Driving Licence Check

steve2006 · November 8, 2016

Not sure if this has been mentioned previously but you can now check your own driver's licence for expiry dates, entitlements and endorsements.

Should you need to provide these details to a 3rd party (car hire companies, job applications) you can also request a code so they can also access them for a short period of time.

Remember you need to renew your driving licence every 10 years and you do not get a reminder.

https://www.viewdrivingrecord.service.gov.uk/driving-record/licence-number

is200 Newbie · November 8, 2016

I still one of the lucky ones that have the paper pink copy - still legible but starting to fray at the edges

Mine expires in 2037 ... happy days !

Verbout · November 8, 2016

Been mentioned a few times but some people still need updating.

I've copied mine and the wife's driving record in case of a dvla issue.

Bluesman · November 8, 2016

2 hours ago, is200 Newbie said:

I still one of the lucky ones that have the paper pink copy - still legible but starting to fray at the edges

Mine expires in 2037 ... happy days !

Snap. It has more sellotape than document but all the details are easily visible and police have never objected to me still having it, so it will stay that way untill Sept next year when it runs out. Mike.

steveledzep · November 8, 2016

Mine's a foldy paper one too. Have no intention of paying a fee to change it.

Shahpor · November 9, 2016

Just pray you never have to move then.

Had to convert to a new licence when I moved home recently. Still have my almost unmarked green paper one, which sadly is now useless

Verbout · November 9, 2016

5 hours ago, Shahpor said:

Just pray you never have to move then.

Had to convert to a new licence when I moved home recently. Still have my almost unmarked green paper one, which sadly is now useless

Which you are supposed to return. :tut:

i obtained a photo licence last month after a holiday in America where I had to carry my passport as proof of ID, the licence is definitely more convenient.

Bluesman · November 9, 2016

My very first drivers licence was one of the little red booklet type. I always thought they were very smart and didn't like the paper one that replaced them.

dave1 · November 9, 2016

2 hours ago, Bluesman said:

My very first drivers licence was one of the little red booklet type. I always thought they were very smart and didn't like the paper one that replaced them.

Mine too! Far better than any of the scruffy bits of paper or bits of plastic that have replaced them.

true blue · November 9, 2016

Hi I too had the old green licence until recently ;a couple of years ago I hired a van to help my daughter move house ,when I got to the garage and produced my licence the young lad in the office said he had never seen anything like it and it was not a licence !!!! . I wasted nearly 2 hours of valuable time waiting while his boss got out of bed and came to inspect it . It was not one of the major car rental groups ,just a small garage round the corner . Nostalga ,its not what it used to be

Dave

Bluesman · November 9, 2016

28 minutes ago, true blue said:

Hi I too had the old green licence until recently ;a couple of years ago I hired a van to help my daughter move house ,when I got to the garage and produced my licence the young lad in the office said he had never seen anything like it and it was not a licence !!!! . I wasted nearly 2 hours of valuable time waiting while his boss got out of bed and came to inspect it . It was not one of the major car rental groups ,just a small garage round the corner . Nostalga ,its not what it used to be

Dave

That made me laugh. Mike.

steve2006 · November 9, 2016

When I got my full licence back in 1977 it cost £5.00 and covered you until you were 70. This was until they had to introduce photo card licences when it cost you to change and also renew it.

Shahpor · November 9, 2016

8 hours ago, Verbout said:

Which you are supposed to return. :tut:

i obtained a photo licence last month after a holiday in America where I had to carry my passport as proof of ID, the licence is definitely more convenient.

I know, but they didn't ask for it back, and it is a nice keepsake to remind me of simpler times

I do agree that being able to use it as proof of ID is quite good though.

Britprius · November 9, 2016

When you reach 70 the licence only last for 3 years. Further unless you send for the extra forms, "which they do not supply automatically" to fill in you loose you licence for towing a trailer, and any heavy vehicles your old licence allowed you to drive. You then have to take a test to tow a caravan.

In my case I had to send for a third set of forms that had to be signed by my doctor (£60), and my optician (£40) to get my "free" driving licence back with my entitlements. This will have to be done every 3 years.

My wife's licence expired because of the 10 year rule 4 months before she was 70. I rang the DVLA on here behalf about renewing it just for the 3 years, but no deal. She had to renew it twice in 4 months.

John

Bluesman · November 9, 2016

3 hours ago, Britprius said:

When you reach 70 the licence only last for 3 years. Further unless you send for the extra forms, "which they do not supply automatically" to fill in you loose you licence for towing a trailer, and any heavy vehicles your old licence allowed you to drive. You then have to take a test to tow a caravan.

In my case I had to send for a third set of forms that had to be signed by my doctor (£60), and my optician (£40) to get my "free" driving licence back with my entitlements. This will have to be done every 3 years.

My wife's licence expired because of the 10 year rule 4 months before she was 70. I rang the DVLA on here behalf about renewing it just for the 3 years, but no deal. She had to renew it twice in 4 months.

John

"You then have to take a test to tow a caravan." I think they should have introduced a test for trailers/caravans years ago.

Dippo · November 9, 2016

23 hours ago, steve2006 said:

Remember you need to renew your driving licence every 10 years and you do not get a reminder.

According to the DVLA website, they do send out reminders.

https://www.gov.uk/renew-driving-licence

Verbout · November 9, 2016

Red booklets, man with red flag, AA man saluting at you, crash gearbox, manual windscreen wipers, rusty cars....I do miss these things......NOT.

Nostalgia, it's not what it used to be... :lol:

steve2006 · November 9, 2016

6 minutes ago, Dippo said:

According to the DVLA website, they do send out reminders.

https://www.gov.uk/renew-driving-licence

Never had a reminder myself and lived at the same address for the last 20 years.

dave1 · November 10, 2016

14 hours ago, Britprius said:

When you reach 70 the licence only last for 3 years. Further unless you send for the extra forms, "which they do not supply automatically" to fill in you loose you licence for towing a trailer, and any heavy vehicles your old licence allowed you to drive. You then have to take a test to tow a caravan.

In my case I had to send for a third set of forms that had to be signed by my doctor (£60), and my optician (£40) to get my "free" driving licence back with my entitlements. This will have to be done every 3 years.

My wife's licence expired because of the 10 year rule 4 months before she was 70. I rang the DVLA on here behalf about renewing it just for the 3 years, but no deal. She had to renew it twice in 4 months.

John

But once you are 70 the renewal every three years is currently FOC.

Britprius · November 10, 2016

11 hours ago, dave1 said:

But once you are 70 the renewal every three years is currently FOC.

Only if all you wan't to do is drive a car.

Apart from the £100 needed for a signature from your doctor, and optician if you wish to keep entitlements. I do voluntary work driving a mini bus for local groups, and to the nearest hospital that is 28 miles away at Hereford. The nearest doctors surgery is 6 miles away. Hereford town is also the only place in the county that has a manned police station, and council office. So need to keep my licence in tacked, and yes much to the dismay of some here I do tow a caravan.

Where I live we have 2 buses a week to the nearest town "Leominster" The bus leaves my village at 9.30 am on a Tuesday, and Friday, and takes 75 minutes to get to the town 9 miles away. The bus goes via many other villages at leased doubling the journey length. It starts the return journey at 1.0 pm. Now you can get a train from Leominster to Hereford, but by the time you get there there is not enough time to get back to catch the bus home. This makes voluntary drivers a must in rural areas.

Rural life has some advantages, but it comes with many disadvantages.

John

The law will have to be amended as the working age for men, and women goes up.

dave1 · November 11, 2016

Similar distances to facilities from where I live. I think the advantages of living in small villages outweigh the disadvantages. The Gov.UK website makes no mention of fees or medical certificates except that for minibus licence should be renewed every 3 years from age 45 and annually from age 65.

Where did you get the info regarding this as I would be interested to see what exactly the requirements are.