DVLA - Renewing Driving Licence

[Wolfer]

Hi,

Anyone else had issues with DVLA and renewing their licence?

I had a letter through to say I needed to renew my photo licence, didn't realise it was that time, but fair enough. I've tried several times online (as they suggest) to get this renewed.

I have my Full UK Drivers Licence, New UK Passport, Driver Licence number, National Insurance Card, DVLA Drivers Account, been at my current house for 9 years, previous house for 15 years.

Whatever I do i get the error at the end "Sorry DVLA cannot confirm your identity"

I get the codes from the Drivers Account, i get the text messages, and input them, (same phone number since 1998) all seems to go through ok, but get that error every time.

Now, not massively an issue, but it says online £14 and a few days, if I have to go to the post office, £20 odd quid and possibly a few weeks. Irritating as i need to book a half day off work to go to a PO, then pay more, and it take longer. That is if they don't get the same error I presume!

If they get the same error in the PO, what then? Is this just a simple scam to get a few quid extra? All my details are correct, I've had to send off my passport, Licence, and loads of other crap for working on a Government site before, and that didnt seem this much hassle!

What happens if I don't get this sorted by the time the licence runs out?

anyone else had this?

Reckon you could get a dodgy licence easier

[Spare tyre]

Just checking, it’s not your phone / iPad auto correcting something? Try using a different device

Seen this sort of thing before and it’s not obvious until it’s obvious

Good luck

[IJWS15]

Did mine a couple of weeks ago, went like a dream and new licence back in less than a week. Sadly not valid for 10 years, 70th comes first.

Changed address a month earlier.

[x type]

New UK Passport,

How new ? if its very recent maybe dvla doesn't recognise new one ?

[R0G]

Used post office who took new picture and dealt with everything
Small cost but very easy
Not all post offices have this facility

[Alickadoo]

R0G said:

Used post office who took new picture and dealt with everything
Small cost but very easy
Not all post offices have this facility

Yes, but how much?

[crispian22]

Had exactly the same experience recently, been at the same address for 11 years,passport all in date,get to the end of the online form and they can't identify me!

Ended up having them send me the paper form to fill out and posting it the old fashioned way,still not had anything back after two weeks.

[GasEngineer]

R0G said:

Used post office who took new picture and dealt with everything
Small cost but very easy
Not all post offices have this facility

Isn't that more expensive and the passport takes much longer to arrive?

Would make sense if it was the other way round ie more expensive but you get the passport much quicker.

[IanH755]

Are you on the Voter Register for the house you're currently in - thats caused me a "government ID" issue before despite everything else being in date etc.

[CTO]

I’ve just had this exact scenario, in Dec

“Easiest” way was to just go to a post office, sort pics, sort postal order (haven’t had a cheque book for about 15 years), and send it off.

New licence came back in about two weeks.

I spoke to DVLA as was concerned about driving with an expired licence.

Their advice: don’t worry about it. Your photo has expired, your licence is still valid.

I don’t know if that is correct or not, but I didn’t give it another thought after that clarification (and logged the call date and time/handler etc)

Hope helpful

Cheers

[bcr5784]

I had the same problem. Turned out that my passport didn't have an electronic signature. Of course inputting your passport details is the last thing you do on line.... Took ages to find that out. Producing your own photo isn't too big a deal if you have a colour printer, but the picture requirements are quite tight, so it does take a bit of time.

[Alickadoo]

bcr5784 said:

I had the same problem. Turned out that my passport didn't have an electronic signature. Of course inputting your passport details is the last thing you do on line.... Took ages to find that out. Producing your own photo isn't too big a deal if you have a colour printer, but the picture requirements are quite tight, so it does take a bit of time.

You don't have to upload an actual photo. you send the digital image from your phone.

Always assuming we are talking about the same thing,

[R0G]

extra £4.50 to do it at post office

[Wolfer]

Thanks everyone,

I took all my stuff to the Post Office, probably a bit smaller here so didn't have the facilities to help me, other than hand over the forms, and explain that it was possibly because of my picture needing updating. Fair enough, although not sure how they knew this on the DVLA online.

So sent off with my D1 form, instructions to get a passport style photo, get a cheque sorted, and send off. I did ask that it may be close to getting it back before old one expires, but they couldn't help with that, just said it "should" turn up in 2 weeks ish, and don't drive without a valid licence.

When told i need to send a cheque, i did ask if it was better to use a fax machine rather than the D1 form

Looking at the replies above, i won't worry too much about driving without, as I can't anyway, I need to drive.

[sherman]

Wolfer said:

Thanks everyone,

I took all my stuff to the Post Office, probably a bit smaller here so didn't have the facilities to help me, other than hand over the forms, and explain that it was possibly because of my picture needing updating. Fair enough, although not sure how they knew this on the DVLA online.

So sent off with my D1 form, instructions to get a passport style photo, get a cheque sorted, and send off. I did ask that it may be close to getting it back before old one expires, but they couldn't help with that, just said it "should" turn up in 2 weeks ish, and don't drive without a valid licence.

When told i need to send a cheque, i did ask if it was better to use a fax machine rather than the D1 form

Looking at the replies above, i won't worry too much about driving without, as I can't anyway, I need to drive.

A cheque book is always a handy thing to have. You dont need one day to day but its useful about once a year.
I take mine with me on holidays too just incase all cards fail.

[oldagepensioner]

bcr5784 said:

I had the same problem. Turned out that my passport didn't have an electronic signature. Of course inputting your passport details is the last thing you do on line.... Took ages to find that out. Producing your own photo isn't too big a deal if you have a colour printer, but the picture requirements are quite tight, so it does take a bit of time.

Just one question,is the passport essential as i let mine lapse about 30 years ago so don't actually have one.

[sherman]

oldagepensioner said:

bcr5784 said:

I had the same problem. Turned out that my passport didn't have an electronic signature. Of course inputting your passport details is the last thing you do on line.... Took ages to find that out. Producing your own photo isn't too big a deal if you have a colour printer, but the picture requirements are quite tight, so it does take a bit of time.

Just one question,is the passport essential as i let mine lapse about 30 years ago so don't actually have one.

You can not do it online without a verified passport.

You will have to send in 2 passport pics. One with a confirmation of who you are from a reputable person or you can get your pic taken and verified at a larger post office when they do the checking service.

Thinking about it.

Timpsons might be able to do the pic too as they were able to upload my picture for my passport application. It got put on a website and I had a code to add to the online application.

Edited by sherman on Sunday 11th February 18:04

[Black can man]

I couldn't do mine on line neither , I checked the details about 10 times before I finally called the DVLA.

My application could not be done due to a provisional lorry license box unticked which I needed a D2 form to tick .

I went to the post office in the end fearing the worse & it really was so simple & the new card arrived within a week.

It does cost £7.50 more but I guess that is the way things are these days.

I still have my grandfather rights after renewing at the post office

[Lotobear]

Just done mine on line and it went without a hitch.

Odd thing is though, they were happy to reuse my passport photo which is now 9 years old so my car licence will have a mug shot nearly 20 years old when it next comes up for renewal

.....I'd always assumed the only reason for renewing was to update the photo?

[9Pirate9]

Done mine at the post office, was back in about 5 days.