Mislaid drivers licence - 2 days before travel

brissle

HELP please,

Can anyone please advise me - we travel to the USA on Wednesday and will pick up a hire car on arrival at Atlanta.

I cannot find my divers licence. It's always in my wallet -or so i thought - but it's not there now.
We have hunted everywhere obvious and not obvious.

Our holiday depends on the hire car - and a secon one 2 weeks later in Washington DC.

Is there any way I can get an emergency replacement?
We have spent and committed so much money on this "trip of a lifetime" and now I've mucked it up.

We live in Bristol. It's Saturday afternoon. We leave midday Wednesday.

Can anyone please advise me?

elsien

Can the person you are going with do the driving?
Would the hire car company accept a fax from the DVLA (not sure if the DVLA do this, but can't hurt to ask.)
Have you had to use your driving licence as proof of ID for anything? Bank account, booking the hire car?

Have you tried phoning the DVLA, they may be open on a Saturday till early afternoon.
Eta they're open till 2, you have about 3 minutes.

DVLA driver licensing enquiries
Telephone: 0300 790 6801
Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm
Saturday, 8am to 2pm
Find out about call charges

brissle

elsien - thank you for your response - tried to call DVLA on that number earlier, but no reply.
The FAX option is a great idea - I'll contact the two rental companies over the weekend and see if they'll accept that as a solution.

My wife cannot drive this time - she's just had a procedure on her knee (torn ligament or something) and is unable to drive at present. But we'll take her licence as emergency back-up.

You started a new train of thought about what I might have done with my licence - yes it was certainly in my hand a few weeks ago when I booked the car(s). It's got to be somewhere. But believe me, we've had an amazing search in our house so far.........

Your encouragement is heartening! In theory iIt's got to be here somewhere - must be middle age approaching.....

elsien

It'll probably turn up somewhere blindingly obvious. I spent a week looking for my credit card before cancelling it. The following day it turned up in my purse which I'd already searched umpteen times, but in a part of it I don't usually use.
Hope you get something sorted.

Random thought - do you have a scanner and have you left it in there? (Another one of my tricks.)

brissle

You are a genius - that's exactly where it was - I had scanned a copy as an emergency back-up and just closed the lid and forgot it. Stuff piled on top of the switched off scanner, so I never thought to look there.

Panic over - how do you do it? Must be second sight.

Many, many thanks - you've put two minds at rest.
On with the packing
Best thanks again

elsien

Less second sight, and more a similar panic with a passport, only I left it till the day of travel itself.
Enjoy your holiday.

PeacefulWaters

Ah, memories of finding the passports in the fruit bowl!

richardw

Are you going to print a DVLA code so they can check your endorsements if any ?

brissle

DVLA code - interesting point - I remember hearing about that some time ago, but thought it was just a teething problem with the "new" photocard driving licences. So i did a Google search and yes, it is still available - valid for 21 days, so if I did just before we go, I'd be covered for both rentals.

thanks for pointing that out

zaax

brissle wrote: »

DVLA code - interesting point - I remember hearing about that some time ago, but thought it was just a teething problem with the "new" photocard driving licences. So i did a Google search and yes, it is still available - valid for 21 days, so if I did just before we go, I'd be covered for both rentals.

thanks for pointing that out

Hire co's don't bother (they never have), you either have a driving licence or you don't.

Flugelhorn

brissle wrote: »

DVLA code - interesting point - I remember hearing about that some time ago, but thought it was just a teething problem with the "new" photocard driving licences. So i did a Google search and yes, it is still available - valid for 21 days, so if I did just before we go, I'd be covered for both rentals.

thanks for pointing that out

I have used the code in the UK - don't know if they will be bothered in the USA but I think you might need to get 2 codes as each can only be used once.

PS - amazing the lost things I have found in the scanner both at home and work