Do I apply for a UK Licence?

[London Irish]

Hi all,

I have moved over from Ireland and have just swithed to a UK reg....I HATE THE NUMBER OF SPEED CAMERAS IN THIS COUNTRY......

Anyhow, should I apply for a UK licence? Any advantages to having two licences are am I better off just with my EEC licence? Have heard that if I get stopped it will be an automatic court appearance where I do not have a UK licence.

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks,

A.

[streaky]

London Irish said:

Have heard that if I get stopped it will be an automatic court appearance where I do not have a UK licence.

If stopped, speak in Erse ... if the BiB can't find a Portuguese translator quickly, an Erse one will stump them completely. Mind you, it will probably get you breathalysed as well - Streaky

[London Irish]

Thanks Streaky. I have been at times accused of taking out of my Erse.....but that is another matter.

Any more helpful posts?

A

[jeffreyarcher]

London Irish said:

Anyhow, should I apply for a UK licence? Any advantages to having two licences are am I better off just with my EEC licence? Have heard that if I get stopped it will be an automatic court appearance where I do not have a UK licence.

I would suggest that you do not get a U.K. licence.
AIUI, if you get banned, you cannot drive, even with your EEC licence.
If you do not have a U.K. licence, you cannot get banned.
The downside is the other point that you make; there will be a court appearance, and the fine will be higher than a FPN (£60), and there will be costs. Some people have managed to make the 'discrimination' case with the mags., but that is unusual.
Also, there may be insurance implications with a U.K. insurer.

>> Edited by jeffreyarcher on Monday 17th May 10:49

[Richard C]

keep the Irish Licence - so long as you have an address in Eire it will keep you free fom hassle with cameras - they will just give up. Keep Irish plates on the car too.

[London Irish]

Keeping Irish plates is not possible if I want to insure my car here......I have changed to UK plates (it is the law after all!).

Quisler, provided your (EEC) licence remains valid you may drive in GB until aged 70 or for 3 years after becoming resident whichever is the longer period......thus I have another 52 years before I need to worry!

Thanks for the responses. I think I will hang on to the Irish licence and put up with the inconvenience of a court appearance if I get stopped for speeding.

[Dwight VanDriver]

JA states: If you do not have a U.K. licence, you cannot get banned.

Serving BiB correct me if I am wrong through changes in the Lurr but that is not strictly correct is it?. Many years ago on night shift arrested French lorry driver for OPL. Samples down to Forensic for opening time and result within half hour. Court later that morning and driver was banned and was told he could not drive in this Country.

If non GB Licence holder is convicted of offences involving points then whilst this cannot be put on his Licence as it is alien to this country, the points are notified to DVLA who I understand set up a record like a DL with these on. Further, Sec of State notifies the Country of origin of the offence and punishment. Some legislation on this and will dig out when I get a chance.

Crime (International Co-operation) Act 2003 Sect 56 on caters for disqualifications from abroad being enforceable in UK but as yet there is no commencement date for it to come into effect.

As a "resident " IIRC then you have 12 months in which to change to a UK/Community Licence. CL holders have 3 years from becoming resident to drive on their old Licence.

DVD

>> Edited by Dwight VanDriver on Tuesday 18th May 11:09

[mcflurry]

why not get a UK licence, any points etc go on that. But at insurance renewal time show them the EEC licence which will still be clean. Would that work?

[Cooperman]

The way we're going in this country ANY foreign licence will be better than a UK one.
A UK court can ban anyone convicted in this country from driving in this country, but I am sure they cannot remove a foreign licence, since they did not issue it in the first place. They cannot stop you from enjoying the rights of a foreign licence in any other country. So, the more foreign licences you have the better.
I have a friend who lives in South Wales. He has driven on an Irish licence for the past 10 years. To obtain this he just used the address of a friend in, I think, Cork. His car is a Rover registered to a UK company and when he recently got photographed by a S.Wales 'Talivan' on the M4 his accountant/Co. sec'y gave the correct name and the address on his Irish licence and the entire thing went away.
All they want is your £60 and anything which makes this difficult is generally ignored.
Of course, if you drive at well over 100 on the M4 they may try to trace you or arrest you and ban you from driving in the UK, but that ban would not apply to Eire, or anywhere else in Europe.
I'm thinking of getting a S.Irish licence to use here as my wife's family are all from Waterford and I can use an address there tomorrow. If I had 6 points I would do that.

[monster1]

If you hold a Foreign licence and get points or a ban DVLA create a skeleton record with these details.

Police and insurance companies can then check on this 'UK' licence.

If you fail to mention any ban/points on this skeleton licence then not only will your insurance be invalid but you may be committing the offence of perverting the course of justice or many others.

EEC licences are valid until your seventieth birthday, however, as we cannot give tickets (FPN’s) to EEC licence holders then the offender has to go directly to Court.

As mentioned previously, all EEC licences will soon become one licence so if your banned in France then your banned in Europe.

[jamescarter1981]

If you don't have a UK licence, you have 12 months from when you move here to pass a test and get one, or you won't have a licence at all.

I get it with everyone i stop

Q - "Do you have a full UK driving Licence?"

A - "No i have international one"

Q - How long have you lived in the UK?"

A - "Over a year"

"Then you haven't got a licence and you're being reported for driving not in accordance with a licence, and you go to court"

[Cooperman1]

As I understand it, if you hold a full licence issued within the EEC, you can exchange it for a UK licence without taking another test. you certainly can in S. Ireland, as a friend of mine who lives in South Wales now has a Dublin address and an Irish licence. He is never asked how long he has been in the UK, even though he was stopped on the M4 at 94 mph in a UK registered car a few months back. He just said that he is British, lives in Dublin and works for an Anglo-Irish company, running their Dublin operation.
Mr. Plod said to 'keep it down a bit whilst in this country and was most pleasant about it all.