How to Get Your Driving Licence Back After Disqualification

If you lose your driving licence it will have been because you have reached the maximum number of penalty points allowed or because you have committed a motoring offence that was seen by the courts to have put the lives of others - and yourself - at risk.

Losing your driving licence can mean not only losing your independence but also your job as the loss of a driving licence is seen by many employers as a serious issue. Some people have lost their jobs as a result of losing their licences simply because it means they cannot carry out their jobs because they have been lorry drivers, taxi drivers, salesmen or other employee that has been required as part of their job to use a company vehicle.

Losing Your Driving Licence

As we've mentioned if you have lost your driving licence it will be because you have either (a): reached the maximum number of penalty points allowed and have thus been automatically disqualified or (b): because of a motoring offence which has led to your arrest and subsequent appearance before a court.

If you lose your driving licence you could be looking at a disqualification period ranging from one year to ten years depending on the severity of the motoring offence. In some rare instances a magistrate will issue a lifetime driving disqualification if there is a significant risk of the driver reoffending and putting the lives of others at risk.

Once your driving licence has been revoked you are no longer legally allowed to drive any vehicle and if you are caught in charge of a vehicle during this period of disqualification you could be subject to a custodial sentence as well as a hefty fine and further disqualification

Short Period Disqualification

A Short Period Disqualification (SPD) is usually less than fifty-six days. If you receive such a disqualification then the court will give you your licence back but it will be stamped to say that you are disqualified for a set period of time. Your licence does not need to be surrendered or returned to the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) and you can start driving again the day after the disqualification period has expired.

Applying for your Driving Licence to be Reinstated

Once your disqualification period has expired you may reapply to the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) to have your licence reinstated. You must do this in writing and must fill out the correct forms in order to do so. Simply writing to them will not be sufficient - you can obtain the relevant application forms from the DVLA's website or from your local post office.

You must apply to the DVLA in order to have your driving licence renewed and depending on the circumstances of the disqualification you may have to re-take the theory test, the Hazard Perception test and the practical driving test again. You can apply for a provisional driver's licence during this time but you should be aware that your provisional licence will show any endorsements you have received.

To clarify even if your period of disqualification has expired, the endorsements may remain on your licence unless otherwise instructed by a magistrate. However a magistrate will not remove these endorsements without you first appearing before them and putting your case forward for their removal.

In addition to this it may be the case that the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) contact your doctor for a detailed medical history especially if the reason for your disqualification was poor health or being in charge of a vehicle whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

For further information you should visit the DVLA's website or contact them directly.