What Happens if My Driving Licence Has Expired?

Q.Could you please tell me what to do if my driving license has expired and what happens if it has been expired for more than a year?

A.

It is important to know when your driving licence expiry date is (or was), as it is illegal to drive without a valid licence. Although the DVLA may send renewal reminders prior to the expiry date, it is your responsibility to make sure that your licence is up-to-date, including getting renewal forms if necessary. Driving without a valid driving licence can result in a fine of up to £1000, and between three and six penalty points on your licence. Your car can also be seized and crushed.

Renewing a Driving Licence

Renewing a driving licence is free, unless you have been disqualified (in which case a new licence costs £65), disqualified for drink driving offences (a new licence will cost £90) or you revoked your licence (a new licence will cost £50). You can renew your driving licence at 70 plus online at the DVLA website, or using the D46P application form. For medical renewals, you need to get the D42 or D48 application forms.

Renewing a Photo Driving Licence

If your photo driving licence has expired, you can be fined up to £1000. It should be renewed every ten years, but if you fail to do so, it can result in your driving licence becoming invalid. You can choose to update your photo sooner than this if your appearance changes significantly. This can be done by filling in the DVLA's D1 application form, which you can get online, from the DVLA form ordering service or from certain Post Office branches. To check the status of your photo driving licence, the front of the card should show the expiry date of the photo. The DVLA will usually send a renewal application pack before the photo needs to be renewed. Renewing the photo licence is usually £20.00 (as of Sept 09) Your new licence should be sent back to you within three weeks, although it may take longer than this if medical and personal details need to be verified. As long as you have previously held a UK driving licence and are not likely to have your renewal rejected for medical reasons, it should be fine for you to drive while you await your new licence.

It may seem confusing to people looking to renew their photo licence, as on the DVLA's D1 form it does not mention renewing the licence. What you are really doing is renewing the Photo on the licence as this is what expires.

Renewing a Driving Licence that has been Expired for Some Time

If more than two years has passed since your driving licence expired, you may be made to retake your driving test in order to get a new licence. This is especially the case if your licence has expired due to age (driving licences need to be renewed when you reach seventy) or medical reasons. For these, you may also have to pass a medical. In other cases, you can simply apply for a new licence without problem, although the DVLA will often want to know why your licence has been expired for so long.