scrubbedexpat099

I annoyingly lost my proper one but my recollection was that it would have gone to 70.

Easier to use your US one when visiting.

Wintersong

I still have mine. It's valid until the day before my 70th birthday and it has my mother's address on it, which is the address I use when I'm visiting.

It costs my Mum much less to have me added as a named driver on her policy on my UK licence than it would if I were using my US one. She always tells the insurance company that I'm not a UK resident and they don't have a problem with it. However, can anyone absolutely confirm that ceasing to be resident in the UK doesn't invalidate an otherwise valid licence? I'm starting to get a bit worried now!

moneypenny20

I'm not convinced the insurance company would pay out if you had an 'at fault' accident. I think they'd say that you're not a UK resident so don't have a valid UK licence and therefore your claim would be deemed invalid.

Jerseygirl

Was that your residence before you moved? If not and you changed the address to your mum’s...sounds like fraud of a government document.

I doubt the insurance would pay out if there was a claim. I presume your mum got their consent in writing...if not it doesn’t mean a great deal.

scrubbedexpat099

Not material, plus how many people who live in the UK and move immediately change their address?

Are they not insured until they do?

Jerseygirl

But do those people still continue to drive in the UK using their UK DL? If they do it doesn’t make it legal.

scrubbedexpat099

I do not recollect ever updating the address on my proper license, maybe I did but I would have had it over 4 moves and certainly would not have been on my must do asap list.

On my CO one they is a space to write in a new address but then it only lasts 3 years.

MidAtlantic

There has been discussion of this before and I believe that, technically, failure to change the address on the licence, when a UK resident, is an offence with a potential fine of up to £1000. However the licence remains valid and insurance remains valid also.

Jerseygirl

It makes no difference if you are a US resident...you can’t use a UK DL anyway...it’s an EU law.

scrubbedexpat099

My UK DL has now expired, I am talking about before I moved to the US.

Jerseygirl

In that case you were breaking the law.

As far back as I can remember you have had to change the address when you move...even with the pink DL.

scrubbedexpat099

Jerseygirl

Trolling as usual eh?

Wintersong

That's the address that's been on my licence since 1991.

I figured I'd best check with the DVLA so I gave them a call. They said the licence is still valid and it's up to the insurance company whether or not they'll allow me to be insured under it if I'm not resident. My Mum's company always has but, as you suggested, I'll advise her to make sure she gets that in writing.

tennesseestud

Ok why is the driving licence different to everything else we have to keep current. Let's think about our passports.

Would it be illogical to be locked out of updating the details on your passport? I believe it would.

What if your passport needed renewing before you gained citizenship in your new home? I believe you'd be allowed to partake in a process there.

Why is the DVLA different?

They told me they couldn't post a D1 to me. That's not valid in a time of air mail and VISA ... I could have paid for them to send me a D1. They had to send it to my mom.

We have pensions and student loans and bank accounts. Nobody is saying you can't update those and then pay a fine for not doing so (while being locked out of the process). Nobody has ever said to me, oh to update your details you need to have a form sent to a family member who will send it on.

Student loans direct mail me from Scotland once a year ... As do Walsall Council. Walsall Council of all people, for the purpose of my voter registration, they seem able to pop a letter in the mail every year and USPS deliver that to me fine.

Has there ever been a petition against the DVLA on this issue?