DVLA Photocard Licence Farce

Sandycheeks · 26 Jun 2016 at 23:43

Realised a while ago that my drivers licence is out of date.
I passed my Motorbike test in August 2013 and my photocard expired October 2013.
When I got my Licence back after sending it off after passing my Bike test I was appalled that they hadn't just renewed it for a further 10? years as there was only a few weeks left on it anyway.

I forgot all about it until today so have now sorted it on the government gateway site for the princely sum of £14.00.
The annoying bit - They use the photo from your passport which is also the same photo that was on my driving licence in the first place. :mad:

To sum up - they are replacing the photo on my driving licence with the exact same photo.
It doesn't appear to matter that my passport expires next year.

Lighters · 27 Jun 2016 at 00:01

I had this exact same problem.

License was due to expire next year, went online to change address but when doing so they said i was required to also update my photo as it was old/out of date. They let me use my passport photo (I later realised this was about 9 years ago) I received my new drivers license with a copy of a copied photo and the signature has also been photocpied 2x.

The end result, a very white washed poor picture and the signature is patchy/unclear lines, I honestly believe if I used it for ID they would refuse as you can barely see my face.

Called up to complain and try get it sorted as they charged me £14 and they are refusing to do anything sayings its not a problem... They also cut my renewal off by 1 year lol....

sovietspybob · 27 Jun 2016 at 09:03

I don't understand why people get so worked up about licence renewals, it costs you £14, £14! And who cares what picture it has on it anyway!? You're not having it framed in your front room it'll be hardly ever seen in your wallet.

Semple · 27 Jun 2016 at 09:08

I thought when i did mine at the end of last year that it said something like if your passport expires in the next few years then you'd need a new photo. Seems that's not the case, which seems a bit silly really. So in theory you could have a photo that's 19 years out of date... the 9 year old photo in your passport, which is then used for your 10 year driving licence.

Kuros · 27 Jun 2016 at 09:12

I can half see the reason for this, myself.

It just means that you can't keep the same licence for years on end and that if it ever gets revoked or the like, you can't keep using it. I've had to show my driving licence to former employers and I'm 99% sure they never actually checked to see if I was disqualified.

Swagger187 · 27 Jun 2016 at 09:18

sovietspybob said:
I don't understand why people get so worked up about licence renewals, it costs you £14, £14! And who cares what picture it has on it anyway!? You're not having it framed in your front room it'll be hardly ever seen in your wallet.

Think you are missing the point of this thread but oh well.

K.C. Leblanc · 27 Jun 2016 at 10:56

Kuros said:
I can half see the reason for this, myself.

It just means that you can't keep the same licence for years on end and that if it ever gets revoked or the like, you can't keep using it. I've had to show my driving licence to former employers and I'm 99% sure they never actually checked to see if I was disqualified.

Licenses can not be checked online fairly easily,

PinkPig · 27 Jun 2016 at 11:56

I think the system is fair - there is no charge to get you license updated if you move house or get an extra entitlement. If they renewed the expiry date/photo at the same time, this would be an easy way out of paying the £14 fee - you'd just come up with some reason why your license needed to be changed, e.g. you've moved back to your parents for a month.

The alternative would be to charge a fee for every new license, regardless of circumstances.

Sandycheeks · 27 Jun 2016 at 14:16

Annoys me that the licence expires at all.
I understand the photocard expires as someone could potentially have a 50 year old photo on it but it just winds me up that I have had to pay £14 for a renewed licence with the old picture on it.
I know a few people that don't have a photocard - just the paper and their licence hasn't expired although it is my understanding that soon everyone will have to have a photocard.

Kaeo · 27 Jun 2016 at 19:29

Interesting. I recently had cats C + D provisional added to my license with 4 months left on it and it was renewed for 10 years. :/ sounds like you were just unlucky tbh.