Your Expired Driving Licence Is As Good As Not Having One So Check And Renew Before It's Too Late

Since the introduction of the new photo card licence, the driving licence itself doesn't expire until your 70th birthday. The photo on the licence does expire every 10 years from the date of first issue. The DVLA will sometimes send out reminder letters informing you that your licence is about to expire but it is each driving licence holder's responsibility to check this.

Expired driving licence renewal

If you are caught with an expired licence or the DVLA do a random check, you can be fined up to £1000, you car insurance will also have been invalid during this time and your insurer may choose to withdraw cover. There are other reasons as to why you need to renew a driver's licence such as being disqualified, having your licence revoked or turning 70. In most cases renewing an expired licence is free. If you have had an expired licence for two years or more, the DVLA can refuse to renew your licence. In this case you will need to sit the theory test and re-take the practical driving test. To check when your licence expires, look on the back and there will be an expiration date. Make sure you apply in good time and remember that the new licence can take up to 3 weeks to arrive.

If you need to renew the photo on your photo card licence, the fee is usually £20. You cannot do this online so you will need to request the D1 application form through the DVLA website, phone or the post office. If you still currently hold the old paper driving licence, then when you come to renew it you may need to pay £20 to upgrade to the new photo card licence although it's not a mandatory requirement.