Checked your driving licence lately?

boogieman

Just discovered that mine expires in 10 days.  

No reminder sent by the DVLA, even though google suggests they’re supposed to notify you at least two months before. I don’t know if this is a Covid related thing or whether they’re just perennially crap? Luckily it got spotted in time and because I’ve got a valid passport I can renew it online. 

EricTheWeary

I only got a plastic one for the first time last year. Probably ought to check my passport come to think of it.

jackio

Yes

I did mine a few weeks ago with a similar scenario. 

Its just been rejected as proof of identity by another govt agency because it is 'unclear'. I opted for the 'digital passport photo we hold on record' option rather than mail in a photo. 

Now I have to reapply for my DL  

jackio

Oh also, no warning though maybe I was emailed at a very very old email?

boogieman

jackio said:

Oh also, no warning though maybe I was emailed at a very very old email?

From what I’ve read it’s a postal reminder from DVLA. I’ve never had an email reminder for my driving licence or passport expiring. 

fields5069

4a expired 6 years ago. I still have 4 years left for 4b, phew.

ICBM

I never even knew this was a thing until you were 70. I just checked mine and it runs out in just under two months... if it wasn't for this thread it could easily have already expired and I would have had no idea.

This thread might be worth making a 'sticky'.

p90fool

ICBM said:

I never even knew this was a thing until you were 70. I just checked mine and it runs out in just under two months... if it wasn't for this thread it could easily have already expired and I would have had no idea.

This thread might be worth making a 'sticky'.

They run out every ten years, but if you move house in that time you have to do it then anyway. 

Mine has two years left to run before I need to renew it, but I always keep the old one and say I've lost it as so many get returned with the motorcycle entitlement removed, forcing you to retake your test. 

CloudNine

Just checked, mine expired 7 years ago. 

octatonic

If you exchange your licence for a foreign licence and then get it back the expiry doesn't change either.

I've done this 3 time sin the last 2 years and mine still expires in 2021.

I set calendar entries a month in advance for licence and passport expiries.
Currently have 3 drivers licences (UK, Singapore and Switzerland) so I need to stay on top of it.

artiebear

So that's £14-£17 per application for renewal across the driving population as and when 10 years is up, not to mention the, potentially, huge number who being used to  previous paper licenses being ignorant of the 10 years rule due to lack of DVLA notification, being subject to a £1000 fine if checked. Someone should have been handed a decent bonus for that idea.  .
TBH I had no idea about this and just realized mine expires next month. Thanks for posting this, it really would be a good sticky.

Dodge

Same problem for me. Applied for a renewal on Monday 1st, it arrived this morning.

No written or email reminder.

rocktron

Yesterday, I received a Notice of Intended Prosecution for doing 47mph in a 40mph zone on the elevated section of the M4 at Brentford, of all places. 

I expect that I will be requested to take an driver's educational course, or pay a fine and have points on my licence. I am not sure which is the best option.

Has anyone taken the driver's educational course, and what does it involve?

boogieman

Dodge said:

Same problem for me. Applied for a renewal on Monday 1st, it arrived this morning.

No written or email reminder.

So that’s three or four of us just from this little community that could’ve been driving illegally fairly shortly. Makes you wonder if it’s a one off situation due to current conditions, sheer inefficiency on the part of the DVLA or a nice little money making enterprise for the gov’t. Presumably your car insurance is also void if your licence is out of date. 

Musicwolf

rocktron said:

Yesterday, I received a Notice of Intended Prosecution for doing 47mph in a 40mph zone on the elevated section of the M4 at Brentford, of all places. 

I expect that I will be requested to take an driver's educational course, or pay a fine and have points on my licence. I am not sure which is the best option.

Has anyone taken the driver's educational course, and what does it involve?

Ashamed to say that I've just taken my second (and had 3 points in between).

The course is well worth taking.  It costs roughly the same as a fixed penalty notice (last one was £90) but no points.  The course itself is actually very educational.

First time was attendance in person.  I think about 20 offenders and two people running the course.  All very good natured but it does take a couple of hours.  This time it was online (Zoom) with half a dozen reprobates plus the guy running it.  Technology worked ok (course leader had a couple of brief drop outs) but it’s still 2 or 2 1/2 hours long with a 10 minute break and no looking at email or surfing t’interweb whilst you’re doing it.  Interestingly two of us were joining from our home studios.

not_the_dj

rocktron said:

Yesterday, I received a Notice of Intended Prosecution for doing 47mph in a 40mph zone on the elevated section of the M4 at Brentford, of all places. 

I expect that I will be requested to take an driver's educational course, or pay a fine and have points on my licence. I am not sure which is the best option.

Has anyone taken the driver's educational course, and what does it involve?

Biscuits, lots of biscuits

Musicwolf

not_the_dj said:

rocktron said:

Yesterday, I received a Notice of Intended Prosecution for doing 47mph in a 40mph zone on the elevated section of the M4 at Brentford, of all places. 

I expect that I will be requested to take an driver's educational course, or pay a fine and have points on my licence. I am not sure which is the best option.

Has anyone taken the driver's educational course, and what does it involve?

Biscuits, lots of biscuits

And of course there is the initiation ceremony, but we are sworn not to tell you about that.

Strat_a_tat_tat

If you're lucky enough to still have one of the paper (no photo) licenses, I think there's no need to renew (until you change address).

Nitefly

Strat_a_tat_tat said:

If you're lucky enough to still have one of the paper (no photo) licenses, I think there's no need to renew (until you change address).

... or get to 70 years old.

jackio

Maybe missed in my post

i am having to renew my renewal after 1/12 because the photo from the passport database is so poor. The cost to correct is, of course, mine 

rocktron

@Musicwolf: Thank you for the information.

My car battery was flat due to the car not being used for weeks while I was working from home. I had just charged the battery and was taking the car for an additional top up charge up the M4 and back to West London when I exceeded the speed limit.