DVLA - any recent experience of the "D" bit ?

[Richard_C]

I am fast approaching 70 and will soon have to renew my driving licence. It's an old pink and green paper one and although the address is correct the postcode was changed some years ago when Cambridge ran out of new codes.

I have read tales of DVLA backlogs, unopened mail, unanswered phones and so on. Seems like I can do it online 90 days in advance but not absolutely sure if I can do it that way as I don't have a photocard version - to find out I need to create a log in and start the process.

Before I do that, has anyone had recent experience or have any advice?

[myglaren]

I got a photocard one ages ago as the licence should be renewed every ten years.

It was a quick and easy process - used the photo that they have on record from my passport.*

At 70 I renewed it online, took about a week for the new one to arrive.
Renewed again (3 years) earlier this year, again easy to complete and new one arrived in four days, despite the wailing and gnashing of teeth over Covid.

I think now that if you have a smart enough phone you can use that to take a photo and submit it - it was for passports anyway - I was behind someone in a post office queue who had gone there for a photo to be taken and that had stopped and they were told they could just use their phone.

*That photo is over twenty years old, gets passed between passport and licence renewals.

[Hell Razor5543]

The paper copy is no longer in use, so if you return it you will not get it replaced. They have gone completely over to the photocard.

[Paul-R]

Not completely true. If you have a paper licence (either green or pink) issued before photo licence cards were introduced they are still valid until you're 70. They're increasingly less common as people reach 70 or move house before they're 70 and then have to have accept a card or simply stop driving. I still have my green paper licence, last updated some 39 years ago when we moved into our first (and current) house.

[myglaren]

I still have mine but it is just a bit of nostalgia, as is my first Swedish licence. Lost the plastic card one but the paper one has a photo.

[Gibbo2286]

I've gone through the whole range the cardboard army licence issued in Egypt, all the little red booklets from the fifties and sixties and the paper stuff that came later then the photo card. Still got the lot tucked away in my filing cabinet.

[wheeler]

I just recently helped my father in law renew is license for turning 70. It was easy enough to do online but beware that some of the extra entitlements you get for being an old codger
Like D1 minibus & C1 7.5 tonner that you got automatically if you passed your test before 1997 get removed if you renew online. If you want to keep them it advises you cant do it online.
I would also advise to make scans or copys of anything you send to the DVLA as have heard stories of people having to resit driving tests as they claim you never had it when your documents go missing.

[Peter.N.]

I am told that you can loose your entitlement to a motorbike license when you renew.

Peter

[wheeler]

Dont think your meant to loose it though, there was an article in the MCN a few years back about people sending there license in to renew then it coming back with m/c entitlement missing. DVLA washed their hands of it & unless you had proof you had it like the original pass certificate or a high quality copy there were people that actually had to resit there motorcycle tests again.

[Peter.N.]

I'm not likely to want to use one at my age but nice to know you can get it. Would my driving license photo be proof enough.

Peter

[myglaren]

Körkort.

I doubt that they would accept this as proof of anything.

[Peter.N.]

Do you still look like that?

Peter

[mickthemaverick]

Depends on your imagination Peter!!

[myglaren]

Do you still look like that?

Peter

Nope. Growing my hair longer

[Gibbo2286]

I can just imagine the RSM on your first day of National Service, "GET YOUR BLOODY HAIR CUT !"