Replacing paper counterpart driving licence

[McSam]

I have a photocard driving licence, but I have absolutely no foggiest notion where my paper counterpart has ended up. Moving in and out of home and hall flats and houses all the time, it may well have succumbed to the abyss, and I really have looked rather hard as I was told I'd need it at Palmersport and remembered I didn't know where it was the night before I was going! I got lucky, they didn't need it, but still.

So I thought I'd better order a replacement, but these cost £20, and being a typical student I thought do I really need to spend that? I can't think what I would actually need the paper counterpart for.

If I get pulled over, is it going to present a big problem that I actually need to order a new paper licence before I can produce one for any points I might get? Do I need to send it off to get my photo updated when that time comes?

And I see that you can only order both the photocard and the paper licence together, so will I end up with two photocards? Seems a bit daft, but kinda cool in a completely useless way

[McSam]

No, change of address isn't an issue - my permanent residence hasn't changed, it's simply that in term time I've been living in student houses nearer to my university.

I didn't know that the licences have version numbers on them, but that makes sense, thanks for the info there - I presume there's no reason I can't claim I've lost both parts, get a new photocard while keeping the old one? I could then use the old one as ID and so on at no risk of actually losing the valid driving licence, handy

Any idea how long replacements take to turn up?

[McSam]

Always the way!

Glad to know they're not too much of a government-run office about the turnaround times, though

[McSam]

kaf said:

If you get stopped for an offence, such as speeding, to accept a fixed penalty you have to surrender your licence.....both bits.

If you can't you may well find you have to go to court, this will be much more expensive than £20.

Get a new one.

Mmm - but isn't there a deadline in the region of 30 days for such things? If I can get a replacement in a few days, it shouldn't cause a problem, should it?

I was just wondering if there was some situation requiring urgent/immediate production of licence that I might get caught out by.

[McSam]

I could do the change of address thing, if I didn't need the missing paper component to do it!

Graebob said:

McSam said:

I didn't know that the licences have version numbers on them, but that makes sense, thanks for the info there - I presume there's no reason I can't claim I've lost both parts, get a new photocard while keeping the old one? I could then use the old one as ID and so on at no risk of actually losing the valid driving licence, handy

I did exactly this. Just make sure you don't get the two photocards mixed up, as you will get a very stty letter from the DVLA asking why you didn't hand in the old one...

The system is bureaucratic enough when you're following the rules; if you wait until you need the thing and then expect them to bend over backwards to help you, you'll end up frustrated and unable to do whatever it is you need the thing for. I'd imagine plod will take a relatively dim view if you're given a 7 day producer and your excuse is "oh, I lost the old one".

Not being a nazi, just advising As for timing, I've had my license come back in less than a week for an address change, but it took them 2 months to sort out the cock up where they had the wrong offence code against my points when I received the updated address.

I see what you mean. While I know the timeframe for FPNs is quite long, if I got a shorter producer like that, odds are I'd have a problem. And that's likely to be in a situation where I really don't want to be worrying about where my paper licence has got to, on top of everything else!

I think, on balance, the best thing would be to re-order both parts, keeping the old photocard but marking it on the back with a permanent pen dot or something so I don't screw up and mix them up should the situation arise. I shall report back on how long it takes them to deliver the thing, too!

Cheers guys

[McSam]

Pontoneer said:

Better still , if they don't receive ANYTHING , how could they prove you never posted it in the first place ?

No need for registered , signed for or Special Delivery - although I supose you COULD post an empty envelope and have it signed for

This is what interests me now - I believe that anything sent by First Class post is deemed legally served?

Hmmm. I suppose it would be fraud for me to do the change of address thing online (thanks for the heads up about that!), "send" my licence in, and then simply tell them it must have got lost. But hey, it's not like the DVLA treat us lot terribly fairly with RFL and other matters, so I can't say I'd feel guilty..

Trouble is, I don't especially want my licencing details held against my term time address - it'll need changing back in June. Think there'll be a dim view taken of that?

[McSam]

Hooli said:

Just send it back & change it back to your original address, say it was a change of plan if asked. They won't ask though, they never do.

Happy days.

Thanks all!

[McSam]

daz3210 said:

What is the actual status if you move house for a year then? Thats basically what students do is it not? Should they not change their licence details?

As for the First Class being deemed as served, well it works for the BiB with NiP's, they can't have it both ways can they?

I spend holidays and obviously summer at home (so that adds up to five months), all my bank accounts etc. stay registered there. There's absolutely no reason to go about changing my licence address because my home is still my permanent address, and I still get post from there. Student houses etc. are temporary residences. If you moved house properly for a year, as in you no longer inhabited the address, I guess you'd need to change the details even if you intended to move back after some time.

They probably can have it both ways, which is why I was wondering

[McSam]

caziques said:

An address for DVLA purposes is one through which you can be contacted, which doesn't have to be where you live.

It's very useful having at least two addresses - especially when hiring a car abroad.

I like to use my UK licence for example when hiring a car in Australia - so any after event crap ends up in the UK - where I haven't lived for ten years.

Provided your credit rating still stacks up, fair play!