Surrendering Your Driver's Licence

Surrendering your driving licence is something that no driver wishes to do but unfortunately - given certain circumstances - it becomes necessary in the eyes of the law.

Why do I have to Surrender my Driving Licence?

You will have to surrender your driving licence if you have received a driving ban (otherwise known as a disqualification). If you receive a driving ban you will have done so because you have either: (a) exceeded the maximum number of penalty points or (b): been disqualified for a serious motoring offence.

You will be required by law to surrender your driving licence to the court or to the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) and failure to do so constitutes a criminal offence in itself

The DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) and the courts require your driver's licence is surrendered to them so that you may not drive whilst disqualified. However it is not unknown for individuals to break the law further after having been disqualified by driving without a licence. This is in itself a serious criminal offence and can be punished by either issuing a further disqualification notice (added to your original ban) or by handing down a custodial sentence if the magistrate feels there is a danger of the individual committing the offence again.

Surrendering your Licence for Legal Reasons

As we have already touched upon you may be required to give up your driver's licence if you have broken the law by means of motoring offences or if you have exceeded the maximum number of penalty points that can awarded on any one driving licence.

The maximum number of points any one individual can have on their licence is twelve, after which an automatic disqualification is issued. Failure to relinquish your licence after such a ban is a criminal offence.

Surrendering your Licence on Medical Grounds

It may become necessary to surrender your driving licence on the basis of ill health and it is better to do so rather than risk trying to drive if medically unfit to do so.

If your doctor informs you that because of ill health you should not be driving then you can voluntarily surrender your licence to the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) who will then cancel your licence without the need to make enquiries of your medical history from your GP.

Failure to surrender your licence if you are unfit to drive may result in the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) revoking your licence if such enquiries are made and it is found that you have not declared them. Likewise criminal proceedings may be brought against you.

If you wish to surrender your licence on the basis of ill-health you can download the necessary form - VOC99 - from the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) website or pick one up from a local post office. Completing this form and carrying out the surrender of your licence in the proper manner will also help with the reclamation of monies paid to your insurance company in advance of your policy but it is worth adding that you can only reclaim this from your insurance company if you have filled out all the relevant paperwork and your licence has been surrendered as opposed to revoked.

Re-Applying for your Licence

If your circumstances change and the bout of ill-health you have suffered has past then you may apply to have your licence reinstated. You can again do this through the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) website or pick up the forms from your local post office.

Whilst re-applying for your licence you can legally drive on the roads once your application has been received by the DVLA. This can be done under section 88 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

However there are some exceptions to this: you must not have been disqualified from driving when your licence was surrendered, your licence must not have been revoked for failure to declare a medical condition and you must have held a full driving licence in the United Kingdom on or after 1st January 1976.

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