Two million drivers face £1,000 fine for not checking tiny detail on their licence
Millions of Brits could find themselves fined £1,000 for the simple act of driving, despite having passed their test.
And it all comes down to one tiny detail on your UK driving licence that has been issued to you be the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
When you pass your theory and practical driving tests, you make the move from a green provisional card to the pink, which means you're officially ready to rock 'n' roll when it comes to getting out on to the roads without supervision or L plates.
From there not many of us look back, with our ability to drive in the UK then a lifelong right as long as you don't do something dodgy to get your licence taken off you or you become medically unfit to carry on behind the wheel.
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But during this time, you could also get in trouble while thinking you've done nothing wrong and are totally fine to keep on driving, especially as you get older.
It all comes down to one tiny detail on your pink driving licence itself.
If you didn't know, your driving licence comes with an expiry date. So while you can drive for the remainder of your life once you pass your tests, you have to renew the physical licence itself.
This is necessary once every decade, with your expiry date found until section 4b on the front of the driving licence itself.
But worryingly, according to the team at Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert, around two million UK driving licence holders currently have an out of date licence, which means millions of Brits are potentially driving around the country without the legal right to do so.
DVLA driving licence rules
According to the DVLA, you must renew the 'photocard licence every 10 years'. This is for both a full licence and provisional licence.
Thankfully, you should get a reminder from the agency before it is due so that you can fill out the necessary online form to get the new one to you in the post. As someone who got this reminder earlier this year, it was a pretty simple application and only cost £14.
It is also worth making sure your address on your driving licence is correct, as some people might not have updated their licence when they've moved address (which is also a legal requirement).
If you have forgot to do this, your reminder will be sent to your old home so you really need to give the physical card a proper check.
What you need to renew your driving licence
The government website is where you can apply for a renewal online where it costs just £14.
To do this, you’ll need either a ‘driver and vehicles account’, a UK passport, or the document you used to set up your online immigration status (if that applies to you).
If you can't do this online, or don't want to, you'll have to head to your local Post Office to do a physical application to then send by post. It'll cost £21.50 to do it this way.
To renew online, you'll have to live in Great Britain and you cannot be disqualified from driving.
The following details will also be required:
- Your current driving licence (if you have it)
- Your National Insurance number (if you know it)
- Addresses of where you’ve lived over the last three years
If you're renewing and you're not a UK citizen, you'll need one of the following:
- A non-UK passport
- A biometric residency permit
- A biometric residency card
- A national identity card
Fined £1,000 for not renewing
You won't be automatically fined if you don't renew. But if you get behind the wheel of a car and you're stopped by police for any reason, they will likely check your driving licence.
At this point it's going to flag that it is out of date, leaving you subject to a £1,000 on the spot fine from the officer in question.
The licence also has to have a photo that is of 'true likeness'; something you can update when renewing your licence. After all, a lot of us look very different aged 27 compared to when we passed our tests at 17.
Gov.uk says: "Motorists must renew their photocard licence when it expires. If they fail to renew their licence and supply a photo that is a recent and true likeness, they will be breaking the law and may have to pay a fine of up to £1,000.
"It is important that licences are renewed. Appearances can change and it is important that photocard licences are updated every 10 years to ensure the police and other enforcement agencies have the best possible photograph. This helps them correctly identify whether a driving licence is being used fraudulently and also prevents driving licence impersonation – stopping disqualified and perhaps dangerous drivers taking to the roads."
Topics: Cars, Crime, Driving, UK News, Viral, Money, Martin Lewis
Tom Earnshaw