No passport, no driving licence - anyone know what I can do?

ColdIron

Peter999_2 said:

It's these situations where the digital ID will be useful.      I look after my elderly parents with all their finances, health issus etc.    It is incredibly difficult now to provide ID for them as it is expected they have a driving licence or passport of which they have neither.   Everyone I speak to who is against digital ID has either a driving licence or passport and have no thought whatsoever for people who don't.

It makes my life a lot harder to look after them and I'm all for the digital ID which would resolve so many problems.  If the digital ID does come out, I'll be the first in line for my parents.

The problem is that to create a 'Digital ID' account you need those other forms of ID that people don't have:  UK passport, a non-UK passport with a biometric chip, or a UK photocard driving licence and a *very few others

It's all a bit Catch-22 or chicken and egg

I created a GOVUK OneLogin account and it was very slick but then I had the required documents, quite a lot of people don't so they can't be verified digitally at all

* https://www.gov.uk/using-your-gov-uk-one-login/proving-your-identity

sheramber

Do you get asked for ID by banks where you already have these numerous accounts?

Section62

Peter999_2 said:

It's these situations where the digital ID will be useful.      I look after my elderly parents with all their finances, health issus etc.    It is incredibly difficult now to provide ID for them as it is expected they have a driving licence or passport of which they have neither.   Everyone I speak to who is against digital ID has either a driving licence or passport and have no thought whatsoever for people who don't.
...

Those I know who are opposed are objecting only to the (possible) compulsory nature of it (and cost).  The previous version of the idea was an adjunct to the passport, which meant passport application fees went up... but if you have a valid passport then why would you want an ID card as well?

As Emmia has already pointed out, a fully digital ID system risks being exclusionary unless the system is designed with care and alternative affordable options.

ThePirates

Revolut have started asking for id now, I've had an account with them for years. 

No passport and no driving licence is going to be an issue for some, will they close the account?

Kim_13

Peter999_2 said:

It's these situations where the digital ID will be useful.      I look after my elderly parents with all their finances, health issus etc.    It is incredibly difficult now to provide ID for them as it is expected they have a driving licence or passport of which they have neither.   Everyone I speak to who is against digital ID has either a driving licence or passport and have no thought whatsoever for people who don't. 

I have no problem with a Digital ID if it is only compulsory if you do not have a passport or a driving licence - I have paid to keep my driving licence up to date despite not driving at the time of the last renewal, so I don’t see why I should have to pay for something else. I am also against it even if it is ‘free’, because the taxpayer is still paying for it when the majority of people have a passport or driving licence they could use. It is only the minority of people that need to be helped via a free Digital ID and taxpayer shouldn’t fund unnecessary duplication. 

To the OP, you can get a D1 form from a Post Office to apply for a provisional licence (though they seem to be trying to discourage people doing it for ID purposes as the option now says something like ‘apply for a first provisional licence (with a view to passing a test)’.) Do you know anyone suitable to countersign a photo? If not you would probably have to renew the passport - that should go through as you already had one, but they probably won’t take an expired passport as proof of ID to get a provisional. 

hubr

When I parted with half my photo ID, sending my over 70's DL to DVLA, expecting it never to be seen again, I paid £18 for a Citizencard. This is supposedly accepted by Home Office, Security Industry etc, and has photo, hologram and so on. They're mostly used by youngsters for proof-of age to buy drinks, so I felt a real dinosaur as mine shows 79!

BooJewels

travelodger said:

[snip]
It seems incredible to me that someone like me who has 50 other ways to prove my ID, from an English-born birth certificate, to numerous bank accounts, credit cards, house deeds, insurances, a will, utility bills, council tax bills, an expired passport -  which, although expired for travel purposes, still proves my ID and bears a photo - and who also has recent (2025) photo-ID issued by Sussex Police, who saw me in person to issue it, is still required to provide even more as all these things are not good enough! 

I feel your pain.  I was in this situation a couple of years ago and acting as executor to three estates.  Me not having either a DL or passport was a real nuisance in getting things done, like selling houses.  Even with probate, solicitors wanted to see a passport etc. to ID me for anti money laundering reasons.  I also had to jump through hoops when gifting my son some dosh as a house deposit - same process.  Earlier I'd had a nightmare trying to register my aunt's LPA with her bank without said ID, despite having an orgy of other evidence and having lived in the same place for over 30 years, being on the electoral roll etc.

I had to relent and get a passport in the end.  Part of my reluctance (other than on principle) was not knowing anyone suitable to verify me.  Luckily one of my son's friends who is seemingly high enough in the bank hierarchy to be authorised to do such things offered his services - it's done digitally now - I think I gave his email address and he got a link to ID me from my photo etc. and he texted me only minutes later to say it was done.

I think some places accept photo card provisional licences - but not the paper version.  I did have a paper one, but it was never accepted for anything.  But I couldn't swap it for a photo card until I had the passport - I think maybe they'd charge for it, but it was free if I had a passport and used the same photo - can't just remember the details now.  I am learning to drive and part of the reason for the upgrade was that the dragon at the local test centre refuses to accept paper licences - even though they're still equally legal for taking a test, so my instructor suggested to make the change, save the aggro later on.

Since I got my passport I've had absolutely no issues - it seems that you having one just seems to show up somewhere when they digitally verify you - occasionally they ask for the number of it.  So it might just be that you need to just bite the bullet and get one to make life easier for yourself.  I could have saved myself a lot of trouble if I'd done it sooner myself

Kim_13

BooJewels said:

travelodger said:

[snip]
It seems incredible to me that someone like me who has 50 other ways to prove my ID, from an English-born birth certificate, to numerous bank accounts, credit cards, house deeds, insurances, a will, utility bills, council tax bills, an expired passport -  which, although expired for travel purposes, still proves my ID and bears a photo - and who also has recent (2025) photo-ID issued by Sussex Police, who saw me in person to issue it, is still required to provide even more as all these things are not good enough! 

I think some places accept photo card provisional licences - but not the paper version.  I did have a paper one, but it was never accepted for anything.  But I couldn't swap it for a photo card until I had the passport - I think maybe they'd charge for it, but it was free if I had a passport and used the same photo - can't just remember the details now.  I am learning to drive and part of the reason for the upgrade was that the dragon at the local test centre refuses to accept paper licences - even though they're still equally legal for taking a test, so my instructor suggested to make the change, save the aggro later on.

Since I got my passport I've had absolutely no issues - it seems that you having one just seems to show up somewhere when they digitally verify you - occasionally they ask for the number of it.  So it might just be that you need to just bite the bullet and get one to make life easier for yourself.  I could have saved myself a lot of trouble if I'd done it sooner myself

Paper licences are only valid for taking a test if accompanied by a passport, since photo ID has been a requirement for taking a test since 1997. 

One advantage of taking a test with a photocard licence is that the examiner can send off for your licence digitally. My parents had to send their paper licences with the pass certificate to the DVLA at their own expense - so would have had no proof that they had actually passed in the interim or if the application went missing in the post. Paper licences can be exchanged without a passport, but the photo then needs certifying and original ID is required. 

A passport has a slightly higher status than a driving licence in that the former will get you the latter with no questions asked, but not the other way around. 

Bazza_a

Hi Travelodger, I had no i.d for years, I'd provide those establishments that require them my birth certificate, a recent letter from benefits/ HMRC and a recent utility bill, this was sufficient for banks whem my brother died and i was dealing with his estate before probate ( some accounts were below the probate level) this has always got me through the no passport driving licence, banks etc like you to have these thing as it makes their life easier, no body is obliged to have a passport or drivers license

travelodger

sheramber said:

Do you get asked for ID by banks where you already have these numerous accounts?

I opened my personal current account 43 years ago and my Santander business account 23 years ago and I cannot recall what they wanted from me.  Of course back then I had a passport...