Hiring Van - out of date photo license questions...

FredL

to be clear for anyone else reading this thread:

Even if your photo has expired, your licence is still both full and valid.

A simple call to the DVLA will confirm this. Additionally, they can provide a number for rental companies to call them directly, and they can release information about your licence to them.

AdrianC

FredL wrote: »

Even if your photo has expired, your licence is still both full and valid.

Your entitlement to drive is. Your licence is not.

pogofish

Iceweasel wrote: »

Yes - hire companies don't like folks who haven't got a valid photo licence.

Like everyone else - he just needs to renew it.

I've never had a photo licence - and I have never found a problem hiring cars, here or abroad. Abroad they just ask to see my passport a well.

AdrianC

pogofish wrote: »

Abroad they just ask to see my passport a well.

Would they accept a passport that had expired four years previously, d'you think?

pogofish

AdrianC wrote: »

Would they accept a passport that had expired four years previously, d'you think?

No idea - its always been valid when I've been asked for it. Most times they seem most interested in just the credit card being confirmed.

Paradigm

AdrianC wrote: »

Your entitlement to drive is. Your licence is not.

Your driving licence is valid until the date specified in column 11 on the back of the photocard, usually the 70th birthday. (unless revoked by a court or DVLA)

Only the photo expires after 10 years (not the licence) & this doesn't change the fact that the licence to drive is still valid.

desperation_2

Posted in answer to a similar question on the Overseas Travel board


Taken from dvla:

If your Photo Driving Licence has expired, you can be fined up to £1,000. Your photo licence must be renewed every 10 years; if you fail to renew it at that point, your driving licence will be invalid. You can choose to update your photo sooner than this if your appearance changes significantly. This can be done online via direct.gov.uk or by filling in the DVLA's D1 application form, which you can get online, from the DVLA form ordering service or from certain Post Office branches.

And

You must renew a photocard licence every 10 years - you’ll receive a reminder before your current licence ends. Your new licence will be valid from the date your application is approved not from the expiry date of your current licence.

Notice the use of the word 'invalid' in the first paragraph and 'valid' in the second paragraph.

Also see

http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum.../dg_078131.pdf

Which clearly states your photo licence is only 'valid' for 10 years. Therefore if it has expired you do not have a valid driving licence.

There is a difference between a 'Valid Licence' & 'Entitlement to Drive'

Whilst car hire companies vary, some 'will' accept an expired licence, some won't. Also hire companies 'can' call the DVLA however they will only confirm validity of licence and endorsements, they will not confirm any further details in such as licence number etc.

In relation the the licence and counterpart it also does state on the top of the counterpart 'Important document - The photo card and paper counterpart should be kept together. Both must be produced when required'

Nearly_Old

Iceweasel wrote: »

I doubt it would work abroad hiring a car on holiday for example.

But like everything else someone will come along soon to tell us it can be done - somewhere. ****

I can't see the point of NOT getting the latest type licence, or not renewing it after 10 years.

**** Not wanting to disappoint

We both have old style paper licences, last updated in 1981 and over the past few years have hired cars in Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Italy, USA, etc with no problems. Always been asked for the credit card but cannot remember ever being asked for my passport.

Why spend money on updating our licences? Our licences last until we are 70, assuming no change in circumstances and we only have one piece of paper to remember to take.

Paradigm

desperation wrote: »

Taken from dvla:

If your Photo Driving Licence has expired, you can be fined up to £1,000. Your photo licence must be renewed every 10 years; if you fail to renew it at that point, [STRIKE]your driving licence[/STRIKE] Photograph will be invalid.

Very suspect wording, they are right that it is an offence to have an expired photo (£1000 fine non endorsable) however this is a totally different offence to not having a valid driving licence (large fine plus points)

The actual licence legislation reads...

99 Duration of licences.


(1)[F1In so far as a licence authorises its holder to drive motor vehicles of classes other than any prescribed class of goods vehicle or any prescribed class of passenger-carrying vehicle, it] shall, unless previously revoked or surrendered, remain in force, subject to subsection (2) below—

(a)except in a case falling within paragraph (b) or (c) of this subsection, for the period ending on the seventieth anniversary of the applicant’s date of birth or for a period of three years, whichever is the longer,

Yes the photo expires after 10 years & yes it's an offence just not the offence people actually think.

desperation_2

The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations 2012

4. (1) Section 99 (duration of licences) is amended as follows.

(2) For subsection (2A)(1) substitute—

“(2A) Where in accordance with the preceding provisions of this section, a licence in the form of a photocard remains in force after the last day of the administrative validity period, the holder of the licence must nevertheless surrender the licence and its counterpart to the Secretary of State not later than that day.

(2B) Subject to subsections (2C) to (2H), the administrative validity period of a licence in the form of a photocard is—

(a)where the licence authorises its holder to drive any class of goods vehicle or passenger-carrying vehicle prescribed for the purposes of subsection (1A) otherwise than for a purpose mentioned in section 97(2) or by virtue of section 98(2)(2), the period of 5 years beginning with the date shown on the licence as the date of issue; and
(b)in any other case, the period of 10 years beginning with the date shown on the licence as the date of issue.
(2C) In the case of a licence issued before 19th January 2013, the administrative validity period is the period of 10 years beginning with—

(a)the date shown on the licence as the date of issue,

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/977/schedule/1/paragraph/4/made