PetrifiedExPat

Thanks for the laughs mate, not entertaining it anymore, but what I needed on a Friday!

christmasoompa

I don't think anybody is saying that it's invalid if you move abroad, it's the requirement to update the address, and a quick Google tells me that this is covered in section 99 of the RTA.

"Where the name or address of the licence holder as specified in a licence ceases to be correct, its holder must forthwith surrender the licence"

Glasgow Girl

That is helpful and informative.

Glasgow Girl

Here is a link to an article in the Daily Mail which documents the issues of different prices being charged based upon geographical location that was mentioned earlier in this thread. I have saved significant sums by using the local website without the need to change VPN but that is another option.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-websites.html

Sq25394

A small but still a benefit is it helps to get on to government gateway website as it’s a valid proof of ID and can help prove who you are.

Dan725

All prior discussed technicalities and legalities aside....if one has always maintained, at least on paper, an address in UK (for instance, parents/family), then I don't think in practice the UK Govt etc. actually really care much less enforce the whole surrendering of UK licence thing. As a practical datapoint, for many years I have kept (and taxed and insured) my motorbike in the UK. A few years ago I was involved in an accident. Unsurprisingly, noone (insurer, police, NHS) asked nor cared whether I was living overseas - its just not something that is on anyone's radar. So long as you've got a UK address you can enter and be contactable at (and at which you most likely have bank statements and other stuff going to), I really don't see it as a big deal.

PetrifiedExPat

All that matters.

The rest (all bollocks), is a roulette spin, not just for one driver, both (or pedestrian, personal property etc) that you may decide to wreck. If the claims get high, you bet residence will be dug into.

Pulaski

But I think your experience is a peculiar outlier, as you're not only a British citizen with a British licence, but you are (were at the time of the accident) the owner of a British- registered and insured vehicle, so there are no red flags that there is anything unusual or irregular about your licence circumstances.

Dan725

That is my point here, and is why I decided to pipe up given the speculating about what might happen if you have an accident (being as I actually had one). If one has long maintained a verifiable paper trail of a valid and serviceable UK address (to include functionable bank statements and or utility bills, credit cards, vehicle ownership paperwork, drivers licence etc.), realistically, that is as far as anyone will ever check (but yes....I'm aware that technically this could be challenged). For anyone who has not maintained a UK presence on paper it may well of course be a different story.

For renting cars in UK (especially if picking up from an airport and using US CC) then it just makes more sense to use US license, for several reasons.