Driving licence renewal in lock down?

[ericmark]

That is a 16 mile round trip and railway closed due to colvid. And idea is we don't visit Post Office or Solicitors Office, fact remains no way to renew without stopping self isolation which because of wife's cancer we are told we should do.

 

[IT Minion]

That is a 16 mile round trip and railway closed due to colvid. And idea is we don't visit Post Office or Solicitors Office, fact remains no way to renew without stopping self isolation which because of wife's cancer we are told we should do.

Does it require the person to be there when the photo is taken? If you sent a copy to someone you know who qualifies as being in good standing who already knows you then they can sign it and you can send it.

 

[Agile]

Almost sounds as if you could more easily renew passport and use that to qualify the driving licence photo.

I don't think you can use a photo wearing a face mask!

Even moslem women at airports have to lift their full burka veils.

 

[ericmark]

It seems the 21 days to return paperwork has been extended to 90 days, so should be save by then to get photos done.

 

[ericmark]

Well seems wrong, yesterday 24th July got a letter saying because I took over 28 days to return the form, they had deleted the information from the computer, they have stamped the form as received 16 April and they said I was not fast enough replying!

There also seemed no point as all information on the on line application was repeated on the D801 form, so the result is I have filled in the on line yesterday and submitted both D801 and D1 form together with the letter they sent me so now how long will it take.

As to driving in the mean time it says

The law allows you to drive before you receive your driving licence as long as:

• you have held a Great Britain or Northern Ireland licence issued since 1 January 1976
• you are not disqualified from driving (there are different rules for medium or large vehicles, minibus or bus drivers - the traffic commissioner for your area will decide whether to grant your entitlement to drive these vehicles)
• you have not been, and would not be, refused a licence for medical reasons
• you keep to any special conditions which apply to the licence
• the entitlement on your licence has not expired

• now why would an over 70 apply for a licence if it had not expired, and it also says

  Section 88 of The Road Traffic Act 1988 may allow you to continue driving even though you do not hold a current driving licence. In practice, this will be when you have applied to the DVLA to renew your licence, but the licence expires (runs out) while we are processing the application.

  So it seems I can drive.

However an on line check on my licence still shows it has expired, so how any policeman can know if I can drive or not I don't know, my wife even worse, it shows on line her licence is revoked, but we only found out about this after caught speeding, she was never informed about what they had done, also in both our cases we have told them we have changed addresses and clearly they know as they are sending mail to new address, but if we use new post code to search for info on our licenses if shows error, can only get a reply if we used old post code, what a mess up.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

However an on line check on my licence still shows it has expired, so how any policeman can know if I can drive or not I don't know, my wife even worse, it shows on line her licence is revoked, but we only found out about this after caught speeding, she was never informed about what they had done, also in both our cases we have told them we have changed addresses and clearly they know as they are sending mail to new address, but if we use new post code to search for info on our licenses if shows error, can only get a reply if we used old post code, what a mess up.

You are not on your own with this problem, there are thousands in the same situation..

 

[ericmark]

I will only drive when no option until sure I have a licence, I do have another British licence but again not sure if valid (Falklands) even after repeated letters between me and DVLA at this address, the "View your driving licence information" will only work using my old post code, so it seems all the on line checking system is down, so no one can hire a car as can't give current driving licence information.

 

[davelx]

I just carried a copy of the application confirmation in my wallet, until my new licence arrived. It only took four working days though.

 

[ericmark]

The application was stamped with the date 16th April 2021 and the signature for photo was 13th April 2021 that is what delayed the return of the D801 form I had to wait until lock down allowed me to visit some one who had known me for three years to get it signed, and also before that get the picture printed, it did say 21 days on the form, but on the web site it said this had been extended to 90 days due to Colvid19 (took 54 days), the letter said after 28 days my application was deleted, but it took them 99 days to tell me that.

My wife got caught speeding and they told her at that point she also had no licence, it seems it has been revoked, no reason why it had been revoked, or when, and she had sent licence to get address changed, and still nothing from DVLA to say it has been revoked, it was only when the court said she had no licence that she went to web site to check. She has had the three points added for speeding, but both hers and mine do not show using correct post code, only using the post code for old address does anything show up, so added 3 points but not changed address.

It does say address on licence, but neither of us has a licence, for me doing it on line I got a code, this stopped being updated on 21 January 2021. So we live an a small town in Mid Wales, one bus a day, with just 30 minutes in next town before it returns, so useless, and the train has been classed as a tourist attraction so we can go to next town but not allowed to get on or off the train in next town, and taxi is really expensive.

So I have tried using an e-bike, but guy I work with was knocked off his bike last week, out of hospital now, but clearly the road is not safe to cycle on, so three small shops in the town, really a village now, so very limited what one can do without a car.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

So I have tried using an e-bike, but guy I work with was knocked off his bike last week, out of hospital now, but clearly the road is not safe to cycle on, so three small shops in the town, really a village now, so very limited what one can do without a car.

I think long before I got to that stage, I would have been pestering my MP for some answers.

 

[ericmark]

I knew my MP before I moved, but not a clue here, but you are right it has got silly, how the police go on when the DVLA are so behind updating internet info I don't know? How can they work out if some one can drive or not, my address was changed by 21st January and if I use new address all I get is "Check you have entered your details correctly" only using old post code do I get anything. But they have written to me at this address so clearly they know of the address change.

The tracking says "In Progress: Awaiting Application Return Form" the new form D1 been in the post 5 days. The old one D801 sent 13th April which they clearly got as they returned it to me. But I don't know what the phrase "the entitlement on your licence has not expired" means, the whole licence has expired, that is why applying for a new one, I would assume it means my entitlement to drive HGV class II which was part of the licence and has now expired, but seems they have a problem with English, so not very plain.

With wife entering the correct info gets "We couldn’t display your driving licence details with the information you gave us." the old post code gets "licence revoked" letter to DVLA asking when and why 24th June still unanswered. All getting rather silly. As to not being told licence revoked until caught speeding it makes us wonder when it was revoked and why, she could have been without a licence for 10 years or more, why DVLA did not tell her when she sent in the licences for a change of address I don't know, this is going back to December last year. I am sure to revoke a licence it would be a registered letter, and even if not then at least two letters one to say going to be revoked and one saying actually revoked, but nothing.

No wonder the police report so many people driving without a licence, when they don't tell people when licence is revoked, it is not some thing one does, checking if licence valid every so often.

 

[ericmark]

I don't believe it, now sent me yet another D801 form, this is really getting silly, specially when I need to get more photos taken and get them signed as well to complete the form, and although form sent to new address, on line check will still only work with old post code, if I could live without driving I would.

 

[ericmark]

I am still waiting, but wife has had a phone call and seems her application is being processed, she started the process after me, court told her she had no licence and when we went on web site it said licence revoked, until caught speeding had no idea any problem, today finally DVLA has been in touch and told her licence was revoked in 2010, they said they send two letters, but they did not arrive, so paper licence said she could drive so had no idea, and until today no idea why, seems in 2010 she sent in wrong licence for points to be added, she did send both old and new licence to get address changed, but even then they did not tell her it had been revoked, finally today after 8 months the address on her licence has been updated, but still says revoked, seems no charge to re-validate the licence, all she needed to do was ask, but clearly would not ask when don't know revoked in first place.

 

[ericmark]

Today I finally got my new licence, 21st January I have first record of applying, today 7th October, licence was valid from 5th October.