sir_eccles

Just a reminder that your UK license is no longer valid if you are not resident in the UK.

LINY

I did my 5hrs last night... Your right it appears some people attend say nothing look like they are paying attention then leave. Thanks for the info on the driving licence. Can you tell me if you drove yourself to your road test or had someone else take you?

JAJ

And your reference is ... ?

This is a forum myth. There is absolutely no evidence to support that assertion. Certainly nothing on DVLA website, which you would expect.

You can't get a new licence without a local address, that's not the same thing. Using a false address to obtain or renew one is also a bad idea, not only because it likely involves a false declaration (illegal). But also, it is usually in someone's interest to establish tax non-residence and non-domicile status as soon as possible and using a false GB address to retain a driving licence is sending all the wrong signals to the tax authorities.

jaffy23

For me, it was more of a security issue; I didn't want my photo card renewal going to a rented house in Windsor in 3 years. I very much doubt there's any uncertainty in my domicile; the P87, 2 years of overpaid taxes returned to me by HMRC, and a monthly direct debit for class 2 NICs is more proof than a driving license with either the wrong address, or a family residence..

Back on topic - I got pretty worried about satisfying the NYS requirements as;

"If you drive to the road test site, you must also bring an accompanying driver who is at least 21 years old and holds a license valid for operating the vehicle you will drive during the road test."
"The test vehicle and any accompanying vehicle must be properly registered, inspected, insured, and in good working condition." (from http://www.dmv.ny.gov/broch/c28.htm)

So we rented a car from Hertz, and tried to get one with NY plates so it had the registration in the glove box and the tags on the windshield. My wife (NY license holder) drove and we took out the Hertz collision damage waiver and brought a copy of the Hertz Gold contract that says "If the person to be added on is your spouse, domestic partner or coworker, they are considered authorized operators and can operate the Hertz car without being added on".

After lining up for 20 mins at the Astoria test center, the examiner was super-professional and approached the car as my wife got out, he checked only my NY drivers permit and we went out for our lap. I either over prepared, or we were lucky. As my sample of one, I'd say I over-prepared...

sir_eccles

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/...018:01:EN:HTML

Article 7 para 1e

You must be normally resident in the issuing member state for the license to be valid.

JAJ

Sigh.
It doesn't say that. What it does say is that a driving licence may only be issued to a person who is a resident of the state concerned.

Perhaps stating the obvious, but this does not cause an existing licence to become invalid upon cessation of such residence.

scrubbedexpat099

I go with JAJ, it is about where you are when it is issued.

Bob

You move house, without updating the address on the license and you can get a ticket for it.

Not being able to get a license with your new address because your no longer resident of the UK kind of implies that the license is in fact not valid.

scrubbedexpat099

I looked up the gov.uk site where you can do it online. Says you need to be UK resident.

Amusingly there was no mention of what happens if you can not update your address.

There would seem to be 2 options, you do not have to update your address or your license is no longer valid.

I seem to remember the old paper one allowed you to write it in.

Pulaski

So am I, but honestly, as written the regulations don't seem to address what happens to the license if the licence holder ceases to be resident in the UK. I don't see that it says anything similar to "The licence ceases to be valid when the license holder ceases to be resident in the UK", and if that was what was intended I can't help but think that is what it would say.

It does say in Article 7, para 5 but in the details then refers to licences issued by "member states", so is still ambiguous.

notonuksoil

I tried to change the address on my UK licence to my parents address when we first moved to the US. I actually spoke to a real person at the DVLA in Swansea and was told that I could only change the address to my permanent address in the UK when/if I returned.

I asked if the licence was still valid even though I had the wrong address on it, as I was concerned about the possibility of a £1000 fine for the wrong address and was told its fine to still use it while in the UK on holidays if hiring a car as all tickets go to the hire car company and not to the address on the licence. This would suggest that the licence is still valid.

JAJ

It's not even the U.K. since the DVLA only covers England, Wales and Scotland. If you moved to Northern Ireland, there's a different driving licence system/authority.

The idea that driving licences become invalid when the holder moves out of jurisdiction is one of the forum myths that gains credence from repetition, but never with any real evidence to support it. There's nothing on the DVLA website that supports such assertion.

That said, if your plan is to establish non-resident/domicile in the U.K., it is not a good idea to use a U.K. address to obtain/renew a driving licence if you are no longer resident.