driving licence renewal

the black fox

the black fox

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Jeff
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bloody hell just had to do my driving licence renewal (over 70 every 3 years ) what a bloody kerfuffle even online .. the only thing they dont want to know is the number stamped on your bum hole , finally completed it ,just got to sit back and wait now .
makes me wonder how foreigners , illiterates ,people with no internet access or passports cope and makes me realise why so many people seem to be driving around with no licences .. see them caught daily on the police t.v programs ..
we seem to be now living in a world of admin gone mad ,anyone who knows me can imagine the language when I had to delve in the safe for paperwork ... twice as it didn't go through first time another 30 minutes of my life wasted grrrrrrrrr
 
I had to hand in my licence for 3 months for medical reasons though a consultant said later that it had been a mistake that I should have been able to just voluntarily not drive for one month (not DVLA's fault). However after the 3 months the medical guys approved me driving again but it took over 3 months more to get my licence back from the DVLA during this entire period of over 6 months I could not drive. I found the DVLA to be totally incompetent; they may be understaffed as well. As far as I know when applying for a renewal, you can continue to drive while waiting.

Dave
 
Done mine twice now 70,73 used the post no problem
 
the black fox said:
bloody hell just had to do my driving licence renewal (over 70 every 3 years ) what a bloody kerfuffle even online .. the only thing they dont want to know is the number stamped on your bum hole , finally completed it ,just got to sit back and wait now .
makes me wonder how foreigners , illiterates ,people with no internet access or passports cope and makes me realise why so many people seem to be driving around with no licences .. see them caught daily on the police t.v programs ..
we seem to be now living in a world of admin gone mad ,anyone who knows me can imagine the language when I had to delve in the safe for paperwork ... twice as it didn't go through first time another 30 minutes of my life wasted grrrrrrrrr
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I had no problems three years ago, sods law I'll have bother next year!
 
Dave Canon said:
I had to hand in my licence for 3 months for medical reasons though a consultant said later that it had been a mistake that I should have been able to just voluntarily not drive for one month (not DVLA's fault). However after the 3 months the medical guys approved me driving again but it took over 3 months more to get my licence back from the DVLA during this entire period of over 6 months I could not drive. I found the DVLA to be totally incompetent; they may be understaffed as well. As far as I know when applying for a renewal, you can continue to drive while waiting.

Dave
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The DVLA as a whole is on the verge (if not all the way there) of incompetence and their medical division is even worse. When I had to surrender my license, it took them over a year to give it back after the application went in, despite my surgeon and GP being happy that I was fit to drive.
 
My licence went for 3 mths, 6 mths then a year at a time until I got it back full.. I dont remember having to do anything and all went smooth.. this was about 40 yrs ago so memory doesnt serve well... they checked wiht doctors to see if alls well each time... I ahve a very light for of epilepsy that only effects when sleeping.... but it meant i could never take an hgv test even when got licence back.. which was a blow to me :(
 
Mrs Tringa's sent off for the renewal of her licence on 20th September and is still waiting.

Dave
 
If you can renew online, it only takes a few days. Renewing by post is currently taking 10+ weeks, see below

www.gov.uk

DVLA services update

The latest updates on DVLA's services.
www.gov.uk www.gov.uk
 
broc said:
If you can renew online, it only takes a few days. Renewing by post is currently taking 10+ weeks, see below

www.gov.uk

DVLA services update

The latest updates on DVLA's services.
www.gov.uk www.gov.uk
Click to expand...
I renewed mine online at 70 and 73, no problem and the physical licence turned up in the post in 2 days each time.
But, when I tried to renew it online shortly before my 76th birthday all I got was a message saying that it couldn't be done online.

So, I filled in a post office form, sent it off and, 17 weeks later, am still waiting. I'm legally entitled to drive, but if I'm required to produce my licence or satisfy my insurance company that I have a clean licence, then I'm unable.

The DVLA seem to be in chaos, and my understanding that their problems are one of the major causes of the HGV driver shortage.
 
When you do get them back, carefully check your entitlement is correct. A lad at work passed his motorcycle test and sent his license to dvla and didn’t check it on return. Time passed, he went to test drive a car and the dealer checked his license and told him he didn’t have car entitlement. Got on to dvla but had to re-sit his car test. Think he was told they keep the old record for 3 months then delete it and the new one is gospel.
 
I've moved house a few times in the last 5 years. I'm always amazed at how easy it is to sort out my driving license. Few quick clicks online and a new one turns up for free several days later.

I'm sorry to hear that renewals are harder.
 
It seems DVLA assume anyone wanting to renew their licence already has a photo licence and have geared their process in that direction.

I had one and renewing my licence earlier this year was easy and quick. Mrs Tringa did not have a photo licence so had to fill out the form and is like many other still waiting.

Dave
 
Yelkrub said:
When you do get them back, carefully check your entitlement is correct.
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Definitely do this - a friend of mine lost his motorcycle entitlement and didn't notice. Since this happened he (and I) have heard several stories of it happening to others.

I've done a lot of moving over the last fifteen years, but each time I've moved; I've photographed the old licence before returning it - just in case.
 
I renewed the photocard bit of mine last week. New one arrived this week. If you have a passport it seems to be fairly easy but it didn't like something to begin with so it took a couple of goes.
 
Different people have different experiences.

Both my wife and I have had to renew our licences in the last two years. Couldn't be simpler. Go to a post office with a DVLA system installed (most of the larger ones do) taking your documents with you. Hand over the documents with the fee, nip into the DVLA booth and get snapped. My wife's licence took about a week to arrive. When I had mine done a year later, it arrived on the fourth day.
 
I applied on line for my licence renewal on Monday and it arrived today. No problems whatsoever and it only took me ten minutes to apply.
 
Garry Edwards said:
I'm legally entitled to drive, but if I'm required to produce my licence or satisfy my insurance company that I have a clean licence, then I'm unable.
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They don't need to see your licence, If you go onto this site: https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence Then you can download a "check code" that they can use. Also used when hiring cars etc
 
munch said:
They don't need to see your licence, If you go onto this site: https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence Then you can download a "check code" that they can use. Also used when hiring cars etc
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I could be wrong but I'm not sure the check code is useful if you licence has expired.

Mrs T applied for a renewal before her licence expired but it has now expired. When she uses the link, it gives a check code it also says your licence has expired.

I wonder if she tried to hire a car she would be refused because she has no current licence and she couldn't see anything from DVLA that said a renewal application had been recieved.

This is academic as it is unlikely a hire car will be needed and I could be wrong.

Dave
 
I renewed mine in our post office last week. No paperwork or forms (Yes, there was but the chap behind the counter did it using my old driving licence as the source of information) and they took a nice new photo of me. Only complaint is the price £21.00 and the licence will only last for 15 months until I hit 70. New licence took three days to arrive.
 
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srichards said:
I renewed the photocard bit of mine last week. New one arrived this week. If you have a passport it seems to be fairly easy but it didn't like something to begin with so it took a couple of goes.
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Did my passport recently as it had expired. Very simple to do online with no need for all the old “getting a responsible person to sign the form” nonsense. I’ve grown a beard since I had my last passport photo done, which sometime causes me aggro at the automatic passport airport gates, but for the new passport I could just take a new photo with my mobile and submit it online. New passport arrived in a couple of weeks.
 
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