Provisional driving licence dilemma

edawn

Good morning,

I wonder if anyone can help with the dilemma I've gotten myself into.

When I was 18 I applied for my provisional driving licence in Northern Ireland to use for ID mainly; I didn't start driving lessons. Fast forward several years and I now live in England where I'd like to learn to drive. The address on my NI provisional is my old NI address - to change it with the DVA NI I need to submit the paper part (which I can't find). So I can apply for a lost paper licence but I've got to get a form in person (which I can't do because I'm in England). Plus there is a hefty fee which I'd rather not pay because my licence will expire in 2018 anyway and I'll then have to pay to renew.

Apparently the DVLA in England cannot add an English address onto my NI provisional, so even if I could learn to drive on my NI licence in England, the address would still be incorrect!

Can I apply to the DVLA for a new, English provisional licence and learn to drive on that?

I've got myself into such a muddle I'm not sure what to do!

Thank you.

Car_54

If you apply for a GB (not English!) licence, with your English address, then I don't see how they could know you ever had an NI licence. I'd be very surprised if they even check.

If you're not happy with that, then surrender your NI licence first.

AdrianC

Aren't they pretty much the same thing now? I know that vehicle registrations have been transferred from Coleraine to Swansea, and are all on the same database now - so assumed that driving licences were the same.

edawn

Thank you Car 54, I thought they'd have a way of knowing that I already had a NI provisional; however I just spoke to the DVLA and you were right. They said I can apply for a new GB licence with my current English address.

I think I made it much more complicated than it needed to be!

Thanks again.