Renewing Your Driving Licence | Older Drivers (2023)

FAQs

Do I need a doctor's note to renew my driving licence at 70? ›

Medical Declaration

It is a very good idea to have a medical check before renewing your licence when you reach 70 years of age, and again each time your licence is renewed.

We will send off your application electronically, and you should have your new licence within 3 weeks.

You cannot apply online if your name or title has changed. You must renew a photocard licence every 10 years - you'll receive a reminder before your current licence ends.

The DVLA says if your licence expires while it is processing your renewal application, you should be able to continue driving as long as you meet certain conditions, including only driving vehicles you were entitled to drive on your previous licence, not being told by a doctor or optician that you shouldn't drive, and ...

The DVLA will send you a D46P application form 90 days before your 70th birthday. To renew, fill in the form and return it to the DVLA with your current driving licence photocard. You may also need to include a new passport-type photo – the form will tell you if you need to do this.

Your doctor will check your sight, blood pressure and other vital signs. Then you will discuss any existing medical conditions which might feasibly affect your driving. You'll also need to go through your medical history, anything and everything health-related in your past, which might impact your health.

No. You must wait for the DVLA to reissue you with a new driving licence before you can start driving again. My last licence entitled me to drive lorries/ buses.

DVA aims to deliver your driving licence to you within three weeks of receiving your application. It'll take longer if your health or personal details have to be checked. Allow at least three weeks for your driving licence to arrive before contacting DVA.

The expiry date of your photocard licence is shown on the front of the photocard at section 4b. If your licence has expired, you should not drive until you have applied to renew the licence. Although the DVLA routinely send out reminders to drivers, it is not a defence to say that you did not receive a reminder.

If you want to renew your driving licence online, you need to have a valid British passport. There are also other exclusions that apply and you won't be able to go ahead renewing your licence online if: You have changed your name- you will need to apply by post. You are trying to renew your 5 year bus or lorry licence.

Do I have to retake my driving test if my license is expired UK? ›

But if you are late in renewing your driving licence, it is at the discretion of the DVLA as to whether they will impose a fine. However, if it is over two years since your driving licence expired, you could face an order to retake your driving test.

If you no longer want to drive you should return your licence to us at DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AB.

If you apply online, you should receive your driving licence or vehicle registration certificate (V5C) within 5 days. Here are some of our most popular online services: Apply for a driving licence.

If you would like to contact DVLA, you can ring them up at 0300 790 6802. If you're calling from abroad, please dial +44 844 306 9203. If you would like to know of other ways to contact DVLA, please view the options below.

In May 2022 the DVLA pledged to clear the backlog for medical driving licence applications and return to 'normal' processing times by September 2022. That meant 90% of medical applications being processed within 90 days.

DVLA will automatically send you this form 90 days before your 70th birthday. Use the D1 application for a driving licence form if you haven't got the D46P form. You can pick one up at most Post Offices. Your driving licence should arrive in 3 weeks.

The DVLA will use your current passport photo for your new licence if you have a digital passport. If you don't want the DVLA to use this photo or they can't use it, you'll need to send a photo in the post. If your name or title has changed, you won't be able to renew your licence online.

Once you reach 70, you must renew your driving licence every 3 years.

Dementia, multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke and a host of other conditions affecting your nervous system can all affect your ability to drive.

You can be fined up to £1,000 if you don't tell DVLA about a medical condition that affects your driving. You may be prosecuted if you're involved in an accident as a result.

What medical conditions do not allow you to drive? ›

You should expect to have your licence returned to you within 3 weeks, but the process may take longer if there is a need to check your health or personal details. In your letter, you should include details of your old and new name, your driving licence number (if you know it) and your date of birth.

You can usually keep driving while DVLA are considering your application. If you've told DVLA about a condition when applying to renew your licence, follow the guidance about driving that's in the form. Contact DVLA if you need advice or to check on your case.

The spokesperson said ongoing COVID safety measures and industrial action added around 400,000 applications to those already waiting to be processed and increased the wait time by around two months.

The DVLA is still running, however, the website says, "Because of coronavirus (COVID-19), DVLA is currently only able to answer your call or email if you're a key worker (for example you work in a hospital or in a supermarket, or you're a lorry driver)."

It reduced this to 73,000 by December 2020, but a second backlog then built up, and the number of applications in progress peaked at 836,000 in September 2021. By July 2022, DVLA had reduced the number of ongoing standard licence applications to 85,000 and eliminated the backlog.

There are 300,000 outstanding driving licence applications on the desks of the DVLA, with 77,000 of those delayed by more than three months, i can reveal. In March, the government agency came under fire after admitting it had a backlog of more than 700,000 applications.

Indeed, failure to renew an expired photocard, can lead to a licence being revoked. This can possibly occur where the police need to issue a fixed penalty notice, but the driver's address has also changed during the ten year period and DVLA has not been informed.

If more than two years has passed since your driving licence expired, you may be made to retake your driving test in order to get a new licence. This is especially the case if your licence has expired due to age (driving licences need to be renewed when you reach seventy years of age) or for medical reasons.

Driving licences are usually valid for 10 years then must be renewed. Driving with an expired licence carries a fine of up to £1,000 and up to six penalty points should you later renew it. The automatic extension was introduced last year to reduce pressure on the DVLA during the first Covid-19 lockdown.

What documents do I need to renew my UK driving licence? ›

If you reside in Gauteng or parts of the Eastern Cape Metropolitans where this is applicable, unfortunately, you'll need to use the online licence booking system known as NaTis. There is now an online booking fee of R250, plus an additional fee of R22, which goes to the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC).

Renew a driving licence

You'll get a reminder to renew your photo before your current licence ends. You can also renew your expired licence at a Post Office, it costs £21.50.

When you reach your 70th birthday you will need torenew your licence with DVLA and every three years after this.

In the UK there is no legal age at which you must stop driving, and no age-related requirement to resit the driving test. Drivers must renew their licence at age 70, and every three years after that.

Do drivers over 70 need to retake their driving test? In short, no. However, drivers need to reapply for their licence at the age of 70 and every three years thereafter.

The paper counterpart to a driving licence has had no legal status since 8 June 2015. You should destroy yours if you have one, but keep your photocard driving licence.

DVA will not accept photocopies or laminated certificates. DVA prefers one of the following documents as confirmation of your identity: full valid current passport in your current name.

We will send off your application electronically, and you should have your new licence within 3 weeks. We'll also take your old driving licence and send it back to the DVLA for you.

The processing times are taking months longer than expected for many – a delay that the DVLA has attributed to a strike that took place in August 2021. For some, the stalling process has left them out of work, or immobilised in rural areas for months on end.

Can I renew my drivers license online? ›

You can now quickly and easily renew your driving licence online. No need to complete paper forms, make appointments or visit an NDLS centre in person.

The 5 top types of questions received

Enquiry for DVLA not DVSA. Prefer to phone with an average call handling time of 7 minutes, 30 seconds.

What have the DVLA said? The agency says such hold-ups are due to reduced staff numbers caused by the coronavirus outbreak and are likely to continue while social distancing measures remain in place at its offices.

The DVLA says if your licence expires while it is processing your renewal application, you should be able to continue driving as long as you meet certain conditions, including only driving vehicles you were entitled to drive on your previous licence, not being told by a doctor or optician that you shouldn't drive, and ...

The DVLA says: “Our driver and vehicle transactions are all within normal processing times. The only applications where there may be delays is those applications where we are often reliant on receiving information from third parties such as NHS medical professionals.

Online services with the DVLA are working normally and without any delays, driving licences are normally received within five days of sending an application. People are recommended to use online services where possible to avoid delays. Paper services, however, are still facing delays due to the impact of COVID-19.

You can apply by post using the D46P application form. DVLA will automatically send you this form 90 days before your 70th birthday. Use the D1 application for a driving licence form if you haven't got the D46P form.

As your driving licence expires when you reach the age of 70, if you've not renewed it you won't be legally allowed to drive after your 70th birthday. If you haven't had your new licence back, but you've submitted it to be renewed, you're still able to legally drive.

If you are aged 70 or over, you can renew your driving licence for free and apply by post. Any required eyesight tests or medical examinations are not free of charge.

It's part of the requirements when applying for new and renewal of driver's license.

Can a 70 year old drive a 7.5 ton? ›

When you have to renew your license at 70 years old, you do not automatically continue to have the Category which allows you to drive vehicles which are between 3.5T and 7.5T on your license (C1).

Is it time to renew your driving licence? You have to renew your photocard with a new picture every 10 years to make sure it's up to date.

Go to your nearest DLTC with the following: Identity document (ID) and a copy of your ID, old driving licence card or valid South African passport. Four black-and-white ID photographs (before you have photographs taken confirm with the DLTC how many photos they require) Proof of residential address e.g. utility account ...

People age 70 and older are more likely to crash than any other age group besides drivers age 25 and younger. And because older drivers are more fragile, they are more likely to get hurt or die from these crashes. There's no set age when everyone should stop driving.

The time you stop driving should be determined by your performance on the road, not age. But when you get to 85 years of age, it's time to start preparing for life away from the steering wheel, even if you feel you are fit as a fiddle. It is less safe to continue driving after you turn 85 years.

Once a road user reaches 70 years of age, they will need to renew their driving licence if they wish to continue driving. Following this, they will need to renew it every three years afterwards.

Do drivers over 70 need to retake their driving test? In short, no. However, drivers need to reapply for their licence at the age of 70 and every three years thereafter.

There's no legal age at which you must stop driving. You can decide when to stop as long as you don't have any medical conditions that affect your driving. Find out how changes to your health can affect your driving and how to give up your licence, if needed.

A medical report form is required when applying for a driving licence or learner permit where the driver is aged 75 years and over or where the driving licence or learner permit they are renewing expires the day before their 75th birthday.

How much does it cost to renew license 2022? ›

Driver's license renewal costs

One year and one day to two years – P150. More than two years – P225.

At any LTO-accredited medical clinic or government health facility.