Short driving licence validity, help!

elakay
elakay Posts: 2 Newbie
in Motoring
Hello all,

I'm a relatively new driver of three years. On renewing my car insurance, I've realised that my driving licence expired just four months after I'd received it... so it would appear that I've been breaking the law for around 2.5 years.

I've attempted to renew the licence (gov.uk/renew-driving-licence), but have been notified that I'm "Ineligible for service".

I've also now checked the 'view driving record service' website for licence validity (viewdrivingrecord.service.gov.uk), which confirms that my full driving licence has expired, and I do not have any current driving entitlement.

Some questions to anybody that might be able to assist:
  1. Why might a licence be issued for such a short period of time?
  2. Should I have been notified that renewal would be necessary on initial receipt of the licence?
  3. Is there not usually a letter or other form of notification before or after the expiry date?
  4. Seeing as there will be clear record of me paying car tax & insurance all this time, should I not have been hunted down, beaten & jailed by now?
  5. What would you say is likely to happen when I talk to them? A hefty fine? Prosecution? Banishment from society?
  6. Do you think it is likely that I will have to take a full driving test again?

Thank you for taking the time to read :o

Comments

  • Shaun_of_the_Dead
    Shaun_of_the_Dead Posts: 483 Forumite
    elakay wrote: »
    Hello all,

    I'm a relatively new driver of three years. On renewing my car insurance, I've realised that my driving licence expired just four months after I'd received it... so it would appear that I've been breaking the law for around 2.5 years.

    I've attempted to renew the licence (gov.uk/renew-driving-licence), but have been notified that I'm "Ineligible for service".

    I've also now checked the 'view driving record service' website for licence validity (viewdrivingrecord.service.gov.uk), which confirms that my full driving licence has expired, and I do not have any current driving entitlement.

    Some questions to anybody that might be able to assist:
    1. Why might a licence be issued for such a short period of time?
    2. Should I have been notified that renewal would be necessary on initial receipt of the licence?
    3. Is there not usually a letter or other form of notification before or after the expiry date?
    4. Seeing as there will be clear record of me paying car tax & insurance all this time, should I not have been hunted down, beaten & jailed by now?
    5. What would you say is likely to happen when I talk to them? A hefty fine? Prosecution? Banishment from society?
    6. Do you think it is likely that I will have to take a full driving test again?

    Thank you for taking the time to read :o

    Unless you're over 70or have a medical restriction it's only the photo that's expired.

    How long did you have your provisional licence for before passing your test?
  • elakay
    elakay Posts: 2 Newbie
    Shaun_of_the_Dead wrote: »
    Unless you're over 70or have a medical restriction it's only the photo that's expired.

    How long did you have your provisional licence for before passing your test?

    Hey thanks for the response! It was quite a gap, maybe 8 or 9 years? I'm unsure!

    I had posted a medical condition query to the DVLA regarding a past injury prior to actually learning to drive (a year or so before passing the test), but nothing was ever said. I suppose it's possibly related, although:
    1. The particular injury is not present here: driving-medical-condition.service.gov.uk/conditions/search
    2. The 4 month license is a substantially shorter than the stipulated "1, 2, 3 or 5-year licence" mentioned here: gov.uk/driving-medical-conditions/renewing-or-reapplying-for-your-licence
    3. No renewal letter was received 90 days before expiry, either

    :o

    Are people notified of photo expiry?
    What will I need to do to renew that? The relevant website doesn't appear to accept a photo renewal, saying I'm: "Ineligible for service"
  • Mercdriver
    Mercdriver Posts: 3,898 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    Do you have a passport and how long is it since you had one issued? They use the photograph from your passport if it is recent enough, otherwise you have to do it the slower way via snail mail or post office.
  • Shaun_of_the_Dead
    Shaun_of_the_Dead Posts: 483 Forumite
    elakay wrote: »
    Hey thanks for the response! It was quite a gap, maybe 8 or 9 years? I'm unsure!

    I had posted a medical condition query to the DVLA regarding a past injury prior to actually learning to drive (a year or so before passing the test), but nothing was ever said. I suppose it's possibly related, although:
    1. The particular injury is not present here: driving-medical-condition.service.gov.uk/conditions/search
    2. The 4 month license is a substantially shorter than the stipulated "1, 2, 3 or 5-year licence" mentioned here: gov.uk/driving-medical-conditions/renewing-or-reapplying-for-your-licence
    3. No renewal letter was received 90 days before expiry, either

    :o

    Are people notified of photo expiry?
    What will I need to do to renew that? The relevant website doesn't appear to accept a photo renewal, saying I'm: "Ineligible for service"

    8 or 9 years for a provisional is why it's a short expiry time. You're notified of expiry the day you get the licence.
  • AdrianC
    AdrianC Posts: 42,189 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    elakay wrote: »
    I've realised that my driving licence expired just four months after I'd received it...

    I've also now checked the 'view driving record service' website for licence validity (viewdrivingrecord.service.gov.uk), which confirms that my full driving licence has expired, and I do not have any current driving entitlement.

    Some questions to anybody that might be able to assist:

    * Why might a licence be issued for such a short period of time?
    Your actual driving entitlement expires on your 70th birthday. Unless you have medical issues which may shorten it. Do they apply?

    I suspect what you received was a new photocard - did your old one's photo expire, or did you change address?

    Change of address doesn't even reset the expiry date of the photocard - just changes the address on it.
    * Seeing as there will be clear record of me paying car tax & insurance all this time, should I not have been hunted down, beaten & jailed by now?
    You might not have been the one driving the car...
    I'm surprised the insurers didn't pick up on it, assuming you gave them your licence number at the time of policy inception.

    Everything else depends on why your licence entitlement expired.
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