Moved house

Timay

I have moved house will moved out of my parents place to a rented house.

I was just wondering if I need to inform the DVLA of change of address for my licence and v5c?

I only live down the road from my parents and obviously makes no difference to me if the post goes there for my car (for example speeding ticket) or not in my opinion as I would just pick up the post like i do with any other post I get.

I have informed my insurance company and paid the extra for the change of address.

obviously if my parents moved house I would change it, but just seems pointless when I am still very much contactable at that address.

InsideInsurance

It can cause an insurance headache if you need to make a claim and your details dont match those on the policy and so for an easy life I would probably change them over.

Retrogamer

Timay wrote: »

I was just wondering if I need to inform the DVLA of change of address for my licence and v5c?

Yes, not doing so is an offense.
There might be a low risk of being caught, but i'd prefer not to take that risk personally.

Quiet_Spark

Retrogamer wrote: »

Yes, not doing so is an offense.
take that risk personally.

Unless DVLA have changed the rules very recently, you can use any address you like so long as you can be contacted within a reasonable time at that address.
They don't say what a reasonable time is, but I'll guess long enough for second class royal mail to send a letter.

Retrogamer

I have a friend who had a NIP sent to his previous address as he hadn't updated his details.
When the police were looking for him to query why he hadn't responded to it, he advised he had recently moved address and hadn't had the chance to update his details yet.

He was charged & fined by them (the police) for failing to update his details. This was about 2 years ago, so not sure if it's changed since then.

Quiet_Spark

Retrogamer wrote: »

I have a friend who had a NIP sent to his previous address as he hadn't updated his details.
When the police were looking for him to query why he hadn't responded to it, he advised he had recently moved address and hadn't had the chance to update his details yet.

He was charged & fined by them (the police) for failing to update his details. This was about 2 years ago, so not sure if it's changed since then.

NIP is a different story, it is a separate offence in it's own right to not respond to it and they would have gone on the details on his V5 to chase him for it.
My licence has had my parents address on it since 1991 and I have never had a problem when I've been stopped and a check carried out to ensure I'm legal.

Retrogamer

Quiet_Spark wrote: »

NIP is a different story, it is a separate offence in it's own right to not respond to it and they would have gone on the details on his V5 to chase him for it.
My licence has had my parents address on it since 1991 and I have never had a problem when I've been stopped and a check carried out to ensure I'm legal.

He wasn't charged for not responding to the NIP, he was charged for having the incorrect address details on his driving license and V5. The reason they caught him doing that, was due to a late response on the NIP. First one he never responded to, so they visited his old address then found him at his new address. After he was charged for not updating his details, the second NIP was received and responded to before that became a problem as well.

This is from the Gov site

Changes to personal or vehicle details
You must tell DVLA if you:

change your name or address

Quiet_Spark

Maybe they were peed off, maybe he failed the "attitude" test when they did catch up with him....who knows?

When I last filled a D1 in (1990), it stated quite clearly I could use any address I liked so long as I was contactable at that address and I've left it like that ever since because I have no need to have a picture of myself on my driving licence.

It wouldn't surprise me if the law has changed since (especially as the government are trying to link all their databases (eg, DVLA, Passport, NI, etc) up, but the last time I had to apply for a licence that was the law so unless they retrospectively change it to get the last of us old diehards to toe the line I'll leave it just as it is.

Rover_Driver

Retrogamer wrote: »

He was charged & fined by them (the police) for failing to update his details. This was about 2 years ago, so not sure if it's changed since then.

The police do not prosecute for those offences, they are dealt with by the DVLA.


As long as you can be contacted via the details on your V5C/Driving Licence, there is no need to change them.


The problem with the .Gov site is that it just gives general advice, often - as in the above quote - not that accurate.

Hintza

My Driving Licence address was at my mothers house for over 30 years until I applied for a photo one, what a mistake that was!

[Deleted User]

No point in changing address on V5C and driving licence if you are still contactable at parents house. More so if you have just moved into rented property which you could end up moving from again at end of tenancy.