Returning old driving licence

sheramber

Abbafan1972 said:

Oh ok. I was surprised when we got the new licence through, as I thought it was similar to the passports, where you have to send the old one back before they profess your application. I can just send it normal postage (I have loads of stamps from those RM test pieces of post), but wouldn’t want it to fall into the wrong hands. But if there’s no legal obligation to return it, I’m quite happy to put it in the shredder (which surely is more secure anyway). The letter that came with new licence says to return it as well. 

You are asked to cut it up to prevent anyone else using it.  

I agree, it should be a free post address to send it back.

Marmaduke123

I can't imagine the DVLA would waste resources marrying up returned licences with newly issued ones! I cut up the old one and take a photo, then shred it.

Grey_Critic

Can never understand why people seem to think the rules apply to all but them. This is just one example.

If it says cut in two and post it then do so. Or is it a case of being bloody minded.

Bigphil1474

I'm not sure it's being bloody minded to ignore pointless rules that make absolutely no difference. Given the price of stamps alone, and the some 40 million+ UK licenses held (so roughly 4 million a year needing replacing), that's a huge chunk of money that could be saved if they just said you must destroy your old license. Not to mention the benefit to the DVLA of not having to process them on their end. If they can't be bothered enforcing it, it would seem that they see it as pointless as well. I'm not sure our government is in a strong position when it comes to following (some) rules at the moment.

uk1

I cannBigphil1474 said:

I'm not sure it's being bloody minded to ignore pointless rules that make absolutely no difference. Given the price of stamps alone, and the some 40 million+ UK licenses held (so roughly 4 million a year needing replacing), that's a huge chunk of money that could be saved if they just said you must destroy your old license. Not to mention the benefit to the DVLA of not having to process them on their end. If they can't be bothered enforcing it, it would seem that they see it as pointless as well. I'm not sure our government is in a strong position when it comes to following (some) rules at the moment.

Quite right,

1.  You are asked to cut them up before sending them.

2.   I do not believe they have people arranging the jigsaw of returned cut up driving licences in order to check who had sent them in and “process” them.

Although as an over 70 nothing surprises me anymore. 😊

oldagetraveller1

Grey_Critic said:

Can never understand why people seem to think the rules apply to all but them. This is just one example.

If it says cut in two and post it then do so. Or is it a case of being bloody minded.

If they instructed the licence holder to hop on one leg (rule 2 paragraph A), to the nearest post box, when returning, I'm sure many would just blindly comply.

If they provided a Feepost address then I would probably "obey".

SteveJW

Totally unenforceable, depending on what source you use upwards of 500,000 items of mail go missing every year

The licence I failed to return is lost in the post :-)

Grey_Critic

Could just not put a stamp on.

Car_54

I've just received my new licence. 

The instructions do NOT say that the old one must be returned. What they actually say is:

"Not sure what to do with your old licence? - Cut in half and then send it to DVLA ... "

So if you are sure, as I was, you can bin it.

Brie

Given how frequently the DVLA loses licenses sent to them they are unlikely to be able to say for sure that you hadn't sent it back.  

(OH sent his back when we moved and the DVLA sent him a new one with his old address but sent to our new place.  Sent that back and got nothing back.  It had been lost. Paid for a new one and never received it as that one was lost.  Paid again and finally got his new license with the correct info on it.  DVLA denied there was a problem.)