Guest pelmetman Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 A little info I never knew about ;-) As many as 2 million drivers could face £1,000 fines for failing to update the photo on their driving licence, according to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). The photo on your driving licence needs to be updated every 10 years - and failing to do so would invalidate your licence and could leave you with a £1,000 fine if pulled over by the police. But as many as 2 million have not updated their photo, leaving them vulnerable to a nasty surprise if stopped with an invalid driving licence. The DVLA says it sends reminders out two months before a renewal is due. A spokesperson for the authority says: "Appearances can change and it is important that photo card licences are updated every 10 years to ensure the police and other enforcement agencies have the best possible photograph to help them correctly identify whether a driving licence is being used fraudulently. "This helps prevent driving licence impersonation – stopping disqualified and perhaps dangerous drivers taking to our roads." What can you do to make sure you don't fall foul of the photo regulations? Update your photo online You can do it online at https://www.gov.uk/change-photo-driving-licence if you have a valid UK passport issued in the last five years. The renewal is done using a Government Gateway ID, so if you don't have one already you will need to register. It will cost you £20. You'll also need your National Insurance number, your current driving licence and your addresses for the past three years. Do it in the Post Office You'll need to get hold of a D798 form that will either be sent to you by the DVLA or can be picked up at selected Post Offices. If you are sent a form it will list the closest Post Offices where you can renew your photo. These can also be found on the Post Office website or by calling 0845 722 3344. You can renew your photo in the Post Office with a completed D798 form, your driving licence and paper counterpart and a fee of £20. The Post Office will charge a fee of £4.50 to process your application. Apply by post Alternatively, you can apply by post, for which you'll again need a D798 form, a passport-style photo taken within the last month, your driving licence and a cheque or postal order for £20. Send your application to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1DH. When else to change your licence Your licence also needs to be updated if you change your address or change your name. On both occasions, there is no fee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerC Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 I find their argument...quote "Appearances can change and it is important that photo card licences are updated every 10 years to ensure the police and other enforcement agencies have the best possible photograph to help them correctly identify whether a driving licence is being used fraudulently. "This helps prevent driving licence impersonation – stopping disqualified and perhaps dangerous drivers taking to our roads." What about all the tens/possibly hundreds of thousands still driving on their older green paper licences? I might be a little sceptical about this one but it seems to me it's yet another money making scam perpetrated on 'Joe Public' by the money grabbers in 'power'!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallii Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 I have a green one, no photo no card. I am 70 this year so I suppose I will have to renew it with photo etc. Still, that will be free! H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 hallii - 2013-01-17 7:49 PM I have a green one, no photo no card. I am 70 this year so I suppose I will have to renew it with photo etc. Still, that will be free! H Just remember to keep a copy of everything / anything that you send to the DVLA. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 RogerC - 2013-01-17 7:22 PM I might be a little sceptical about this one but it seems to me it's yet another money making scam perpetrated on 'Joe Public' by the money grabbers in 'power'!!I assume it is simply a means of introducing identity cards in the UK without anyone realising it..Call it an " identity card " and there are storms of protest.Call it a " driving licence " and everyone wants one. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverback Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 i'm still driving on the old paper licence (lol) you wont get me having one of them ID cards...and paying £20 every 10years for the priviledge :-> you folk who bought into that scheme...might as well of sold your soul 8-) they know everything about you!! *-) jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 hallii - 2013-01-17 7:49 PM I have a green one, no photo no card. I am 70 this year so I suppose I will have to renew it with photo etc. Still, that will be free! H Hope you don't travel abroad as green ones are not valid outside the UK which would also mean you would be driving without insurance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverback Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 lenny i wouldnt have thought that was correct, can you provide a link to legistration that a paper licence is invalide abroad? its a valid licence in the uk so why not in europe? ive hired cars with mine just last november im intriqued jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I bought French car insurance with the green paper licence although I now have the photo card. I believe that the paper licences are due to become obsolete very soon (2014 or 2015?). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 A Green licence is not valid in France, if you have a two tone Green/Pink paper one with EU on that it that is valid as is the Pink paper one with EU on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Patricia - 2013-01-18 1:12 AM I bought French car insurance with the green paper licence although I now have the photo card. I believe that the paper licences are due to become obsolete very soon (2014 or 2015?). Does anyone have "chapter and verse" (or a Govt website link) about paper licences becoming obsolete? I'm on a "pink & green" paper one like Lenny - it's valid til I'm 70 (2022), and I expect my next change of address to be when I retire in 2017. Presumably at either of those points the replacement will be with a photocard, but I wasn't expecting to have to get one any sooner than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowtelse2do Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 This maybe of intrest. Google - Road Transport New European Drving Licence Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 nowtelse2do - 2013-01-18 4:37 PM This maybe of intrest. Google - Road Transport New European Drving Licence Dave Where Tony is concerned, the relevant statement in the following press-release http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-13-25_en.htm?locale=en is this: "Existing licences are not affected, but will be changed to the new format at the time of renewal or at the latest by 2033." Notification of a change of address, or reaching age 70, will cause Tony's current 'paper' licence to be replaced by a photocard licence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caddies104 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Tony doesn't look 70 does he !??!! Oh just read, not yet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod_vw Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Derek Uzzell - 2013-01-18 6:32 PM nowtelse2do - 2013-01-18 4:37 PM This maybe of intrest. Google - Road Transport New European Drving Licence Dave Where Tony is concerned, the relevant statement in the following press-release http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-13-25_en.htm?locale=en is this: "Existing licences are not affected, but will be changed to the new format at the time of renewal or at the latest by 2033." Notification of a change of address, or reaching age 70, will cause Tony's current 'paper' licence to be replaced by a photocard licence. Now that's as up to date as you can get, that document was updated today!! Now to ask again, has anyone got a link to an official document, not just a press release, detailing which UK licence types are valid in other EU countries. My licence is a pink and green A4 size document maybe government document number D57 stating 'EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES Model' and marked as Rev. Feb 94 The wife's licence is a long green folded document marked as a D33 Rev May/77 These are stated as valid to 2018 and 2020 respectively, neither of us have ever had any communication from the DVLA indicating that these documents must be changed. I'm also aware that a current photo licence is often insufficient on it own, i.e. without a paper backup document when it comes to car hire etc. Can anyone point to official chapter and verse on this please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowtelse2do Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Rod_vw, This is all I can find regarding paper licence and its on 'Moneysavingexpert'. Though no new all-paper licences are now issued, if you have one, these generally do not expire until you are 70, so you don't need to do anything until then unless your address or personal details change. But by 2033 all licences must be in photocard format. Once you have reached 70 there's no need to re-new, and you'll then get a photocard. If you want to upgrade before then, you can apply to change your paper licence for a photocard, though it will cost £20 and you will need to show extra ID (see Gov.uk). The DVLA intends to abolish the paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence by 2015. So reading that Rod_vw it seems our old paper licence is ok in Europe because its legal here, but that bit is only my opinion. Don't forget for most countries outside the EU, you will also need a International Driving Licence. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Dave et al, As has been mentioned earlier many countries require a driving licence bearing a photograph and hence your 'old paper' licence will not be valid. Italy is one I know of for certain. You can check country by country on the RAC website Link to RAC. HTH, Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowtelse2do Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Quite a few more on that site Keith including Spain, Poland, Hungary, Czech Rep and Greece. Anyway, like I said it was only my opinion but it does look conflicting. We have our passports as ID. I'm ok, got my photocard and bus pass. :D Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yeti Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I;ve been trying to apply online for the last week. I have the Government gateway ID number,but it doesn't recognise that. I re registered and then the numbers it requested were either impossible to read or didn't register consequently it locked me out-they are not making it easy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solwaybuggier Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Keithl - 2013-01-18 8:51 PM Dave et al, As has been mentioned earlier many countries require a driving licence bearing a photograph and hence your 'old paper' licence will not be valid. Italy is one I know of for certain. You can check country by country on the RAC website Link to RAC. HTH, Keith. Keith, unless I'm misunderstanding it these are surely different things: the RAC site is talking about an IDP (International Driving Permit) which it says has to be carried as well as a UK licence (without specifying what style, photo-type, etc.) The requirement to carry an IDP with a green paper licence in eg Spain, Portugal does seem to conflict with consistency within the EU. But as VW_Alan has said - can anyone link to official advice on this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 lennyhb - 2013-01-17 9:45 PM hallii - 2013-01-17 7:49 PM I have a green one, no photo no card. I am 70 this year so I suppose I will have to renew it with photo etc. Still, that will be free! H Hope you don't travel abroad as green ones are not valid outside the UK which would also mean you would be driving without insurance. Not so, if your insurance is bought in the UK, and it covers travel throughout the UK then you are covered, What the French would make of the 'Non-photo' licence is another matter. Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Solwaybuggier - 2013-01-19 10:16 AM Keithl - 2013-01-18 8:51 PM Dave et al, As has been mentioned earlier many countries require a driving licence bearing a photograph and hence your 'old paper' licence will not be valid. Italy is one I know of for certain. You can check country by country on the RAC website Link to RAC. HTH, Keith. Keith, unless I'm misunderstanding it these are surely different things: the RAC site is talking about an IDP (International Driving Permit) which it says has to be carried as well as a UK licence (without specifying what style, photo-type, etc.) The requirement to carry an IDP with a green paper licence in eg Spain, Portugal does seem to conflict with consistency within the EU. But as VW_Alan has said - can anyone link to official advice on this? As I understand it some countries have a local requirement for driving licences to carry a photograph and hence you UK 'Paper Only' licence is not sufficient. The way round this is to carry an IDP in addition to your paper licence. If you have a photocard style license you do not need an IDP unless specifically stated. It also seems some countries will accept a pink 'Euro' paper licence but NOT an older all Green one, eg Italy - Pink format or photocard UK licence accepted but International Driving Permit required if green licence held. Sorry if I didn't make it clear that this was the only way of making your UK paper licence valid in these countries. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowtelse2do Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I think the only way to make sure, is to contact the DVLA and ask for a written answer. I personally think that not having the photocard could throw up a bit of hassle and might be time consuming even if it is still legal to use the paper one abroad. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyishuk Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Nothing to add other than the DVLA system to remind you to renew after 10 years seems to work, my reminders arrived just short of 2 months before required renewal. Probably posted on the renewal date less 2 months (?) Rgds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 As I understand it, any valid UK driving-licence (whatever its type) should, in principle, be valid in EU or EEA countries and Switzerland. Those countries are defined here: https://www.gov.uk/driving-abroad The Caravan Club's advice on driving licences is here: http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/media/7707003/documentation_and_insurance_requirements.pdf and a list of countries where an International Driving Permit must be (or may need to be carried) is here: http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/idp-requirements-by-country.html For Italy, Portugal and Spain, the following advice is offered: "All valid UK driving licences should be accepted. Acceptance of driving licences that are not of the European Communities model cannot be guaranteed therefore drivers may wish to voluntarily update them before travelling abroad, if time permits. Application for D1 (in Northern Ireland DL1) is available from most Post Offices. Alternatively, older licences may be accompanied by an IDP." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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