Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
Avoid a £1,000 fine – renew your photo-card driving licence
Marc Crosby
6th Oct 2014
If you haven’t updated your photo-card driving licence in the last ten years then you are risking a fine of £1,000!
Did you know that if you have one you are required to renew your photo-card driving licence every ten years, as well as the photograph used? Very few of us do but if you are pulled over and it turns out your licence or photo is out of date, then your wallet may be hit hard!
What’s the problem?
More than 30 million people now have photo-card licences (they will be mandatory in 2015), and it’s a legal requirement that the licence and the photo be updated every ten years.
Despite this, around two million drivers have not renewed their licence which puts them at risk of a £1,000 fine. A recent survey showed that roughly 20% of drivers didn’t know when their licence expired, despite the expiry date being written on the licence itself! One in ten confessed they had not updated their licence for more than ten years, meaning they are breaking the law.
You may also face a fine if you change name or address and don’t update the DVLA.
Whilst a fine may sound harsh, it’s very important that our driving licence identifies us correctly. Driving licences help the police identify whether we are who we say we are, and so help catch people who are using licences fraudulently. Ultimately these laws are there to keep the roads safe and so it is important to follow them.
Jasmine says...
I only updated my photo this year after someone at a car insurance company pointed out that it was out-of-date. I had completely forgotten – like most people – so I’m glad I was reminded. Who wants to cough up £1,000 for nothing??
What should I do?
If your details change it’s important to let the DVLA know as soon as possible. If you need to change the address on your licence you can do so for free via the DVLA website.
If your license is out-of-date or you need to update your photo then you will need to renew your licence as soon as possible. It costs £20 to renew your licence via the DVLA website, which is a much cheaper price to pay than a hefty fine!
Another scam by the thieving immoral government to pay for their second mortgages, their kid’s private school fees, alcohol and their luxury lifestyles while the commoner works like a dog to pay for these bandits. Very sad world 🙁 £1000 fine is stupid. Total scum.