non-GB Licence and 3 year rule/law

Iceweasel

PCorite wrote: »

Thanks Everyone!

It's a shame DVLA (GOV.UK) didn't make it clearer, such as:

You can drive in Great Britain on your non-GB full valid EU driving licence until you’re 70, or for 3 years only if you are 67+ when become a resident in the UK, whichever gives you the longest driving period.

You missed out the very necessary EU bit.

Non-EU licence holders have a different time-scale.

PCorite

Thanks Iceweasel I believe it is also known as a EU Community driving licence

bowlhead99

PCorite wrote: »

Thanks Iceweasel I believe it is also known as a EU Community driving licence

No, it isn't .

The European Community was dissolved into the European Union by the treaty of Lisbon in 2009.

You can call it either the EU (the correct term) or the European Community (the old term) and we will know what you mean - but an "EU Community" licence is not something that exists because there is no "EU Community"

Just to confuse things by being even more specific, if you were re-writing the rule wording - the rule also includes the European Economic Area countries of Iceland and Norway (they're in the European Free Trade Area even though they are not in the EU).

Going back to the website references, the gov.uk site has a tool where you can select the type of vehicle, type of licence, and where the licence is from... and get the answer.

https://www.gov.uk/driving-nongb-licence/y/a-resident-of-great-britain/full-car-and-or-motorcycle/european-union-or-european-economic-area says for someone saying that they passed their test in EU or EEA:

You can drive in Great Britain on your full, valid driving licence until you’re 70, or for 3 years after becoming resident in Great Britain, whichever is longer

If you become resident at 50, you can drive for 20 years until you are 70 because "until you're 70" is longer than "3 years after becoming resident".

If you become resident at 69 you can drive for 3 years until you are 72 because "3 years after becoming resident" is longer than "until you're 70"

The sentence doesn't need to talk about "67+" because that just makes the sentence longer and most drivers are probably capable of adding 3 onto a number and seeing if it is bigger than another number or not.
:beer:

PCorite

Thanks for the very clear calarification, bowlhead99. It has cleared things up, with the others remarks, for me. So thank you all.

bigjl

"You can drive in Great Britain on your full, valid driving licence until you’re 70, or for 3 years after becoming resident in Great Britain, whichever is longer"

The way I read that if you become permanently resident in the UK your licence is valid for 3yrs.

I can see where Adrian C is coming from aswell.

So like most things governmental it is about as clear as mud.

Though thinking about this the other way round would a GB Lic holder that moved to Hungary permanently expect their GB Lic to last indefinitely after they have moved to Hungary?

Seems logical to assume the 3yr limit is there for temporary residents not to have the issue of changing their licence but when they move permanently they have to change it, the applicable time being 3yrs.

Can a UK Court put penalty points on another EU counties Licence?

I don't think they can.

I suspect only a Lawyer or Judge will be able to understand some of these rules.

What is wrong with clearly wording things in English rather than some form of "legalese"

JayCartwright

bigjl wrote: »

"You can drive in Great Britain on your full, valid driving licence until you’re 70, or for 3 years after becoming resident in Great Britain, whichever is longer"

The way I read that if you become permanently resident in the UK your licence is valid for 3yrs.

I can see where Adrian C is coming from aswell.

So like most things governmental it is about as clear as mud.

Though thinking about this the other way round would a GB Lic holder that moved to Hungary permanently expect their GB Lic to last indefinitely after they have moved to Hungary?

Seems logical to assume the 3yr limit is there for temporary residents not to have the issue of changing their licence but when they move permanently they have to change it, the applicable time being 3yrs.

Can a UK Court put penalty points on another EU counties Licence?

I don't think they can.

I suspect only a Lawyer or Judge will be able to understand some of these rules.

What is wrong with clearly wording things in English rather than some form of "legalese"

It may only be 12 months if you exchanged a non EU licence to get one.

The courts can put points on an EU licence, the DVLA give them a driver number cross referenced to the EU licence and out points on the UK number.

Iceweasel

For once the EU rules and legislation is much clearer than the UK gobbledegook.

All EU licences are valid throughout the EU until the date of expiry on them irrespective of how one moves around the EU.

If you move to another EU country you can continue driving on your original EU licence AS LONG AS IT IS VALID.

Nothing about 3 years or residency at all.

If and when it requires to be renewed then you must renew it in your current country of residence.

All explained here in much plainer language:

http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/vehicles/driving-licence/driving-licence-recognition-validity/index_en.htm

AdrianC

bigjl wrote: »

"You can drive in Great Britain on your full, valid driving licence until you’re 70, or for 3 years after becoming resident in Great Britain, whichever is longer"

The way I read that if you become permanently resident in the UK your licence is valid for 3yrs.

So like most things governmental it is about as clear as mud.

It's perfectly clear. You are ignoring "whichever is longer".

Though thinking about this the other way round would a GB Lic holder that moved to Hungary permanently expect their GB Lic to last indefinitely after they have moved to Hungary?

Yes. UK and Hungary are both EU countries.

Can a UK Court put penalty points on another EU counties Licence?

A driver record is created at Swansea for a foreign-licenced (EU or non) driver who is convicted of an offence in the UK. Totting-up and bans work in the same way, but (certainly for a non-resident) a fine is likely to be larger as points are likely to be less of an incentive. I don't think fixed penalties or speed awareness courses are an option, but I might be wrong.

JayCartwright

Iceweasel wrote: »

For once the EU rules and legislation is much clearer than the UK gobbledegook.

All EU licences are valid throughout the EU until the date of expiry on them irrespective of how one moves around the EU.

If you move to another EU country you can continue driving on your original EU licence AS LONG AS IT IS VALID.

Nothing about 3 years or residency at all.

If and when it requires to be renewed then you must renew it in your current country of residence.

All explained here in much plainer language:

http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/vehicles/driving-licence/driving-licence-recognition-validity/index_en.htm

Do they? On your link it says.

Obligatory exchange

You may be required to exchange your driving licence:

after two years of normal residence, if you have a driving licence valid for life
if you commit a traffic offence in the country where you live.

JayCartwright

AdrianC wrote: »

It's perfectly clear. You are ignoring "whichever is longer".



Yes. UK and Hungary are both EU countries.



A driver record is created at Swansea for a foreign-licenced (EU or non) driver who is convicted of an offence in the UK. Totting-up and bans work in the same way, but (certainly for a non-resident) a fine is likely to be larger as points are likely to be less of an incentive. I don't think fixed penalties or speed awareness courses are an option, but I might be wrong.

They are since the introduction of graduated fixed penalty tickets. Non residents pay at the roadside.