Print

[Craig T]

Replacement licenses should come with all the same categories ticked.

My father changed his recently and I asked him to check at the time, it did have everything on it but worth checking it before you go out just to convince yourself it's correct.

Craig.

[TimV]

Plastic licence for me soon

My 1997 paper licence would have had to be renewed at 2007, 2017 had it been plastic

My little red book cost £1 per year to renew. In 1975, they charged £5 for a licence - we were told - would last for life. Bit disingenuous ...

[w3526602]

Hi Tim,

Last for life? Sort of true ...

Your physical licence will (normally) last until the day before your 70th birthday (subject to some medical restrictions, which require a declaration, or medical, at differing periods ... 12 months, 5 years, or WHY. But "licence" (I think) also includes "permission". You are "permitted" to drive after your licence expires, subject to a fairly minor infringement of "driving without a licence". Fairly minor? How many Penalty Points for driving without a licence?  Driving while disqualified by a Court of Law, is a different ball-game .... for starters, your insurance will be void. I understand that an Appeal Court ruled that being "debarred" from driving on medical grounds, is not the same as "disqualification" ... but you must have held a licence at some time, else your insurance WILL be void.

It's about 35 years since I retired, so things may have changed, but in my day, any changes that HAD TO BE DECLARED were free. That would be a change of address, a woman changing her name due to marriage, etc. If any of what I have said affects you, please make your own enqiries.

Voluntary changes incurred a fee. I think that included a Test Pass, and renewal after a period of disqualification (possibly implying you need a NEW licence), and removal of penalty points. Ouch!  I think if you can synchronise several changes, and one of those changes is free, then they should all be free, if done at the same time. But please don't quote me on that ... the "bean counters" may have been at work since I retired.

I would have expected the official policy to be documented somewhere. . Ask before applying!
602

[Grandadrob]

You said no changes, but don't the over 70 versions have bits chopped off.

[Wittsend]

^^^^
Apparently they do - 

What a load of red tape - this is a service that WE pay for. They must know from their records what tests have been passed and when and what entitlements you have - if not they need sacking.

Then when you hit 70 why not just issue a new license with the entitlements and categories you had when you were 69 years and 364  days old

It's a totally bonkers system which is set (deliberately ?) to catch the unwary out 

 

[Dopey]

When I got to 55, I had to take a medical every 5 years to keep my HGV (now LGV) and I am a diabetic (type 2) so it's under constant review and can be taken away at any time, but my doctor

[diffwhine]

Replacement licenses should come with all the same categories ticked.

My father changed his recently and I asked him to check at the time, it did have everything on it but worth checking it before you go out just to convince yourself it's correct.

Craig.

Craig is right - it is vital to check. I know of one case of a UK Police Traffic Officer who updated his licence and found that he had lost certain rights which limited his ability to do his job (trailer rights etc.) Hopefully it was a one off isolated case, but DVLA refused to reissue his licence with his original rights because he couldn't prove what was on his submitted licence. Even with a letter from the senior management he couldn't get it re-issued. Luckily he found a photocopy of his licence and along with the threat of legal action managed to get it changed. Moral of the story - even with the fact that DVLA must clearly have proof of what was on your original licence, its a very sensible idea to keep a clear high quality of copy. If the boys in blue have problems, what about us lesser mortals?

[Wittsend]

Craig is right - it is vital to check.  Moral of the story - even with the fact that DVLA must clearly have proof of what was on your original licence, its a very sensible idea to keep a clear high quality of copy. If the boys in blue have problems, what about us lesser mortals?

It is a very sensible idea to keep a clear high quality copy/scan of your licence before you send it in.

 

[TimV]

You can check it on-line, last time I checked I still had my motor bike entitlement - but I haven't ridden one since 1986!

[Alan Drover]

Gear shifter, you'll need to retain your C1 entitlement and for that you'll have to have a medical.
You should still be able to drive B1, B, B+E, and agricultural vehicles.
If you have motor cycle entitlement make sure it's included. People haven't bothered to check the placcy licence and have lost various categories and have been told that they must take a test to regain them.
I can drive B+E up to a maximum train weight of 7 ton  and my motor cycle entitlement, group A was retained.

[Peter Holden]

I renewed mine last June when I turned 70.  My first plastic licence.  I have lost the 7.5 ton part.  I can get it back if I have a medical.

Peter

[gvo416j R.I.P.]

A 73 year old drinking buddy lost his motorcycle entitlement when he renewed in the December he was 70.

Never thought to check until trying to sign up for some charity or show effort [do not know the exact details, but something he did a couple of times each summer] on a borrowed bike the following summer.
 
He was told there was now no record of his previous groups entitlements and he would have to go through the modern multi-stag process to renew them.

[Genem]

That "keep a good copy" advice is the best. Perhaps  a copy of your card AND a screenshot from their own site...

I wonder what other countries do ?

[TimV]

I'm told the DVLA believe their computer, and do not accept any photocopies of the original licence.

[Manxcat]

The DVLC/A have been "accidentally" losing Motorcycle Entitlement off Driving Licences consistently for over 33 years to my certain knowledge.

I used to be a Volunteer Instructor at a SACU Approved Training Centre, that had been running since the late 1940s.
A regular admin task was digging back into the archive to provide proof for people trying to get their motorcycle entitlement back onto their license.
Sometimes we were successful in assisting.
I got Ann (a neighbour) her entitlement back, that "Fell Off" her license when she did a change of address in 1992.
She passed her test through the centre in 1969 on her scooter. (she had no intention of ever riding a two wheeler again but is rather stubbornly determined).
A Serving Traffic Police Officer was not so lucky and had to hurriedly resit his test.

The DVLC/A would only accept a copy of a Driving Licence if it was a properly Notarised Copy.
I.E. a copy certified by a Notary Public.
Even then they would try and push back.
You are just wasting your time doing a photocopy or screenshot.
Get a Notarised Copy made.