Exchanging NI licence into an english one?

anotherginger

I moved from NI to England and back again. Legally you are required to have your actual address on your license.

When I moved to England I just sent off the paper part with the change of address section completed, along with the card, to Coleraine. I think they wrote back and told me it needed to go to Swansea. Wherever it went, it was back within a couple of weeks. Same when I returned back to NI. The expiry of the card Has remained the same, ie. I didn't get any extra years added on, even though it has been updated.

RikM

anotherginger wrote: »

I moved from NI to England and back again. Legally you are required to have your actual address on your license.

When I moved to England I just sent off the paper part with the change of address section completed, along with the card, to Coleraine. I think they wrote back and told me it needed to go to Swansea. Wherever it went, it was back within a couple of weeks. Same when I returned back to NI. The expiry of the card Has remained the same, ie. I didn't get any extra years added on, even though it has been updated.

What you did was exchange your licence, it wasn't an address change, as the different agencies can't work outside their own territories.

For example, when I sent my GB licence to the DVLA, they sent it back saying they couldn't change the address. When I contacted the DVA, they told me I could carry on using my GB licence until it expired, or exchange it. See the links above. I don't believe it is an offence to not have an up to date address on a licence in GB, when it's not a GB licence. The fine would have to come from the DVA, and they are not going to do anything about an address which can't be updated.

Remember - you can only notify DVA of a Northern Ireland address changes. An address outside Northern Ireland cannot be applied to a Northern Ireland driving licence.