on first receipt and it is printed on the license itself.

If persons who change their name whether by marriage or deed poll can't be bothered or who trot out the lame excuse that they 'forgot' subsequently get fined, then it is their fault. There are lots of things to think about in life and your driving license is one of them!

As for house moves, well your address can be changed online on the gov.uk website. Page 120 of the current Highway Code is quite clear about the obligation to inform DVLA of address changes too.

As for the license costing £20 for renewal after 10 years, well yes that is correct from the perspective that that is what the DVLA charge, but you still have to get your digital photos taken, average cost appears to be about a fiver, then you have to post it off, so there's the postage to pay, and if you have to make the journey by vehicle to a post box or post office, there's the cost of getting there, so in reality, it could cost you £30. But at least it's only every ten years!

I consider myself fortunate that both my driving license and passport expire with just a couple of months of each other, so I make sure I hang onto the last set of passport photo's so that both documents bear the same photo.

vaio

Stories like this make me pleased I still have my old paper licence issued when I was 17 and which doesn't expire for another 15 years.

I suppose then I'll have to get one of the new [STRIKE]ID card[/STRIKE] photocard type and change the address from my parents (where I haven't lived since 1979) to my own address

Caddyman

vaio wrote: »

Stories like this make me pleased I still have my old paper licence issued when I was 17 and which doesn't expire for another 15 years.

I suppose then I'll have to get one of the new [STRIKE]ID card[/STRIKE] photocard type and change the address from my parents (where I haven't lived since 1979) to my own address

Lol! Haven't you just admitted that you have a driving licence with the wrong address details on it? You have an obligation to inform DVLA....

Aretnap

So long as he's contactable at his parents' address he's fine.

torbrex

Last time I changed my address it was free to do, that was 20 years ago, is this still the case?

My paper licence does not expire for another 16 years so unless I move home again, I will have no need to contact the DVLA

Caddyman

torbrex wrote: »

Last time I changed my address it was free to do, that was 20 years ago, is this still the case?

My paper licence does not expire for another 16 years so unless I move home again, I will have no need to contact the DVLA

It is free to change your address, but only if you already have an in date photo card licence. If like you one still has a paper licence (I haven't had one of those for 12 years now!), then you have to pay £20 plus associated other costs as mentioned in my first post, to get one. DVLA obviously will not change a paper licence for a paper licence without the photocard element. Clearly then, for those still with an in date paper licence, it would appear financially inept to change it for a new photocard licence, though of course if like me you like the idea of having a readily accepted form of identification for use at various institutions rather than carrying your passport, then it is a good idea.

Guest101

Seems fair, to a point anyway.

I always think government institutions should absorb the cost for updating, but the need to update in itself seems reasonable.

Gloomendoom

What is the big deal about updating driving licences?

It's dead easy to do and the cost is negligible.

Igotothefootofourstairs

The article states Lincoln Police have prosecuted a number of people for not having up to date photo licences and that a legal team have pointed out in fact the licences are valid as they give the licence expiry date.

Now there is nothing in law that you were to be charged the rather extortionate rate of £20 when the original cost £2 .. what's it going to be 10 years ?? £200 ?

The true cost of reissuing these is pence 20p perhaps so why £20?

Why aren't Lincoln police in the dock with the Judge ( if there was one) or is it one bill the local council charges?

More funds to pay MP expense accounts no doubt and I'll wager anyone who doesn't pay their £1000 fine won't be spending a quarter of the jail tariff in a cushy free health camp style open prison either.

One rule for them and another for the plebs.