Almost one million drivers are at risk of receiving a £1,000 fine for unrenewed photocard licenses, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) says.
After a Freedom of Information (FOI) investigation by the Press Association, the DVLA has revealed that more than 900,000 people had cards that were out of date since the end of August 2022.
The same request also found that about 2.5 million drivers renewed their cards after expiration or within 56 days of the expiry date in the last year.
Here’s what you should know to avoid being fined for this infraction:
Who will be fined?
The number of people found to have expired photocards made up around two per cent of all UK drivers.
It is expected that a small number of the unrenewed licences include those who have stopped driving without notifying the DVLA.
Those who have renewed late will not be issued with fines.
Additionally, those with an active application in place for renewal can continue to drive under the condition that their previous licence requirements are met.
The DVLA said it sends letters to registered drivers 56 days before licence expiration. Many do not receive letters at the correct address due to not notifying the agency when their address changes.
How often should I renew my licence?
Drivers are legally required to renew photocard licences every decade to make sure the image accurately captures the driver’s appearance.
After the age of 70, this increases to required checks every three years.
Section 4b on the front of the cards displays expiry dates.
DVLA rules state that failure to return or renew the expired licence can be punished with a fine of up to £1,000 under the Road Traffic Act 1988.
A DVLA spokeswoman said: “We encourage customers to use GOV.UK as applying online is the quickest and cheapest way to renew their photocard driving licence.
“If you stop driving altogether, you should inform DVLA and return your licence rather keeping it as a form of an out-of-date photo ID.”
Applications cost £14 with a five-day process and postal renewals are £17, while third-party sites can charge extra fees.
Filling out your renewal forms at a post office includes a fee of £4.50 to take a new photo, raising the cost to £21.50.
