OT: On-line Driving Licence Renewal

[Roger Mills]

Apologies for the OT - should really post to uk.rec.driving, but that's been taken over by idiots and I know that there are a few of us here who are of an age where we have to renew our licences every 3 years!

I've recently received a reminder that my licence will expire in a few weeks time, together with a form to fill in to renew it by post - and a slip of paper recommending doing it on-line instead which will "save time".

I wonder whose time it is supposed to save - certainly not mine! By the time I had navigated the DVLA site and answered lots of seemingly irrelevant questions, I'm sure that filling the form in would have been quicker.

Anyway, to the point . . .

As part of the renewal process, I had to undertake to cut up my current licence and send it to DVLA (because you're not allowed to have two licences at the same time). The instruction implied that I needed to do this straight away - but didn't say explicitly that they wouldn't issue the new licence until they had received the old one.

Does anyone know the score? I'd marginally rather wait for the new one to arrive before sending the old one back but, if it never will . . .

[tim.....]

I too was concerned about this

so i didn't send my old one back and they sent me the new one.

I was, however, using the online process as all I had to do was change my address

tim

[Davey]

This worked for me when I got my first photo license, I didn't want to be without one either. If you're ever going to need it.....

There seems to be a similar confusion over when the license of a car sold at the weekend changes licensee, as well.

[Jonno]

Roger Mills scribbled

Things get lost in the post. Did they ask for proof of postage?

[Jonno]

Davey scribbled

Doesn't apply as there is a tax disc now.

[Davey]

???

[Maurice]

.. with the 'paper counterpart' - if you have one.

They'll send the new one almost immediately, and I'm sure they do not wait until your old one arrives.

(During the licence-less few days, just keep a printout of the online confirmation of your application.)

[Sam Plusnet]

I don't know how common it is, but I've heard a few tales of categories going missing upon licence renewal. If you've already cut up & sent off your old licence, you no longer have any proof of your entitlement.

People in this position have claimed that DVLC's attitude to this situation is

"Oh Yea? Prove it."

[Andrew Gabriel]

I think this issue is when you move from an old paper license to a card license. It would seem that they had to read the entitlement off the paper license in many cases, rather than having a record of it themselves. That process often went wrong for any entitlement you had above a basic driving test pass today. Typically, if you passed your test many years ago, you will have an entitlement to drive larger vehicles than is the case for people taking a test more recently, but also things like HGV license entitlement got lost without anyone noticing until too late. DVLA only kept the original paper copy for 3 months, after which they refused to make any corrections. Even when the driver's employer had old copies of the driver's HGV license, DLVA refused to accept these, resulting in some drivers abruptly losing their jobs.

Radio 4 "You and Yours" did a program on this a few years ago.

[Another Dave]

I was in the same situation i.e. 70 years old. I simply waited until I received the new one and only then did I send the old one back. Though probably I needn't have bothered.

Another Dave

[Adrian]

I think there's a difference between the late '80s/90s pink licences and the older green licences - simple answer is to check on the DVLA's website and see what they have a record of.

Seems fair to me. Unless, of course, you think that it should be as easy as saying "Oooh, yes, and I had a truck and a motorbike - and a bus, definitely - licence. Honest..."

[Sam Plusnet]

I can't see any good reason why they should want your old licence back in this case (renewal @ age 70 and similar).

Since the old licence has expired, what exactly is the problem with the punter hanging on to it?

I have an expired passport in a drawer somewhere and no-one has suggested that this is a threat to civilisation and the democratic way of life.

[Capitol]

I think I found the opposite. I seemed to have many more categories this time round than previously.

[Jonno]

Sam Plusnet scribbled

Because you may have a clean licence and one with endorsements. You might be tempted to use the 'clean' licence to hire a car or show your insurance company.

[Mick]

for that and uk.rec.cycling you can blame the well known wanker peter hucker

>

[Andrew Gabriel]

Endorsements are no longer recorded on the license. Hire companies, employers, etc have to check with the DVLA.

[Mike Barnes]

I can see that, if they wanted your licence to add an endorsement.

But that's not the situation that's being discussed. The licence is about to expire. It's perfectly valid until the expiry date, then it's useless. At no point is it invalid or useful for the purposes of deception.

[Sam Plusnet]

And besides. The licence has expired & so can't be used for anything - other than the fact that you used to have a licence.

[Michael Chare]

I quite possibly still have the original. I never cut it up and I certainly never sent it anywhere. It has expired now anyway.

[Adrian]

That reads as an invitation to commit fraud. I'm sure it isn't...

Oh, and don't forget that insurers will have live access to check licence status - including endorsements - with DVLA in a month or three.