Is your driving license valid?

Over two million people carry an expired driving licence photocard. You risk a £1,000 fine if don't renew it – so urgently check yours.

Two million photocards are now out of date as of January 2013 according to the DVLA, and a further 2.6 million driving license photos are due to expire in 2013.

If you have a photocard license (pictured above), your photo will expire every 10 years because "appearances can change, and it’s important that photocard licenses are updated every 10 years" a DVLA Spokesperson told moneysavingexpert.com.

Checking your license

To check when your photo expires, simply look for the 4b section on the front of your driving license. If you cannot find your license or your license has expired, see below for information on how to renew.

Renewing your license

You need to renew your license every 10 years. Every time you need to renew, there is a £20 fee. You should be sent a reminder and form about two months before expirery. However, as many miss this or forget, it’s well worth making a note of when yours expires.

The process is the same whether renewing or replacing a lost or stolen license. There are three ways to apply:

 

1. Online. You can apply online at Gov.uk providing you’ve had a new digital passport issue in the last five years.
2. By post. Alternatively, anyone can get forms from most Post Offices, or order one from the DVLAwebsite
3. In person at selected Post Offices. Though if you do this, it’ll cost an extra £4.50 on top the standard £20 fee.

Please be aware of unofficial driving license websites. We suggest only using the official Gov.uk website.

After completing any of the options above, the new card should arrive within two weeks. However, we suggest that you send it before the expirery date just to be sure.

My photocard’s already expired; will I be fined if I renew it?

The DVLA strongly advises individuals to renew photocards promptly to avoid the risk of being fined, but don’t panic if you’ve overlooked yours – it’s told that while an up to £1,000 fine is possible, the process of renewing late won’t itself prompt a fine.

Source: www.moneysavingexpert.com