How to renew your driving licence

Failure to renew your driving licence on time will risk a fine of up to £1,000, so it's vital that you check yours regularly. 

This guide looks at the process of renewing a driving licence, how much it will cost, and how long your new driving licence is valid for.

Photocard driving licences were introduced in 1998 and must be replaced every 10 years. The expiry date of the driving licence photocard if found in section 4b on the front of the card (which is the side that has the photo of the driver). 

If your driving licence has expired or the details on it are incorrect then you risk a fine of up to £1,000. So, it's important to check your licence and renew it if you change your name or move to a new address. 

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• How much does a provisional driving licence cost?
• What to do if you lose your licence in Europe?

The process to renew your driving licence is a simple one that should be done when it has expired or has been lost or stolen.

There are three ways to new your driving licence. This is for both full and provisional licences.

• Online: if you have a UK passport you can renew your licence at gov.uk/renew-driving-licence
• By post: you will need a 'D1' form to renew by post, you can get one of these from your local Post Office or download it from gov.uk/dvlaforms
• At the Post Office: some branches will let you apply in person, it costs £21.50 and you will need to bring your existing photocard licence with you

The cost to renew your driving licence is £14 and will need to be paid using a MasterCard, Visa, Electron, or Delta credit or debit card.

If you are over the age of 70, then it is free to renew your driving licence.

For drivers renewing at a Post Office in person, the cost is £21.50. Applying by post will cost £17, and the D1 packs will be available from the DVLA website.

All photocard driving licences are valid for 10 years. You should receive a reminder from the DVLA when the driving licence expiry date is approaching.

It is the licence holder's responsibility to ensure the photocard is renewed on time. If you do not receive a reminder letter from the DVLA then this will not be deemed a valid excuse for driving with an expired photocard driving licence. The name and address must be correct, too. 

• Driving licence codes and categories explained
• How to get a provisional driving licence
• How to change your driving licence address

How long does it take to renew a driving licence?

If you renew your photocard driving licence online then you should receive your new licence within seven days. 

Renewing your driving licence by post or at the Post Office can take up to three weeks (or longer if you have a medical condition or personal details that need to be checked).

According to the DVLA, you can legally drive your vehicle while you are waiting to receive your new, physical driving licence photocard – as long as you’ve received a notification that it has been approved.

This will be via an email to the address associated with your account.

For drivers in the UK who do not have a valid, and in-date driving licence – getting behind the wheel can result in a fine of up to £1,000 and 3-6 penalty points.

In more extreme cases, the vehicle could be seized, and the offender may be given a driving ban.

Community service and even imprisonment up to six months can be issued to drivers without a valid licence.

The severity of the punishment will depend on a variety of factors, including if they are a repeat offender, if they plead guilty or not, or the result of your driving when they have an out-of-date licence.

Paper driving licences are still valid. If you have a paper licence then it'll likely be fine until you reach the age of 70, when you'll need to renew it. 

Renewing a paper licence will result in it being replaced with a photocard. The DVLA will use the photo from your passport. If they can't do this, you will need to send a photo by post. 

The paper counterpart of the photocard driving licence was axed on 8th June 2015.