DVLA issues urgent warning for elderly drivers to renew their licence
Elderly drivers need to renew their licence every three years
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The DVLA is urging older people across the UK to renew their driving licence as soon as possible to avoid being fined.
Motorists over 70 are required to renew their driving licence every three years, rather than every 10 years for younger age groups.
Posting on Twitter, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) urged drivers to take action and renew their licence.
The tweet read: “Renewing your licence at 70 is easy to do online, plus it’s quick and secure. Try it here.”
Driving licences need to be renewed every 10 years until a motorist turns 70
PA
Motorists are usually advised to use online services to check their details, renew their licence and sort out any other issues they may have with their motoring profile.
Drivers can use the service to renew their driving licence if they are over 70, or will be turning 70 in the next three months.
They are able to change the photo on their licence at the same time as renewing their licence to simplify the renewal.
However, elderly drivers cannot use the online service to renew a C1 (medium-sized vehicle) or D1 (minibus) entitlement – this must be done by post.
When renewing, drivers will need their email address, the address of where they have lived for the past three years, their National Insurance number and a valid passport number if they want to change their photo.
Once they have applied, the DVLA will send them a confirmation email and will be asked to take part in research by email, but they can opt out of doing that.
Motorists can still drive while their licence is being renewed provided they meet conditions set out by the DVLA.
They will need to have the support of a doctor to continue driving, they must have a valid licence, they can drive under all previous conditions and the application is less than a year old.
Older drivers must also ensure their previous licence was not revoked or refused for medical reasons, they are not currently disqualified and they weren’t disqualified as a high-risk offender on or after June 1, 2023.
Motorists can also apply via the post, with all drivers being sent a D46P application form 90 days before their 70th birthday.
When applying through the post, the driving licence should arrive within three weeks, although it may take longer if their medical or personal details need to be checked.
The waiting times for DVLA postal applications have decreased dramatically recently after months of delays seen in 2021 and 2022.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The DVLA is reminding drivers to renew their licence
PA
The DVLA now states that drivers should allow four weeks for their new documents to be sent to them if they are applying by post.