Renew your driving licence (2023)

FAQs

Can I still drive while waiting for DVLA to renew my licence? ›

No. You must wait for the DVLA to reissue you with a new driving licence before you can start driving again. My last licence entitled me to drive lorries/ buses.

DVA aims to deliver your driving licence to you within three weeks of receiving your application. It'll take longer if your health or personal details have to be checked. Allow at least three weeks for your driving licence to arrive before contacting DVA.

Driving licences expire at 70 years of age, so when you reach 70, you need to renew your driving licence if you wish to continue driving. You then need to renew it every three years afterwards.

The DVLA says if your licence expires while it is processing your renewal application, you should be able to continue driving as long as you meet certain conditions, including only driving vehicles you were entitled to drive on your previous licence, not being told by a doctor or optician that you shouldn't drive, and ...

In May 2022 the DVLA pledged to clear the backlog for medical driving licence applications and return to 'normal' processing times by September 2022. That meant 90% of medical applications being processed within 90 days.

If you apply online, you should receive your driving licence or vehicle registration certificate (V5C) within 5 days. Here are some of our most popular online services: Apply for a driving licence.

If you would like to contact DVLA, you can ring them up at 0300 790 6802. If you're calling from abroad, please dial +44 844 306 9203. If you would like to know of other ways to contact DVLA, please view the options below.

It reduced this to 73,000 by December 2020, but a second backlog then built up, and the number of applications in progress peaked at 836,000 in September 2021. By July 2022, DVLA had reduced the number of ongoing standard licence applications to 85,000 and eliminated the backlog.

The DVLA has admitted the backlog for people with medical conditions will remain until September. Chaos at the agency saw a logjam of applications peak at 1.2 million but this had dropped to around 400,000 by April 2022, according to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.

Renewing Your Licence

It's compulsory to renew your licence every 10 years - and if you don't you could face prosecution!! Check out Renewing Your Photo Driving Licence Every 10 Years to keep yourself up to speed on what's required to stay legal.

Can I still drive if my photocard has expired? ›

The expiry date of your photocard licence is shown on the front of the photocard at section 4b. If your licence has expired, you should not drive until you have applied to renew the licence. Although the DVLA routinely send out reminders to drivers, it is not a defence to say that you did not receive a reminder.

Is it time to renew your driving licence? You have to renew your photocard with a new picture every 10 years to make sure it's up to date.

We will send off your application electronically, and you should have your new licence within 3 weeks. We'll also take your old driving licence and send it back to the DVLA for you.

Your driving licence should be ready within four to six weeks. A temporary driving licence is issued immediately.

All Gauteng residents must apply for their renewal online by visiting online.natis.gov.za. You can download all the application forms on this website too, but keep in mind that a limited number of slots open up for bookings every day.

The processing times are taking months longer than expected for many – a delay that the DVLA has attributed to a strike that took place in August 2021. For some, the stalling process has left them out of work, or immobilised in rural areas for months on end.

If the DVA can make a decision based on the information you originally provided, they aim to make this decision within three to four weeks.

Getting a new driving licence, or renewing your existing one, is taking a lot longer due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some 80,000 letters were waiting to be opened at the DVLA office in Swansea, it was reported last month, with a further 60,000 arriving each day.

You can email us on tphlicensing@tfl.gov.uk to: Check the progress of your application or renewal. Change your name or address.

If you want to renew your driving licence online, you need to have a valid British passport. There are also other exclusions that apply and you won't be able to go ahead renewing your licence online if: You have changed your name- you will need to apply by post. You are trying to renew your 5 year bus or lorry licence.

Why won't DVLA answer the phone? ›

Our phone lines are very busy. An answer machine message plays when we are experiencing a high of volume of calls. This is to prevent you from queuing too long. Please keep trying and you will speak with an advisor.

The department should respond to your complaint within two weeks. If they don't, or you are not satisfied with their response, you can escalate your complaint to the DVLA Customer Complaint Resolution Team (CCRT) via resolver.

The 5 top types of questions received

Enquiry for DVLA not DVSA. Prefer to phone with an average call handling time of 7 minutes, 30 seconds.

You can usually keep driving while DVLA are considering your application. If you've told DVLA about a condition when applying to renew your licence, follow the guidance about driving that's in the form. Contact DVLA if you need advice or to check on your case.

The DVLA says 'if your licence expires (runs out) while your application is being processed by the DVLA you may be able to continue driving' while your application is processed, as long as you are fit and healthy and a doctor or optician has not told you not to drive for any reason.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has updated processing times for driving licences and logbooks for 2022. Waiting times for the DVLA have been longer than usual due to the pandemic as the agency has faced a huge backlog amid a high volume of enquiries for paper applications.

If you've already made an online driving licence application you can track its progress. This service is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

If your driving licence has expired, you could be liable for a fine of up to £1,000. New driving licences are initially granted for 10 years. Although the DVLA will send you a reminder letter before your driving licence expires, it is your responsibility to ensure that your driving licence is valid.

If you reside in Gauteng or parts of the Eastern Cape Metropolitans where this is applicable, unfortunately, you'll need to use the online licence booking system known as NaTis. There is now an online booking fee of R250, plus an additional fee of R22, which goes to the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC).

Photocard driving licences must be updated at least every 10 years. Take out your photocard licence and look at section 4b on the front side of the card. This is the date that the photocard licence will automatically expire. You MUST renew it before this date.

What photo can I use for driving licence? ›

Driving licence Photo taken within the Last 30 Days. Colour of background being Light Grey or Cream Background. 45mm x 35mm: Do not trim photo to specs.

The signatory must write the following on the back of one photograph: I (name of person), (job title) confirm this photograph to be a true likeness of (applicant's name).

The photo must be: printed to a high quality, such as photos printed by a booth or studio (photographs printed at home are unlikely to be of a high enough quality) taken within the last month, a true likeness of you and of your full head. in colour, not black and white, against a light grey or cream background.

Renew a driving licence

You'll get a reminder to renew your photo before your current licence ends. You can also renew your expired licence at a Post Office, it costs £21.50.

Go to your nearest DLTC with the following: Identity document (ID) and a copy of your ID, old driving licence card or valid South African passport. Four black-and-white ID photographs (before you have photographs taken confirm with the DLTC how many photos they require) Proof of residential address e.g. utility account ...

Road Transport Department Malaysia (JPJ)

Another option is to head to your nearest JPJ office with your MyKad and your most recent driving license. You can also bring a photo with you, though it is not necessary. It would usually take less than an hour to renew your license here.

The online application and payment for a booking for renewal, in person, of a driving licence card at a driving licence testing centre. The online application and payment for such driving licence card delivery to the holder concerned.

UK law states that there are some situations where you can still drive a vehicle even if you do not hold a current driving licence. This is essentially for when you have applied for the DVLA to renew your licence but it has expired while the application is being processed.

The expiry date of your photocard licence is shown on the front of the photocard at section 4b. If your licence has expired, you should not drive until you have applied to renew the licence. Although the DVLA routinely send out reminders to drivers, it is not a defence to say that you did not receive a reminder.

Although it could take up to three weeks for you to receive your updated photocard in the post, you don't need to wait for it to arrive before you drive. As long as your car is taxed and insured, you're good to go. Contact the DVLA if your new licence hasn't arrived within three weeks of passing your test.

How long are driving Licences taking to come back? ›

We will send off your application electronically, and you should have your new licence within 3 weeks. We'll also take your old driving licence and send it back to the DVLA for you.

If you would like to contact DVLA, you can ring them up at 0300 790 6802. If you're calling from abroad, please dial +44 844 306 9203. If you would like to know of other ways to contact DVLA, please view the options below.

The time they take to deal with your particular case will depend on the medical condition you have and the information they need to gather. If the DVA can make a decision based on the information you originally provided, they aim to make this decision within three to four weeks.

Is it time to renew your driving licence? You have to renew your photocard with a new picture every 10 years to make sure it's up to date.

Indeed, failure to renew an expired photocard, can lead to a licence being revoked. This can possibly occur where the police need to issue a fixed penalty notice, but the driver's address has also changed during the ten year period and DVLA has not been informed.

You must send your old photocard licence to DVLA when you get your new licence. You'll be told the address to use when you finish the application.

How many times can you fail your test in the UK? There is no limit to how many times you can sit the test, so don't worry if you fail. The record for the highest number of fails is 42 for the practical and a whopping 158 times for a failed driving theory test!