Just a heads up on the above subject .The photo on the licence needs to be changed every ten years and the DVLA state that this is because " Appearances can change"" and for this fine service there would be a charge of £20 .00 .Failing to do this means your licence is not valid if stopped and could attract a £1000.00 fine. This can be done on line or using form D798 direct to the DVLA Swansea. It may also be worth checking your partners licence also.
Just to add, if your passport photo is 5 or less years old they can use this image to update your license rather than taking fresh photo's ( you just add your passport No. to the online form ). The £20 charge stills applies though.
Just a heads up on this , my mate updated his licence and it came back with no bike licence only car , For weeks and weeks he told dvla you've made a mistake , dvla reply we don't make mistakes , No record of him taking a test ? When he's been riding for 20 years plus , So he had to take test again , nearly £700 ( madness ) , so if you are updating your license , like I will be next year keep the paper part , tell them you've lost it , and if it comes back with no bike on it you've got your paper part to prove you have ,
There was a huge todo about this a few years back chronicled, as ever, in our favourite conspiracy theory organ the MCN. Eventually DVLA promised they'd sorted it but the horror stories kept coming out. I think people were asking for their old licences back but disfigured in some way so as to be void. The best part of this was that if it was actually done, the action of doing so meant that the official responsible would see if a mistake had been made. The best solution I saw was to take your licence to the most local offic of DVLA and deal face to face with somebody, making notes and taking names. Swansea is in range, just, for me to drive it there when the time comes. The advantage of being old and finished with moving house is I've still got my pre photo licence. I'm sure they wouldn't force me to change as my picture would scare the beurocrat who laminated it sterile.
You will be unable to use the paper licence after 2015 as you must have the photo licence which I feel is a crop of crap. Forcing you to update to the new licence that means you have to pay (was £17.50) when I changed now £20 and prob in 2015 £30 every 10 years. Seems just another way to get money out of you
As other have said its a doddle doing it on line, but as also suggested, you don’t need to send the old one back till you get the new one so will still have proof of entitlement if things go tits up.
I changed my address so I needed a new licence.when I phoned they told me I shouldnt lose any entitlements as its all on the computer system so I asked well what does my file say, they said bike and car.when I asked how were people losing their entitlements they said the main reason was people passing their tests and not sending the pass cert in or in within the proper time.they said some were also human error when they computer system was being updated but if its on the computer system now then its 100% guaranteed you wont lose it.sure enough I didnt lose any entitlements and they also kept a note of my points from 14 years ago on my licence :s
nice of them to keep a record of your points from all those years ago... funny how if you go to court for motoring offences, they can bring up your old offences... yet if you were an habitual burglar or sex offender they are not allowed to mention that , in case it influences the outcome.
My license is due to be renewed next month....... am i best off saying i lost it.. my passport has run out as well.
a guy i work with lost his bike entitlement too thru dvla balls up.its worth photocopying everything before sending it off.
Ash I've seen what happened to my mate if I was you keep the paper part Tell them you lost it and if anything goes tits up you still have it , It's what I'll be doing , ( not saying it will happen to you but ? )
Photocopy no good rocket , they will only say its been messed with , I'm telling you all keep the paper part , its the only thing that will save you ?
I still have the old paper licence with no photo, the last time my licence went off to be updated as 26 years ago.
Top trump Carl. Mine was 17 years. A bit of Sellotape and an archival sleeve keep it as fresh as possible against photo festooned, laminated hell.
Can't say checking the date on my license is high on my to do list. Do they mail, email or call to let you know it's needing renewed?
you get a letter when it needs renewing. Best bet is to find a post office that does the photography service...that way they record your licence details, take your pic and ensure its up to the regs, and it all gets sent straight to dvla with no messing.
Or just scan your paper copy in colour and the plastic bit which you should do anyway and then you have a replica if things go wrong or missing at home.
