LinsyPinsy

Rip off Britain!

Just checked the website. Costs £20 (plus your photos) to keep it updated. Need to renew every 10 years.

I've just dug my licence out and it expires in 10 months! Need to get OH to check his as well. I think they aim to get reminder letters out to you 2 months before it expires. £1000 fine if you dont renew!

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring...ence/DG_078070

Found this from somewhere else, which is quite useful too

Every day, thousands of UK drivers are facing the threat of prosecution without even realising that they are doing anything wrong. Could you be one of them?



Am I doing something wrong?
If you didn't know that you need to renew your photocard driving licence after 10 years, then you may well be one of the more than 40,000 drivers across the UK who are breaking the law – many of whom are doing so unwittingly.



My licence is valid until I’m 70 – isn’t it?
Many motorists believe that their photocard - like the old style green paper licences - are valid right up until they turn 70. In actual fact, they expire after a relatively short ten year period. The reason this has come to light recently is because the photocards were first issued in 1998, and so 2008 saw the first ten year expiry dates come up and catch lots of drivers out. Since July of 2008, around 170,000 UK licences have expired and by the end of January 2009, more than a quarter of those motorists who are due to renew their licences with the DVLA, hadn’t done so.



I didn’t know this – does it say it on the card?
It’s thought that many motorists are being caught out because the small print about licence renewal is exactly that – very small print. It’s tucked away on the back of the photocard under the section named ‘4b’. To find out what section ‘4b’ pertains to, the driver has to check the even smaller print on the reverse of the card, and when they do, they’ll see that it refers to a photocard ‘valid to’ date, which will be 10 years from the date of issue. The DVLA have sent out reminders to everyone who needs to get their photocard licences renewed but it seems that people aren't reading them or don't understand what is being asked of them. This could be because confusingly, next to the 'valid to' date, is another date which is the day before the driver turns 70 years old, and this is the date when the actual driving licence expires - not the photocard.



What do I have to do to get my photocard renewed?
To get your photocard renewal, you need to take the following steps : If you have had a renewal application pack (should arrive approximately 2 months before your licence is due to run out) then you should:
Complete the form as detailed in the pack
Include a new passport style photo taken within the last 30 days. You don't need to get this signed.
Return the photocard and the paper counterpart of your driving licence
Enclose a cheque or postal order for £20.00 (unless you have a medical short period licence or you are aged over 70 in which case it is free)

Thanks for highlighting this...bet hardly anyone knows the photocards expire.

lins

The4BellsLondon

oooh bugger - best go check me Uk one . . . .

The4BellsLondon

Buggger - it expires -TOMORROWWWWWW!!!!!

LinsyPinsy

What are you going to do?????

paulhothersall

So I get that,

Here is an interesting one.....

I still have my "old" green paper licence (with the pink eu bits) that is valid until I am 70. No photo, no 10 year expiry.

I am more than likely not to be in the UK, and in fact gave up my photocard licence for a BC one. I only got the photo one to use as id over here in canada in the first place on my first winter season.

So I wonder what dvla would do now? I basically cancelled the photo card..... but still have a perfectly valid licence

helcat12

You can drive over here on your B.C license / use your UK paper license as a visitor, but I would assume if you ever moved back permanently you would have to comply with the law and renew your photo license. While B.C. hold it how can you renew it and why would you need to anyway if you are only driving in Canada?

paulhothersall

So the issue is, have ICBC really told DVLA they have the photo licence, when giving me the BC license?

And then, are DVLA smart enough to realise that they should not need to write and fine for not getting a replacement in the UK when the time is up? I hope yes, and irrespective my original licence should still be valid

helcat12

No, I wouldn't expect so.

[/QUOTE]
And then, are DVLA smart enough to realise that they should not need to write and fine for not getting a replacement in the UK when the time is up? I hope yes, and irrespective my original licence should still be valid[/QUOTE]

Technically, it is an offence if you do not notify the DVLA of a change of address and send your license to be changed. (This is usually when they upgrade it with a photocard one, if you still have the old style license, or they do it when you have points put on or if you add new qualifications, as my OH did when he added his motorbike test.) But there must be hundreds of UK citizens in Canada who haven't done anything with their UK license for years because they are no longer living in the UK. I can't understand why the DVLA would write to you in Canada ( even assuming they have your Canadian address) to fine you for not updating a document that relates to a country you are not either driving in or living in. If they did so, there would be a lot of people getting that letter on their mat!
When relocating to Canada, does everyone notify the DVLA and send their license to be amended before they surrender them to the Canadian authorities? Probably not! But if you are bothered about it, why not contact them? They are on the web. I'm sure they will be familiar with this scenario.

rivingtonpike

Is the upshot of this that we need to notify the DVLA, specifically, of our permanent departure from the UK? This had never even occured to me before as being another thing to add to the ever expanding list of "things to do" !!!!!

Regards

Conal

helcat12

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring...nce/DG_4022088
"Keeping your details correct
Telling DVLA your details have changed will ensure your record is up to date and all future driving licence reminders are sent to your correct address.

Remember, if you permanently move to another country, you can’t register your new address on your British driving licence. You’ll need to contact the driving licence authority in your country of residence."
That's al it says. I would assume from that that if you emigrate, they are not interested - it is only if you are resident in the UK.

The4BellsLondon

Got a D1 form coming in the post - to be duely completed and returned to my parents for them to send from their address:0 )

kullymack

If you exchange your UK licence what class of licence do you get in BC?

LinsyPinsy

paulhothersall

class 5

cono_sur

This is correct. Another way to phrase it is:

Flashing Green: A pedestrian-controlled traffic light where you can continue through, as long as the way is clear