Renewing car driving licence online - without vocational (HGV) entitlement

FrustratedByTheInternet

Hi folks

My driving licence needs renewing soon, and I've tried to complete the process online, but have hit a snag (or two!)

I tried a while back to get a Gov.One account but kept hitting a brick wall, and eventually gave up and had resigned myself to having to go to a photo booth for a new piccy, and then send off physical forms. My OH also has to renew her licence and yesterday had a go with her new phone and pretty much got all of the way through it bar the new photo (she had an option to do this via her phone and rushed a quick snap which then didn't meet the requirements)

So I had another go at Gov.One but failed as I needed to download their app onto my phone, and when I tried to do this, was told that my operating system was not compatible. Eventually, with OH doing the logging in on her new phone, I managed to actually get an account which I can now use on my laptop. Hurrah! (There were walk-throughs on the DVLA website about this, under a heading something like "Help a feeble old relative who doesn't understand technology to access our services online)

However, I'm now stymied on the licence application, as I get most of the way there until I hit a page with the message "You cannot renew your lorry and bus (HGV/PCV) entitlement" and further searching suggests

You cannot renew your lorry and bus (HGV/PCV) entitlement using the standard online process because the DVLA requires you to complete and send a paper-based D47PU form, which may also require a D4 medical form, to them directly. This is because these licences have specific medical and administrative requirements that the online system does not handle

Argh! I don't want to renew my HGV licence, as I've not driven an HGV since 1991! I just want my car licence, and don't want to have to go to a Post Office to do so (more expensive for one thing) and most definitely don't want to have a medical! This didn't happen 10 years ago when I renewed and I was over the 45 year age limit for needing medicals etc then. Apparently there is a way to remove the "vocational entitlement" from the licence but, surprise, this needs a paper from to be filled in!

Does anyone have any knowledge/experience of a similar scenario and can offer some sage advice? I can see myself having to spend a day on the phone to DVLA only to end up having to have a physical photo/send a paper form anyway. Why do they make things trickier when trying to make them easier?

Mildly_Miffed

This is the standard over 70 renewal?

Just renew it. It'll come back without any C or D licence entitlements. You'll be down to B automagically.

Jaybee_16

Looking at my renewal form D47W, section 2 refers to the entitlement you want:

A: I want to renew my entitlement
B: I want to renew my driving licence without the following entitlement, then there are 2 boxes for Lorry or Bus.

FrustratedByTheInternet

^^ Is D47W for renewing HGV licence?

Reading about this, I think DVLA should have sent me one of these, but I only got the "standard" form. I've just had a long online chat with them, and seems there's no way I can do anything other than fill in the physical form (that they are now sending to me) and going to a photo booth for my picture! 

They tell me it won't cost any more to do it this way, but I doubt the photos will be free and also it's taken me half a day to find this out. Good job I'm not charging them for my time!

FrustratedByTheInternet

Mildly_Miffed said:

This is the standard over 70 renewal?

Just renew it. It'll come back without any C or D licence entitlements. You'll be down to B automagically.

Sorry MM, didn't see this!

No, I'm 62, but haven't driven HGV's since the early 1990's. I was hoping to just renew online, but hit the stumbling block of needing to send a physical form when the system realised I had HGV entitlement. I'm never going to drive a lorry again, and although it'll be sad to see that element of the licence go, it won't really affect me detrimentally. I guess I could keep the HGV part, but I'd need to go to a GP for a medical to do that, and that's something I'd rather not do!