Renew driving license (without a valid passport)

adougl16

Hello all, putting this in driving as it seems the most relevant place (but mods please move if not suitable).
I need to get a new driving license, however the gov.uk website wants me to check it against my passport, which has now expired. With the current travel situation, I don't intend to travel abroad this year, so see no point renewing my passport and then "losing" a year on it, but I cannot see how to renew my driving licence any other way. I went to my local post office and explained my situation, however they gave me away forms that want my (valid) passport number!
Surely I don't need a passport in order to get a new driving license? Any clues what I need to do?

AdrianC

You can only renew it online with a valid passport.

If you have a passport, you can renew it by post and use the photo from that...
You can also renew it by post sending in a new photo.
It's all explained on the "other ways to apply" tab on the gov.uk renewal page.
https://www.gov.uk/renew-driving-licence#other-ways-to-apply

born_again

You can do it at some post offices. Costs a bit more but gets sent digitally as they take the photo there. 

Sea_Shell

We're in the same position.   Passports expired at the start of 2021, and our DL's expire in April 2022.   

We might, depending on how the travel situation improves, renew the passports at the end of this year, so we can get away in either November or early 2022.    If it still looks sketchy, we won't bother.

neilmcl

As stated, you don't need a passport to renew your driving licence, how could all the tens of thousands of drivers who are not passport holders do theirs.

https://www.gov.uk/renew-driving-licence#other-ways-to-apply

Sea_Shell

neilmcl said:

As stated, you don't need a passport to renew your driving licence, how could all the tens of thousands of drivers who are not passport holders do theirs.

https://www.gov.uk/renew-driving-licence#other-ways-to-apply

That's what we'll probably do, if we haven't renewed our PP by then.    We have a main PO in town.

I think we all just get so used to being able to do things on-line these days, that being told "no, you can't without...." can put a spanner in peoples works, especially if you don't have easy access to a main PO.

AdrianC

Sea_Shell said:

I think we all just get so used to being able to do things on-line these days, that being told "no, you can't without...." can put a spanner in peoples works, especially if you don't have easy access to a main PO.

But you can... if you meet several criteria, which the majority of the population do...

You're an edge case. At the most recent statistics I can quickly find, only about 17% of the population do not hold a current passport. There is almost certainly a strong overlap between them and the people who do not have a driving licence.

Sea_Shell

AdrianC said:

Sea_Shell said:

I think we all just get so used to being able to do things on-line these days, that being told "no, you can't without...." can put a spanner in peoples works, especially if you don't have easy access to a main PO.

But you can... if you meet several criteria, which the majority of the population do...

You're an edge case. At the most recent statistics I can quickly find, only about 17% of the population do not hold a current passport. There is almost certainly a strong overlap between them and the people who do not have a driving licence.

Hey @adougl16, we're "edge cases".    Who'd of thought we'd be so "special"??

Anyway, I only really commented to let adougl16 know they weren't "alone" as it would appear their aren't many of us about.

We'll both get sorted one way or the other I'm sure.

Happy Thursday everyone.

scrappy_returns

adougl16 said:

Hello all, putting this in driving as it seems the most relevant place (but mods please move if not suitable).
I need to get a new driving license, however the gov.uk website wants me to check it against my passport, which has now expired. With the current travel situation, I don't intend to travel abroad this year, so see no point renewing my passport and then "losing" a year on it, but I cannot see how to renew my driving licence any other way. I went to my local post office and explained my situation, however they gave me away forms that want my (valid) passport number!
Surely I don't need a passport in order to get a new driving license? Any clues what I need to do?

I was in the same situation and renewed at the post office, including getting my photo taken. Simple enough.

oldagetraveller1

I too am an "edge case", really makes me feel very special!

Yes, renewed mine online last month, no passport held, not necessary.

"You can only renew it online with a valid passport."

No, not for an over 70 licence.

Sea_Shell

Sea_Shell said:

We're in the same position.   Passports expired at the start of 2021, and our DL's expire in April 2022.   

We might, depending on how the travel situation improves, renew the passports at the end of this year, so we can get away in either November or early 2022.    If it still looks sketchy, we won't bother.

Just by way of an update....(in case anyone else comes looking for information)

We still haven't got new passports , and the letters duly arrived for the renewal of our Driving Licences.

So we popped into town last week (6th) and did them at the Post Office.   Was really quick and simple.   They did it all on a tablet, and took our photos with it too, and submitted the applications.    Just waiting for the new ones to come in the post.  

I'm hoping that as it is now effectively an "electronic" application (just done by a Third Party), our application won't need to be touched by humans at the DVLA, and so won't end up in a paper backlog!

Will update when they arrive.