Renewing your Driver's Licence Aged 70 and Over

When a driver reaches the age of 70 their entitlement to hold a driving licence expires and if they wish to continue driving they must renew their licence.

Renewing Your Licence at 70

If you wish to renew your driving licence you must complete the necessary paperwork and return it to the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) well in advance of your 70th birthday. It is recommended that you do this no later than 90 days in advance.

This 90 day period applies regardless of whether you have held a paper licence or one of the more recent photocard licences.

The relevant forms you will need to complete and return are the D46P (for paper licences) or the D46 (for photocard licences). Either of these applications can be sent to you prior to the expiry date on your licence and you should - where possible - fill them out and return them including the necessary photographs and payment as soon as you can.

It is worth noting that you should only send photographs if you have never held a photocard licence - if you have previously been in possession of a photocard licence send no photographs.

Likewise no fee is due unless you have never held a photocard licence in which case the fee you will pay will be for the production of a photocard licence.

Change of Name

If you have changed your name since your licence was first issued - for example if you married or divorced and reverted to using your maiden name - you must make this known to the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency). You must by law have displayed on your licence the name under which you are known - failure to do so can constitute a fraudulent application and your licence could be revoked.

Medical Issues

If you have for any reason been under the care of a doctor or consultant for reasons of ill health you must declare this to the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency). The DVLA can - if they feel there is need to do so - petition your doctor for information as to your health and if it is discovered that you have not declared any illness or condition which would prevent you from driving you licence can be revoked.

It is expected that if you are suffering from ill health that you should surrender your licence if the condition either prevents or makes it difficult for you - and subsequently dangerous for you - to drive.

You must include with your application a declaration of your health status and if you are unable to do so - as mentioned before - the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) may request information about your health and are legally obliged to do this without informing you.

Can I Continue to Drive?

The simple answer is yes you can continue to drive whilst you await the arrival of your new licence. You should however consider that if there are any circumstances such as a previous disqualification to take into account, then you are not permitted to drive legally until the licence is returned to you. Driving with a licence is permitted but you may find that if you stopped by the police then the process can be slowed down while they check your details. Always carry your driver's number with you especially if your licence is being renewed.

You can pick up the relevant forms - D46P (for paper licences) and D46 (for photocard licences) from your local post office or local DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) office or you can download them from the DVLA's website - www.dvla.gov.uk.