Motorists around the UK have been urged to check their driving licences to avoid fines of up to £5000. Motoring experts at LeaseCar.uk have warned that close to one million people could be at risk after failing to renew their expired driving licences.
Those who continue to use their expired licences could be at risk of prosecution by the police leading to fines of up to £5000. Recent figures from the DVLA have shown that the driving licences of more than 926,000 people in the UK needed to be updated as of September 2022.
The stats account for over 2% of drivers, although some included in the data are suspected of having stopped driving altogether. Even though the DVLA sends warnings to motorists whose licences are due to expire a few months before, figures from the last 12 months state that 2.5 million people only renewed it after it had expired or within 56 days of the expiry date.
The current DVLA rules state that licences must be updated every ten years, up until the age of 70, where it is a legal requirement to renew every three years. It is free to renew if you are over 70. Drivers are also at risk of a fine of up to £1000 if they fail to return an expired licence under the Road Traffic Act 19.
Unfortunately, despite the threat of a huge fine, renewing our licences doesn’t seem to be a top priority for Brits. Tim Alcock, from LeaseCar.uk said: “I urge all drivers to check if their driving licence photocard is up to date to avoid these hefty fines. It is easy to find out if yours needs renewing- the expiry date is on the front of the licence in section 4b.
“Financially, times are tough for many people, so motorists must be aware of any catastrophic extra costs they could face if their cars are not road legal. You should not be driving if your licence has expired, and I recommend renewing it two months before it expires to be safe.”
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If you notice your licence has expired or is due to soon, here is how
LeaseCar.uk suggests you renew your licence:
1. Online on the GOV.UK Website
The quickest and easiest way to renew a licence is online at the GOV.UK website. This application costs just £14 and takes less than a week to process. You will need a valid UK Passport and must be able to provide basic information such as addresses from the last three years, national insurance number and driving licence number. If you have access to the internet, we recommend renewing it this way.
2. By Post
If you want to renew your licence by post, you must complete a ‘D1 pack’ of forms from a post office dealing with DVLA photocard renewal and send it with any further documents that the DVLA requests. You will need to pay £17, which should arrive within 3 weeks.
3. At the Post Office
You can renew your driving licence at any Post Office, and you will need to take your current photocard driving licence and pay a £21.50 fee. It is also recommended that you bring your renewal reminder letter. They will send off the application electronically, and you should get your new licence in three weeks.
