Check your Driving Licence

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
06/03/2009 12:44

Thousands of motorists are at risk of being fined up to £1,000 because they are unwittingly driving without a valid licence.

They risk prosecution after failing to spot the extremely small print on their photocard licence which says it automatically expires after 10 years and has to be renewed - even though drivers are licensed to drive until the age of 70.

The fiasco has come to light a decade after the first batch of photo licences was issued in July 1998, just as the they start to expire.

Motoring organisations blamed the Government for the fiasco and said 'most' drivers believed their licences were for life. They said officials had failed to publicise sufficiently the fact that new-style licences - unlike the old paper ones - expire after a set period and have to be renewed.

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
06/03/2009 12:44

To rub salt into wounds, drivers will have to a pay £17.50 to renew their card - a charge which critics have condemned as a 'stealth tax' and which will earn the Treasury an estimated £437million over 25 years.

Official DVLA figures reveal that while 16,136 expired this summer, so far only 11,566 drivers have renewed, leaving 4,570 outstanding.

With another 300,000 photocard licences due to expire over the coming year, experts fear the number of invalid licences will soar, putting thousands more drivers in breach of the law and at risk of a fine..

At the heart of the confusion is the small print on the tiny credit-card-size photo licence, which is used in conjunction with the paper version. Just below the driver name on the front of the photocard licence is a series of dates and details - each one numbered. Number 4b features a date in tiny writing, but no explicit explanation as to what it means..

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
06/03/2009 12:45

The date's significance is only explained if the driver turns over the card and reads the key on the back which states that '4b' means 'licence valid to'.

Motorists who fail to renew their licences in time are allowed to continue driving . But the DVLA says they could be charged with 'failing to surrender their licence', an offence carrying a £1,000 fine.

The AA called on the Government to use the annual £450million from traffic enforcement fines to offset the renewal charge..

Before photocard licences were introduced, old-style paper licences were valid until the age of 70. Many motorists still believe this to be the case with the new ones..

To check the validity of your photocard driving licence look at the expiry date as item 4b..

kaiserphil


Joined: 14/12/2008
Posts: 1096

Message Posted:
06/03/2009 12:52

Interesting No 1. On my license, 4b is the day before my 70th birthday. 4a, however, shows a date which does not seem relevant to anything!

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
06/03/2009 12:54

hi bill this is very interesting as i thought that they were for life. Just checked mine and on the credit card one 4b 10.01.11but on the paper one valid from 22.11 74 until 08.09 15. i am really confused now and than you for pointing this out. xx

kaiserphil


Joined: 14/12/2008
Posts: 1096

Message Posted:
06/03/2009 12:55

Just looked again. 4b is def the day before my 70th birthday. 4a is the date the license is valid from.

Wonder if they changed this after mine was issued?

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
06/03/2009 13:18

I'm not sure what system they are using, suffice to say that the photocard licences are only valid for 10 years. Unless of course iyour 70th birthday is earlier.

come_on_aylin


Joined: 14/06/2008
Posts: 908

Message Posted:
06/03/2009 13:24

and if you haven't got a UK address you can't renew them! I still have my paper licence valid until I'm 70 because I can't apply for a new photo licence.

WETBRIT


Joined: 30/06/2008
Posts: 20

Message Posted:
06/03/2009 13:41

Go to DVLA website at http://www.dvla.gov.uk/



and select Driver Information



All info required is there. Regarding lack of info on Licence. All info is included in the booklet which comes with the first application. It is a pity most people do not read it!



If you are now resident abroad you cannot renew your UK licence. A UK postal address is required. There are ways around this. Do not forget that at the age of 70 you lose your entitlement to Category C1,goods vehicles over 3.5 t and not over 7.5 t

AND CAT D1 Minibus over 8 passengers. Do keep these entitlements you need the equivalent of an LGV or PSV medical.

Hope this helps

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
06/03/2009 13:43

WETBRIT. Good information.

WETBRIT


Joined: 30/06/2008
Posts: 20

Message Posted:
06/03/2009 14:26

Kaiserphil



The normal expiry is the day before your 70th birthday unless you have a short validity licence due to a medical condition.



The 4a valid from can be the date when you first got a UK licence or in the case of an old B---D like me the date that DVLA combined all previous County Driving Licence records. Remember the Red Books! before the Green Paper!

It could even be when DVLA merged other computer records.

In any case always keep a paper copy of your licence as it is not unknown for DVLA to lose all your records! It is called a computer glitch. I call it B-----LS



In the case of a computer record loss to obtain another licence you need to show evidence of holding a UK licence within the previous 10 years.

Hence the paper copy.

Very sadly I used to deal with many Driving Licences in a previous existence,on this planet and others.

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
06/03/2009 17:40

I can't believe this, I've just looked at my own and it expires this year. I would never have looked otherwise, assuming that it expired when I was 70.

kaiserphil


Joined: 14/12/2008
Posts: 1096

Message Posted:
06/03/2009 20:00

Message 11 - Wetbrit, thanks for that

harita


Joined: 14/08/2008
Posts: 1343

Message Posted:
06/03/2009 21:08

If you are now resident abroad you cannot renew your UK licence. A UK postal address is required. There are ways around this. WETBRIT wrote :-

I am in the process of trying to get my wifes paper copy changed to the photo card ... How do you get round this ... No UK address

scoobydoo


Joined: 10/11/2008
Posts: 2434

Message Posted:
07/03/2009 09:56

Thanks No 1,



Excellent post and like many I did not realise my licence ran out so soon.

ladyjessic


Joined: 16/01/2009
Posts: 92

Message Posted:
07/03/2009 10:06

i still use the pink paper one never bothered to change it but now i have moved to new address in uk i will have to change to the plastic card system mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm yuck comes to mind

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
07/03/2009 15:02

I had two phone calls from friends who said both their licences expire next year and they never knew!

Macha


Joined: 18/01/2009
Posts: 650

Message Posted:
07/03/2009 15:16

What a bummer. I definately look better in my picture of 10 years ago...

OLDGIRL



Joined: 02/10/2008
Posts: 118

Message Posted:
07/03/2009 15:31

Hello all

I work for a car rental company we get quite a few people in with this problem,4b is when the photo on the front expires not the licence BUT if you do not send it back with a new photo £1000 fine as Bill said can be inforced.

You can drive in any EU country on a UK licence BUT you have only 1 year in a none EU country to change your licence over to the country you are in.

If you need to come back to the uk you can apply for an international D.L.

The DVLA will change your Turkish one back to Uk at no extra charge within 2 weeks.

Hope this helps. x

OLDGIRL



Joined: 02/10/2008
Posts: 118

Message Posted:
07/03/2009 15:33

Macca I know what you mean AH AH. x

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
07/03/2009 15:43

Thanks Pam.



Bill.

WETBRIT


Joined: 30/06/2008
Posts: 20

Message Posted:
07/03/2009 16:51

Harita

I could not possibly suggest using a relatives UK address.



However why not get a Turkish Licence. If you return to GB you cannot exchange it as it is not a designated country but the DVLA website says



Moving to another country



If you move to another country, you should check with the driving licence authorities there for information about driving and exchange of licences. You don't need to notify DVLA of a change of address when moving to live abroad.



Returning to GB



If you return to GB from a non-EC/EEA country and are not in possession of a GB licence, you may:



* drive for up to 12 months on your foreign licence

* apply for a duplicate of your GB licence on payment of a fee



Hope this helps.

Believe it or not you can exchange a South African or Zimbabwe licence!

Something wrong there!

the butler


Joined: 22/06/2007
Posts: 1958

Message Posted:
07/03/2009 17:20

Hi all,



Can somebody tell me what you do when your reach the age of 70. Does it mean you can't drive any more or do you have to sit another test?



Also can find my plastic card but not the paper which came with it, how do I get a replacement? Any help appreciated.



The butlers wife

karakum5c



Joined: 18/03/2008
Posts: 1021

Message Posted:
07/03/2009 20:22

When you reach 70 you have to fill out a D1 form (universal form for all DVLA changes) and a D4 form (health form) both are available at most Post Offices or can be downloaded from the DVLA website.



All photo driving licences were issued for 10 years this was clearly stated at the time as appearances change and photos have to be changed (the same as passports). The expiry date is clearly stated on the licence maybe a visit to spec savers is called for.



Your licence is only legally valid if you have both the paper part and plastic, if you have lost either you must fill out D1 form and reapply to Swansea paying the fee.



Finally the government has wasted a lot of money in advertising to people that they are required to renew their licence, something in my opinion they should have been able to do themselves by merely looking at their licence without the nanny state having to do it for them.

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
07/03/2009 20:22

I don't think you will have to take another test at 70.



To obtain the paper part of your licence you'll have to apply to the DVLA.



Hope this helps.

scoobydoo


Joined: 10/11/2008
Posts: 2434

Message Posted:
07/03/2009 20:30

My other half has just had his replacement licence after hitting the grand old age of 70. we got an application form from the Post Office sent from UK, filled it out (we still have a registered address in UK) and 2 weeks later a new licence arrived.

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
07/03/2009 20:37

Congratulations to your other half on reaching the age of 70 Scoobydoo.