DVLA has added an automatic only restriction to my license

[4rephill]

Oilchange said:

......The photograph on the card, and only the photograph, expires every 10 years.
Www.yourdrivinglicence.co.uk/what-happens-if-drivi...
You can still drive, have an accident and be insured etc if your photograph has expired.

From: http://www.yourdrivinglicence.co.uk/renewing-your-...

So can I drive while my licence is renewed?

According to a DVLA spokesman, qualified drivers are still entitled to drive a vehicle if their licence has expired, but what they must be aware of is that they could be charged with the offence of failing to renew their licence. If the matter went to court, then the motorist could end up with a £1,000 fine. The spokesman went on to say that the reason photocard licences needed to be renewed every ten years was because people's faces would change over that period, so updates are essential.

What happens if I have an accident in the meantime?

You may find that if your photo card has expired, then your insurance company may refuse to pay up for any claims you make. If this happens, you will be able to appeal, and if your photocard is being processed then you will usually be ok. However, it will often come down to the insurance company themselves and what their policies are in this type of situation. If you were involved in a bump, you would still be covered for third party claims, regardless of whether or not your photocard was still in date.

So yes, you can still drive with an expired photocard licence, but it may end up costing you £1000.

And should you have an accident whilst your photocard licence is expired, you may only be covered for third party claims.

[HairyMaclary]

Mark V GTD said:

This got me looking at the back of my photocard license (license was originally issued in 1989).

In Category A (little picture of a motorbike) it shows valid from 19.01.13 to my 70th birthday. A1 and A2 just have dashes.

The internet suggests this is a full motorbike license but I'm not sure about that!

Does it also say 79 tri? Means you can ride a tricycle not a bike. Plenty of info on here on that subject.

[Marvib]

HairyMaclary said:

Mark V GTD said:

This got me looking at the back of my photocard license (license was originally issued in 1989).

In Category A (little picture of a motorbike) it shows valid from 19.01.13 to my 70th birthday. A1 and A2 just have dashes.

The internet suggests this is a full motorbike license but I'm not sure about that!

Does it also say 79 tri? Means you can ride a tricycle not a bike. Plenty of info on here on that subject.

Exactly the same as mine, below section 12 it shows 79(3) therefore trike entitlement not bike.

[Mark V GTD]

Thanks for the feedback chaps. It is indeed a trike category 979) so that clears that up!

[Oilchange]

4rephill said:

Oilchange said:

......The photograph on the card, and only the photograph, expires every 10 years.
Www.yourdrivinglicence.co.uk/what-happens-if-drivi...
You can still drive, have an accident and be insured etc if your photograph has expired.

From: http://www.yourdrivinglicence.co.uk/renewing-your-...

So can I drive while my licence is renewed?

According to a DVLA spokesman, qualified drivers are still entitled to drive a vehicle if their licence has expired, but what they must be aware of is that they could be charged with the offence of failing to renew their licence. If the matter went to court, then the motorist could end up with a £1,000 fine. The spokesman went on to say that the reason photocard licences needed to be renewed every ten years was because people's faces would change over that period, so updates are essential.

What happens if I have an accident in the meantime?

You may find that if your photo card has expired, then your insurance company may refuse to pay up for any claims you make. If this happens, you will be able to appeal, and if your photocard is being processed then you will usually be ok. However, it will often come down to the insurance company themselves and what their policies are in this type of situation. If you were involved in a bump, you would still be covered for third party claims, regardless of whether or not your photocard was still in date.

So yes, you can still drive with an expired photocard licence, but it may end up costing you £1000.

And should you have an accident whilst your photocard licence is expired, you may only be covered for third party claims.

bks.
Note they say you ‘may’ end up with a thousand pound fine and your insurance ‘may’ refuse to pay out.
Also, there is no need to renew your licence as it has NOT expired. Only the photograph on you photocard has expired. Your licence would be intact.
Both nonsense

Edited by Oilchange on Monday 24th February 10:34

[speedking31]

Oilchange said:

bks.
Note they say you ‘may’ end up with a thousand pound fine and your insurance ‘may’ refuse to pay out.
Also, there is no need to renew your licence as it has NOT expired. Only the photograph on you photocard has expired. Your licence would be intact.
Both nonsense

The horse's mouth, DVLA begs to differ. Note the use of "must" renew.

[Oilchange]

The only reason I’m arguing the point is that there was case law backing it up, although my search results are limited where I am! Someone went to court and was successfully defended for not having an up to date photo. Case dismissed I think.
The EU said we must have a photocard with an up to date photo on it as a driving licence to use as a method of photographic id. (What if I choose not to use my driving licence as photo id?)
Not because the driving licence required it but to prevent fraudulent use etc.
I would like to see the written piece of legislation before I believe the .gov or dvla stuff as until it is tested in court it means nothing.
Perhaps I am being unduly cynical but hey ho.

[gareth_r]

WinstonWolf said:

I look ninety if I look a day...

I've checked online that the records match my wonderfully tatty licence, I'd check online again and screenshot it before I let the buggers get their grubby paws on it.

In addition, I'd suggest that, before you send that tatty licence to the infallible DVLA, you could lose it and acquire a replacement, just to see what turns up.

You can always find it again if necessary.

[Tango13]

gareth_r said:

In addition, I'd suggest that, before you send that tatty licence to the infallible DVLA, you could lose it and acquire a replacement, just to see what turns up.

You can always find it again if necessary.

Funny you should post that, I've 'lost' my driving licence both times the photo part needed renewing and it went AWOL when I moved too...

[swistak]

10 Days Later...

I have received a reply from DVSA about my licence category. Turns out they keep copies of tests for 5 years only, but they have reviewed the car + test history for examiner/instructor and decided that I have passed my test on a manual. Apparently they have also notified DVLA, but I am yet to hear about that...

Let's see how this unfolds

[Oilchange]

https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/blog/entry/legislation...

Just to reinforce my argument for those few that are interested...

If legislation has come into effect in the mean time so be it

[swistak]

An update.

Submitting the Plate number and the green slip from the test pass + emailing DVSA has prompted them to update DVLA to fix the clerical error. I am now legally allowed to drive manual cars again!

[Sterillium]

swistak said:

An update.

Submitting the Plate number and the green slip from the test pass + emailing DVSA has prompted them to update DVLA to fix the clerical error. I am now legally allowed to drive manual cars again!

Result!

[jondude]

Good to hear the OP got it sorted.

To the bikers out there - time passes and it was many years ago now that a whole wave of bikers were losing their bike pass when updating/changing the licence.

MCN (Motorcycle News) got involved and did a great job getting the DVLA to move, then they had their own help section re what to do if you also had lost your biking entitlement.

Maybe there is a chance this section/department is still there on the MCN site, or archived information about what to do?

[QuickQuack]

Great result!

The fact that you've had to go through this and that it took 6 months is unbelievable though.

[Timbuktu]

[/footnote]

Edited by YinSan on Tuesday 30th November 12:51

[swistak]

QuickQuack said:

Great result!

The fact that you've had to go through this and that it took 6 months is unbelievable though.

It took ~ 1 month (getting DVSA to look into it, then notify DVLA then wait for DVLA to react and update records and notify me, then send a new plastic)
I just remembered about this thread and figured it might come in useful for somebody!

[sospan]

Never had a problem with the DVLA but other Public bodies...yes.
Last one was whilst selling a house. Buyer’s solicitor asked for electrical certificates for two jobs. Mystifying as we had not done them. I called Building Control. The girl was great, sending a copy of the information they had been given by the certification organisation. I spotted an error in the address. Called the girl back and explained it. Someone in their department had entered our address in error. It was corrected. We wouldn’t have known about it if not for the sale and possibly a problem to sort out in the future.
It is ALWAYS worth getting Public bodies to confirm correct data if you spot errors.

[Psycho Warren]

And the pathetic thing is DVLA have regular database back ups. However as we are users NOT customers, they will not look at a back up from before the screw up to check what was on the license then. They just put all the onus on you to proove it even though they have records backed up.....

[Tommo87]

Psycho Warren said:

And the pathetic thing is DVLA have regular database back ups. However as we are users NOT customers, they will not look at a back up from before the screw up to check what was on the license then. They just put all the onus on you to proove it even though they have records backed up.....

Backing up a database doesn’t mean that they wipe out all prior history, prior to that point.

Usually, it is just to save a copy in case the original suffers an irrecoverable error.


What you describe sounds more like an archiving of data prior to a certain age, onto a secondary database. That was more of a thing last century when storage space was a lot harder to get and expensive.