Up to two million drivers face £1,000 fine

Failing to update your photo-card driving licence could land you a severe fine.

As many as two million drivers face £1,000 fines for failing to update their photo-card driving licences.

More than 30 million drivers in the UK now have photo-card licences, which are usually valid for a decade. When you renew your licence you are legally required to renew the photograph too.

The £1,000 fine

Unfortunately, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), which issues the licences, believes that around two million drivers have failed to do this.

And that could land them a £1,000 fine, should they be pulled over by the police.

The DVLA claims that it contacts drivers with a reminder form when the expiry date is getting close.

How to update your driving licence

You can renew the photo on your driving licence online if you have a valid UK passport which has been issued in the last five years, by using your Government Gateway ID. You can register for one on the Gateway website.

To apply online you’ll need to pay £20 by debit or credit card, and provide details of your previous addresses over the past three years as well as your National Insurance number.

However, this will mean that the new photo on your driving licence will be the same as that on your passport.

You can also renew your photo at the Post Office. You can find a list of suitable Post Offices on the Post Office website. You will need to fill out a D798 form, while you’ll be charged an additional £4.50 processing fee on top of the normal £20 fee.

Finally, you can renew you photo by post. Again, you’ll need to fill in the D798 form and post this off alongside a new passport-style photo taken within the last month, the photocard and paper counterpart of your current licence and a cheque or postal order for the £20 fee.

This should then be sent off to:

DVLA
Swansea
SA99 1DH

When else should I update my licence?

Your driving licence needs to be updated when you change your name. You should include the original documents confirming your new name.

You should also update your licence when you move house. In both instances, there is no fee for updating your licence.

Fail to do so and you may again be subject to a fine of up £1,000.

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