Latest news with #drivinglicence
Times
a day ago
- Automotive
- Times
Are old-style paper driving licences still valid?
Despite the fact that old-style driving licences were replaced by plastic cards more than 25 years ago (that made us feel old too), some people are still unsure whether their paper version is legal. That's because the rules are different depending on your age, when your licence was issued, whether you've moved house and other reasons. To clear up your confusion, carry on reading. • Read more expert reviews, news and insights on cars and motoring In 2015 the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) scrapped the paper counterpart for anyone in Great Britain (not Northern Ireland — see below) who had been issued with a driving licence after 1998. If you've been issued with a paper licence at any point since then, you should also have a photocard, and you can discard your paper counterpart without worry. All data that would have been recorded on the paper section — your penalty points — is now held online. However, if you were issued with a paper licence before April 2000, it is valid provided that all the information on it is still correct. Moving house or changing your name without updating your licence will make it invalid. You could be fined £1,000 if the police catch you using an invalid licence. Most British women change their name after marriage, about 90 per cent according to a 2016 study cited by the BBC. Driving licences must be updated with the new name to remain valid. However, the DVLA confirmed to Driving that should a driver choose to keep their maiden name on official documents after marriage, they will not need to inform them about the marriage as the existing licence remains valid. In 1998 the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) replaced the old-style paper licence with a plastic photocard and paper counterpart, the latter of which was used for tallying up the licence points you had. However, in 2015 the paper counterpart was replaced by an online service and paper counterparts were no longer issued, partially due to the number of people who kept losing them. About 445,000 people misplaced theirs in 2014 and had to pay £20 each time to replace it, at a total cost of nearly £9m. Some paper licences are still valid as of the date of publication, but not all of them. If your paper licence was issued before March 31, 2000, and all of the information on your paper licence is still correct as outlined above, then it will usually remain valid until you turn 70. On the day before your birthday you will need to renew your licence, and you will be issued a photocard free of charge. It is also free if you still have your paper licence but you need to change the address or name. All driving licences must be plastic by 2033. If you need to replace your licence before then because it has been defaced, lost or stolen, then you can do so through a service on the government website. This costs £20, and delivery times are in the region of three to four weeks. Provided you're medically and legally cleared to drive, and your application isn't more than a year old, you're allowed to drive while you are swapping your paper licence for a photocard. As of June 2015 paper licences have not had details of endorsements (penalty points) written or printed on them. Instead the details of any offences and endorsements are held electronically, and to view those details, as well as things like what classes of vehicle you're legally allowed to drive or evidence of the validity of your licence to provide to car hire companies, drivers can check through the DVLA portal. That only applies if your licence was issued in England, Scotland or Wales, though. The changes made to the licencing system in Britain in 2015 did not take effect in Northern Ireland and a licence there is still made up of a photocard and a paper counterpart, the latter of which remains an important part of the licence and must be kept safe. As is the case in Great Britain, single-part paper licences issued before the switchover to the use of photo cards may still be valid. While details of any endorsements are also recorded electronically and can be viewed through the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA) portal, those endorsements are also recorded on drivers' paper counterpart.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Delighted Helen Flanagan declares she's back to her 'normal self' and 'living in the Starbucks drive-thru' after return of her driving licence following six month ban
Helen Flanagan has declared that she's 'back to normal herself' and 'living in the Starbucks drive-thru' after the return of her driving licence following a six month ban. Back in January, the ex Corrie actress, 34, t old the court her ex boyfriend Robbie Talbot was driving her £66,000 Audi Q7 when it was caught speeding twice. She was subsequently barred from the roads for six months, despite claiming she was struggling financially and would not be able to afford taxis to get her children to school. After being snapped back behind the wheel of her pricey motor last week, a delighted Helen took to her Instagram Stories to update her followers on Monday. She gushed: 'I am so happy that I have got my driving licence back, I was nervous at first for like the first ten minutes I was like "It's so weird to be driving again" but now I just absolutely love it'. 'Back to my normal. I feel like I am back to myself now i'm back to the Trafford Centre and back living at the Starbucks drive-thru and I just feel like myself'. After being snapped back behind the wheel of her pricey motor with a coffee last week (pictured) a delighted Helen took to her Instagram Stories to update her followers on Monday In a chaotic social media post last month, Helen complained what a 'pain in the a***' it had been without a car and had been unable to run errands or go shopping for essentials due to living so remotely. Taking to her Instagram Stories she explained her ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) had caused her to mix up paperwork to reapply for her licence, meaning the process would now be delayed further. 'I literally can't tell you what a pain in the a*** not having [my driving licence] because I live in the middle of nowhere, and of course I haven't been driving'. 'It's just been so b****y annoying, for example we are out of loo roll now and I can't pop out to the shops to get loo roll so my friend has to bring me loo roll'. In court Helen said her isolated moorland home meant it was a 10-minute drive even to go to the shops to buy bread and milk, and that she would 'really struggle without a car' in the remote location. The actress, who lives near Bolton, Greater Manchester, said she earned £70,000 last year – but said her income varies and that she could not afford a £10 taxi to take her son to nursery. Prosecutor Stephen Kirk told how Helen, who already had six penalty points for speeding, failed to declare who had been driving the car when it was caught speeding at locations on Merseyside in June last year, doing 42mph in a 30mph limit and 51mph in a 40mph limit. Magistrates gave her six more points for each offence - taking her total to 18 points, well above the 12-point threshold when magistrates normally impose a ban unless there is 'exceptional hardship'. Helen was barred for six months, despite claiming she was struggling financially and would not be able to afford taxis to get her kids to school (pictured outside court) Making her doomed plea to keep her licence, Helen said at the time: 'I am so sorry. I stupidly thought it was acceptable for my boyfriend to explain he was the one driving and it wasn't me.' Helen told the court how she is a 'full-time' mother to children Matilda, nine, Delilah, six, and Charlie, three, using the car to take them to nursery, school and activities. She said: 'My job really is being a mum at home. Their dad works away. It's really difficult at the moment now for me to be earning money. I earn money on social media but it kind of varies what I earn.' She added: 'I think there might be a perception maybe that I would easily be able to afford a driver but that's quite far from the case. 'I've got enough money in my account to pay off my tax and my VAT and basically that's about it.' Asked by solicitor, Patrick Boyers, how she takes her son Charlie to his nursery without a car, she said: 'The other way to get Charlie to nursery is by Uber (taxi). That would be really expensive. I'm really struggling at the moment, financially.' Asked by the clerk how much it cost, she said: 'I did get an Uber from my house to the nursery this morning. It cost £10 that time.' She also claimed her son 'doesn't do so well in a taxi' and that he's 'much better strapped into a car where he's safe'.
The Guardian
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Guardian
What to do if your driving licence is either lost or stolen
Mislaying your driving licence, or having it stolen, can be a real hassle and leave you vulnerable to fraud, so it is important to act quickly to protect your personal information. Contact your local police station or call 101 to report a stolen full or provisional licence. They will then give you a crime reference number. This can be important if your licence is used for fraudulent activity later on. If you've misplaced it, this isn't a necessary step, but can be a good idea if you think there's a chance it might have been stolen. Apply for a replacement licence through the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) website if you are in England, Scotland and Wales (or the DVA in Northern Ireland), or by phone and post. If you are applying by post, you will need to complete and send the D1 application for a driving licence form, which is available from most post offices. You can also apply by phone, but only if you have a photocard driving licence and none of your details have changed. A new licence costs £20. Keep an eye on your bank accounts for any suspicious activity, just in case your licence is being used for identity theft. It is a good idea to notify your bank, too, so they can flag any suspicious activity. Consider getting identity theft protection if you are worried about fraud. These services monitor your credit for any unusual activity. You can apply for protective registration with Cifas, the UK's fraud prevention service – this costs £30 for two years. Experian's Identity Plus offers a similar service – it's free for 30 days and £10.99 a month after. In the UK you are allowed to drive while you wait for a new licence to arrive. Once you have reported the theft or loss, and completed an application for a replacement licence, you should receive a new one within a week. Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself in future: Make a record of your new driving licence number – it's the unique 16-character code that can be found underneath the licence's expiry date. Keep it in a secure place, to avoid losing it, or having it stolen again. If the police pull you over while driving, you're allowed up to a week to take your licence into your local police station, so you don't need to carry it on you at all times. Set up alerts for your bank accounts to stay ahead of any large or unusual transactions, and be extra cautious with your personal details in the future. If you find your old licence after you've applied for, or received, a new one, you need to return it to the DVLA with a note explaining what has happened. You can find the address on the website.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
How many points you get if you're caught speeding and how long they stay
If you're caught speeding your first thoughts may turn to penalty points and what it means for your driving licence. Speeding is classed as an offence under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. Speed limits help keep people safe, and safety is paramount when on the road for all users. Speeding can ruin lives – the faster a vehicle travels, the greater the force of impact in a crash, and the more severe the injuries or even death that can occur. The minimum penalty for speeding is a £100 fine and three penalty points added to your licence. The Government website states that you could be disqualified from driving if you build up 12 or more penalty points within a period of three years. You can also check your driving licence record online to see if you have points on your licence. If you're caught by a speed camera, then usually within a few weeks of your car being caught speeding you'll be sent a: Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) Section 172 notice You must return the Section 172 notice within 28 days, telling the police who was driving the car. You may have to go to court if you ignore the notice, the Government website advises. After you've sent the Section 172 notice back, you'll be sent either a: Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) letter telling you to go to court If you're still within two years of passing your driving test, your driving licence will be revoked (taken away) if you build up six or more penalty points. How long do points stay on your driving licence? The RAC notes that penalty points will remain on your driving licence for three years. 'They will also remain on your driving record from 4 to 11 years, depending on the severity of the conviction,' they say. 'You can be disqualified from driving if you acquire 12 or more penalty points within three years.' Your driving licence will also have a code on it for four years. Each endorsement has a special code and is given 'penalty points' on a scale from one to 11. (You get more points for more serious offences). Recommended reading: What does it mean if a speed camera flashes you in the UK? Speed camera myth warning to drivers who are risking fines Drivers warned of the common road signs most people get wrong - do you know them? You if you are caught speeding then you may be given the option of attending a speed awareness course if: the police decide it's appropriate for your offence you have not been on a speed awareness course in the past three years Speeding is dangerous for many reasons, and you could be endangering your own life as well as the lives of others. Stay focused on your own driving and the road ahead – remembering to adjust your speed in different weather conditions.
BBC News
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Isle of Man online duplicate driving licence service to go live
Drivers will be able to renew or apply for a duplicate driving licence online from next week on the Isle of to be available from 8 July, the Department of Infrastructure said it was the "first step" towards "streamlining services through digitalisation".Motorists will also be able to apply for full and provisional driving licences, and change their personal details, from the autumn, it those with medical conditions that could affect their fitness to drive should continue to apply for a duplicate or renewal licence in person at the island's Vehicle Test Centre. Infrastructure Minister Michelle Haywood previously said the project, which includes further changes planned for 2026, would "bring huge improvements for the island's motorists in terms of convenience and saving time".The modernisation of the services was in line with a government plan that aims to deliver £50 million of savings over five years "through the digitalisation and automation of inefficient processes", the department and licensing services are set to continue at the test centre in Braddan as well as Isle of Man Post Office branches while the transition takes place. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
