Driving licence photo expires?

[Gary11]

Could this be another stealth tax? Had the brown HMGOV envelope land on the mat today advising my photo on my "new" id card style licence has expired?
My options are give up driving or go to the local super market photo kiosk (very inconvieniant) try unsucessfully several times to get a correct picture, then post said photo off to DVLA with twenty hard earned pounds where upon a new new licence will be dispatched post haste!
I really resent this as a cynical stealth tax on the motorist as if there were not enough!

[fergywales]

£20 for another 10 years validity, where is the issue?

Mine expires in September and from when I got it at 17, I look a tad different now

[Taffer]

It's not really a stealth tax, as the expiry date for the ID is printed on the photocard! As with a passport (or any other photo ID) it needs updating every so often; in this case they have decreed a 10-year lifespan for the photo.

[Shaw Tarse]

So less than 40p per week?
Most photo booths give 4 pics, use the others for passport?


Having said that I've still got the old paper licence valid for many years yet

[soad]

Well, it's not the photo that expires but the licence itself.
Mine still has 6 and half years left

I'd agree that renewal fee could be lower/free but is that going to happen?

[fergywales]

soad said:

Well, it's not the photo that expires but the licence itself.
Mine still has 6 and half years left

I'd agree that renewal fee could be lower/free but is that going to happen?

So, this 'free' idea, what pays for the processing of the renewal form, the printing of the licence, the posting of the licence and the pointing out when someone fks up the most basic of forms?

FFS, as already said, it is less than 40p a week for the time it is valid!

[elster]

soad said:

Well, it's not the photo that expires but the licence itself.
Mine still has 6 and half years left

I'd agree that renewal fee could be lower/free but is that going to happen?

Cheaper than £20???

That wont even cover costs, do you expect the 'state' to do every thing for you?

[Pulse]

I have to agree with the majority here! £20, and you only have to do it every 10 years... What are you moaning about?

[Deva Link]

soad said:

Well, it's not the photo that expires but the licence itself.

Some issue with definitions here.

Your licence to drive doesn't expire. However the card itself needs to be renewed because the photo is 10 years old.

[Mr_annie_vxr]

Most people look quite different 10 years down the line.

[paddyhasneeds]

I still have a 17 year old paper license as I've been a good boy.

Seems a bit odd how that's considered good enough, but a "photo can expire".

[ewenm]

I used the Post Office service to get mine done a couple of weeks ago - very easy (except for the system being down in the morning and it being the last day of validity of the old photocard). Don't wait for it to expire

[fergywales]

paddyhasneeds said:

I still have a 17 year old paper license as I've been a good boy.

Seems a bit odd how that's considered good enough, but a "photo can expire".

If you feel it is wrong, the application form to change over to a photocard licence are readily available.

[paddyhasneeds]

fergywales said:

paddyhasneeds said:

I still have a 17 year old paper license as I've been a good boy.

Seems a bit odd how that's considered good enough, but a "photo can expire".

If you feel it is wrong, the application form to change over to a photocard licence are readily available.

It's never caused me a problem so until I'm forced to do something I don't see any benefit tbh.

I'm surprised at a system that considers a 10 year old photo insufficiently accurate to be valid, but find an almost 20 year old piece of paper to be acceptable.

[ewenm]

paddyhasneeds said:

fergywales said:

paddyhasneeds said:

I still have a 17 year old paper license as I've been a good boy.

Seems a bit odd how that's considered good enough, but a "photo can expire".

If you feel it is wrong, the application form to change over to a photocard licence are readily available.

It's never caused me a problem so until I'm forced to do something I don't see any benefit tbh.

I'm surprised at a system that considers a 10 year old photo insufficiently accurate to be valid, but find an almost 20 year old piece of paper to be acceptable.

I too am surprised - that they still use the paper bit at all. Waste of resources.

[fergywales]

True, my OH is a few years older than me, and has the tatty bit of paper and I have the easily available card in the back of my wallet.

Handy if you need ID on a regular basis, less risky than carrying a passport.

[cazzer]

fergywales said:

True, my OH is a few years older than me, and has the tatty bit of paper and I have the easily available card in the back of my wallet.

Handy if you need ID on a regular basis, less risky than carrying a passport.

You know yer supposed to carry the paper bit with you as well don't ya?

[fergywales]

cazzer said:

You know yer supposed to carry the paper bit with you as well don't ya?

Nope, got something to reference that from?

[cazzer]

Yeah its written on the licence somewhere about it being only valid if both parts are together.

[BonzoG]

fergywales said:

cazzer said:

You know yer supposed to carry the paper bit with you as well don't ya?

Nope, got something to reference that from?

The top of the paper bit...