Drivers aged 70 and over must renew their licence every three years or face fines, the DVLA warns. If you do not order a new one you will not be allowed to drive after your 70th birthday.
There are around 10 million drivers aged 70 and above in the UK, according to a recent figure estimate. People who don't get a renewal but carry on driving will be committing a serious offence.
Offences of this nature carry a maximum fine of £1,000, and even a ceased vehicle. In order to avoid this, there is a form you can fill out ahead of time.
90 days before your 70th birthday the DVLA will send you a form, D46P application. If they don;t send you on, you can also get a form from your Post Office.
The DVLA reminded drivers about the rule on Twitter and wrote: "After you turn 70, you need to renew your licence every three years. It’s easy, quick and secure to do it online." The online process is straight forward and the replacement should arrive in one week, the Daily Record reports.
You can apply to renew your licence online by logging onto the DVLA website here. First-time users will need to register and should have the following:
- an email address
- addresses of where you’ve lived for the last 3 years
- your National Insurance number (if you know it)
- a valid UK passport number (if you want to change the licence photo)
You can still drive while your licence is being renewed as long as:
- you have the support of your doctor to continue driving
- you had a valid licence
- you only drive under the conditions of the previous licence
- your application is less than a year old
- your last licence wasn’t revoked or refused for medical reasons
- you’re not currently disqualified
- you weren’t disqualified as a high risk offender on or after June 1, 2013
