Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has dished out some advice around driving licences, saying that it is worth paying out £14 to make changes in order to avoid a hefty fine. According to figures from the DVLA, more than two million people in the UK have an out-of-date driving licence.
This means they are at risk of being fined £1,000 if they don't renew their photocard licence, which replaced paper licences in 1998. A quick check of your licence can save you having to pay out, according to the expert.
LancsLive reports that the financial guru has outlined three key things to check on your licence. These are the expiry date, checking your address is up to date and your name and gender are correct.
Read more: Martin Lewis says millions of Brits could see £1,000 paid into their bank soon
There are a few dates printed on your card, however the one you need is the photo expiry date printed on section 4b on the front of the card. What's more, the process for updating your details is similar to when you are renewing or replacing your licence.
Check the photocard expiry date
Your photocard licence needs to be renewed every 10 years, and the expiry date is printed on section 4b on the front of the card. If you can't find your photocard, you can order a new one online.
Renewing your photocard costs £14 online or £17 by post. Renewing your licence is essential to avoid a hefty fine and you can apply online at Gov.uk, providing you've a valid UK passport.
Alternatively, anyone can get forms (known as 'D1') from most post offices, or order them from the DVLA website. You can also do it in person at selected post offices.
The Post Office charges an extra £4.50 to take your photo on top of the £17 fee, but the £21.50 total also includes posting off your application. You'll get a reminder to renew a month or so before your licence expires, and that's when it's best to do it.
The DVLA says you should get your new licence within a week if you renew online. Renewals by post can take up to three weeks, so the DVLA encourages people to renew online.
Though the photocard needs to be renewed every 10 years, in general driving licences are valid until you're 70, after which it needs renewing every three years. If you only need to update your address or name, or you're over 70 and you're just renewing it, this is free.
There's no limit to the number of times you can update your name and address for free.
My photocard's already expired, will I be fined?
Renewing your photocard late won't result in a fine, but the DVLA advises that you shouldn't drive until you receive your new licence. If your licence has expired and you submit a renewal application late, you won't be fined.
However, the DVLA advises that you should not drive until they receive your completed renewal application. If your licence expires while the DVLA is processing your renewal application, you may continue driving as long as you meet specific requirements, such as only driving vehicles that you were authorized to drive on your previous licence, not being advised by a doctor or optician against driving, and not being disqualified from driving.
If you're waiting for a medical driving licence, which means you have reported a medical condition to the DVLA, you must ensure that you meet the medical fitness to drive criteria before driving.
Check you have the correct address on your licence
Forget to update your address and you risk a fine of up to £1,000 if stopped by the police – so check now to make sure it's correct. If your address is wrong, you can update it online via Gov.uk, or by post.
There's no limit to the number of times you can do this for free, so it's handy if you move again later down the line.
Check your name or gender is correct if you've changed it
The third check is to make sure your name and/or gender are correct on your driving licence, particularly the former if you've changed it since getting married. Research by insurer Direct Line published back in 2013 found 3% of married women had an out-of-date name on their licence, which bizarrely could also incur a fine of up to £1,000.
So if you think you could be affected, check now. To update your name or gender, order the 'D1 application for a driving licence' form from the Gov.uk website and post it to the DVLA, along with the documents needed (forms are also available from most post offices).
As with address updates, handily there's no limit to the number of times you can update your name for free.
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