Find everything from how to change your address with the DVLA to checking your penalty points and renewing your photo – we’ve got all the driving licence information you need here.
| Name and address From new home to just wed – how to change your details | How to renew Find out how to renew your licence and what it’ll cost |
| How much to buy Find out the current cost of a new driving licence right here | How to hire a car How to get your hire car code before you fly |
| Changes explained There have been big changes to your licence – details here | Want your flag? Should our individual national flags be displayed |
LATEST NEWS: Drivers could have a smartphone-based driving licence by 2018.
CHECK YOUR MOT, ROAD TAX, INSURANCE AND DRIVING LICENCE ARE CURRENTLY VALID HERE
Driving licence costs revealed
Here we explain the various costs involved when buying, renewing or maintaining a UK driving licence.
Get your first Great British driving licence
| Type of licence | Apply online | Apply by post |
|---|---|---|
| First provisional licence – car, motorcycle, moped | £34 | £43 |
| First full driving licence after passing your driving test | N/A | Free – £17 to use a different photo from your provisional |
| First full GB licence in exchange for a full European Community, European Economic Area or other designated foreign licence | N/A | £43 |
Change the name, address or photo on your photocard driving licence
The fee you pay can be reduced if you use online services.
| What you’re changing | Change online | Change by post |
|---|---|---|
| Address | Free | Free |
| Name | N/A | Free |
| Photo | £14 | £17 |
| Photo and name at the same time | N/A | £17 |
| Photo and address at the same time | £14 | £17 |
Renew your driving licence
Photocard licences are valid for 10 years unless otherwise stated on the document. You will receive a reminder to renew your photo before your current one expires. Again, look for discounts by using online services.
| Reason for renewal | Apply online | Apply by post |
|---|---|---|
| Renewing an expired driving licence | £14 | £17 |
| You’re 70 or over | Free | Free |
| For medical reasons | N/A | Free |
It’s can also possible to renew your expired licence at a Post Office, it costs £21.50.
Add, renew or remove a driving entitlement
| Reason for change | Apply online | Apply by post |
|---|---|---|
| Adding entitlement to full or provisional licence – for example, to drive a bus or lorry | N/A | Free |
| Renew entitlement to drive a bus or lorry | N/A | Free |
| Giving up entitlement to drive bus or lorry | N/A | Free |
Exchange a paper or non-GB driving licence
| What you’re exchanging | Apply online | Apply by post |
|---|---|---|
| Paper licence for photocard with change of address | Free | Free |
| Paper licence for photocard with change of name | N/A | Free |
| Paper licence for photocard with no change of details | £20 | £20 |
| Full Northern Ireland licence in exchange for a GB licence | N/A | Free |
| Full European Community, European Economic Area or other designated foreign licence, if a previous GB licence held | N/A | Free |
| Full European Community, European Economic Area or other designated foreign licence, if a previous GB licence not held | N/A | £43 |
Get a revoked licence back
The fee depends on why your your licence was taken away and how you got it back.
| How you got your licence back | Apply online | Apply by post |
|---|---|---|
| You were disqualified for drink driving and you need to pass a medical exam with a DVLA doctor | N/A | £90 |
| You were disqualified for drink driving and you don’t need to pass a medical exam | N/A | £65 |
| You’ve got your licence back after it was revoked under the New Drivers Act | N/A | £50 |
| You’ve got your licence back after it was revoked for not handing it over to DVLA or at court | N/A | Free |
DVLA Driving licence details: How to stay legal
Your driving licence can get you in plenty of trouble, so take our check-up to help dodge painful fines…
Incorrect address: Are you one of the 2.6million drivers who haven’t updated their licence with a current address – and risking a £1000 fine? Simply change the address now.
Change address here
How much: Free
Wrong name: Changing your name on your licence is simple – and it’s free. You’ll need to complete a D1form – which you can get from the Post Office or by ordering it here. You’ll need to send supporting information such as a marriage certificate, decree absolute or Deed Poll certificate. All documentation must be original.
How much: Free
Medical change: If you’ve suffered a medical problem that could affect your driving, you are required to inform the DVLA. It will then decide if any changes need to be made to your driving licence. These range from giving a shorter licence of 1, 2 or 3 years, telling you to adapt your car or even stop driving.
Find out about your medical condition and how it might affect your licence: Contact the DVLA here
How much: Free
Out-of-date photo: Around 40,000 drivers are currently at risk of a fine for failing to update the photo on their photocard licence. Updates needs to be done every 10 years and while a reminder is sent out, many people claim the correspondence is confusing. So, check the valid from date on your licence then add 10 years – this is when you need to renew your photo.
How to change you photocard photo:
By post: Get yourself a D1 form from the Post Office or call the DVLA to order one on 0300 790 6801
How much: £17.00
At the Post Office: Take your renewal letter or completed D1 form along to the Post Office – not forgetting a passport style photograph, too.
How much: £24.50
Online: To use this service you will need a valid passport – because this is the photograph that will be used on the licence. Click below to get full details.
Change your licence photo online: Do it here
How much: £14.00
Expired licence: Around 2million Brits have an expired licence, according to research from Direct Line – equating to around £2billion in potential fines. Reasons for this could be anything from age to the type of vehicle being driven, so make sure you know when yours need renewing. Here are some costs involved:
| Reason for renewing | Fee |
|---|---|
| Renewing an expired driving licence | £17.00 by post or £14.00 online |
| From age 70 here | Free |
| For medical reasons | Free |
| Bus or lorry drivers | Free |
| After disqualification | £65.00 |
| If disqualified for some drink-driving offences where the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) needs to arrange medical enquiries | £90.00 |
| After revocation (under the New Drivers Act) | £50.00 |
| Reason for exchange | Fee |
|---|---|
| Add entitlement to full or provisional licence | Free |
| Paper licence to photocard with change of details (eg, name or address) | Free |
| Removal of expired endorsements | £17.00 by post or £14.00 online |
| Full Northern Ireland licence to a GB licence | Free |
| Full European Community, European Economic Area or other designated foreign licence, if a previous GB licence held | Free |
| Northern Ireland licence with a GB test pass | Free |
Driving licence changes – we answer your questions
Obsolete from 08/06/15
Here’s our at-a-glance guide to all you need to know about changes coming to your driving licence.
Luckily, this does not require any direct action from you – providing your licence details are all up to date and correct.
While most of this info is also available on the photocard, the DVLA has launched the online ‘View Driving Record’ service, which lets you view all the information you need by entering your driving licence number, national insurance number and postcode.
View Driving Record: See your details here
Not a problem, use the DVLA’s online service to change your address details.
Change your address: Update your driving licence here
A spokesperson for the DVA in Northern Ireland told the Belfast Telegraph: ‘In 2012 it was agreed that, recognising the particular sensitivities surrounding symbols in Northern Ireland, NI driving licences, which are produced for the Driver and Vehicle Agency in Swansea by the DVLA, should continue to be produced without the flag or crest.’
Changes to how you collect your holiday hire car
Use the guide below to secure an access code that will ensure you’re able to collect your hire car when you arrive at your holiday destination. Use the carousel or find a full guide beneath.
WARNING: Without this code, you could lose your hire car booking.
Are you planning to hire a car for your holiday this summer? Read on to ensure driving licence changes don’t leave you marooned at the airport hire desk without any wheels…
Read the full guide to getting your hire car code here
Driving licence changes coming into effect at the start of the holiday season could cause chaos for travellers picking up hire cars in foreign countries. Here’s our at-a-glance guide to all you need to know.
What has this got to do with my holiday hire car: The DVLA has axed the paper counterpart that accompanies your driving licence photocard.
But how does this affect collecting my holiday hire car: The paper counterpart contained information on penalty points and other traffic offences that hire companies want to check before letting you loose with their car. This is now held on the DVLA’s database and need to checked online, by phone or post.
So how will hire car companies check my record: Travellers will need to log on to the DVLA’s website the day before they fly, enter their driving licence and national insurance number to obtain an access code that’ll allow a car hire company to check their details via the internet when they arrive.
How long does the code last for: The code will be valid for 21 days, so anyone hiring a car more than three days into their holiday will need to logon and get a new code – potentially incurring hefty mobile data charges if they don’t have access to free Wi-Fi.
Is there any other way: Yes. If you have access to a computer you can download your driver ‘record’ on a PDF document, print it out and show it to the hire car company. However, some motoring organisations are concerned firms could be reluctant to accept this.
What if I forget to get an access code or to download a PDF: Arrive at the hire car desk without any of the above and the operator could be forced to ring the DVLA’s premium rate helpline, which costs up to £3 a minute. Guess who’ll be paying …
Do I need internet access to use the service: No, the DVLA spokesman assured us that the system will have an associated phone number for drivers to call and obtain a code.
How to get your code to share licence details with hire car companies
So can you quickly run this by me again: Yes – just do the following…
Online: Here’s how to get your code to share with hire firms before you leave for your holiday:
1. Logon to the DVLA website and load the ‘View your driving licence’ service here
2. Log in using your driving licence details and then once the new page loads with your details, click the ‘share your licence information’ tab on the right hand side of the navigation bar at the top of the page – see below.
Click this tab once logged in to the view my licence section to generate a code for hire car companies
3. You will then be able to generate a code to share with hire car firms when you arrive at your holiday destination. Remember, it now lasts for 21 days and not 72 hours.
If you don’t have your driving licence number handy: Click here to log in using your personal details. Don’t lose this code.
You can also use the following methods to get you code…
Print: Logon to the DVLA site, as above, then download and print a copy of your record to give to the hire car company.
By post: If you don’t have internet access, you can write to the DVLA in advance of your trip and request a print-out of your licence record for the hire car company. Please allow plenty of time for this request to be processed.
Send the following information to the address below:
- your full name and address
- your driver licence number (or your date of birth if you don’t know your driver number)
Driver Licence Validation Service
DVRE
DVLA
Swansea
SA99 1AJ
Don’t forget: Take your driving licence and National Insurance number with you – just in case you lose your access code or have a change of plans and decide to hire a car.
What the hire car industry says…
The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association has issued this advice on what travellers should take on holiday to cover all eventualities…
Operators are taking a range of different approaches to the scheme, which include:
Asking customers to provide a print out of their licence information, available via the DVLA’s View Driving Licence service
Asking customers to provide a code allowing the rental company to view their licence information via the DVLA’s Share Driving Licence service
Asking customers to present their photo-card driving licence together with a second form of ID, such as a passport
Driving abroad.. how powerful is your UK licence
See how powerful your GB licence is around the world
Many countries demand extra documentation from visitors driving on their roads, but the UK licence remains one of the most powerful in the world – with holders given instant access to the highway in most areas. Open the box below to see if there are restrictions in the destination you’re heading for.
Your browser does not support iframes.
Driving licence gets Union Flag – vote here and tell us your views
Union Flag on licences has proved controversial
Anyone applying for a new driving licence, or renewing a current one will now fly the flag for Britain. The new document will display the Union Flag alongside the European Union standard.
The changes will apply to motorists in England, Scotland and Wales. However, drivers in Northern Ireland will not be included as licensing is a devolved matter there.
Transport Minister Claire Perry said: ‘Celebrating Britain strengthens our sense of national identity and our unity. I will feel proud to carry my new licence and I hope others will too.’
Are you proud to fly the flag? Tell us your thoughts using this poll…
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MyLicence: Driving licence changes and insurance quotes – NEW
New MyLicence scheme revealed
In another new driving licence-based initiative, the MyLicence scheme is designed to help drivers get cheaper insurance quotes and cut the risk of driving without cover by failing to provide correct information about endorsements.
Operated by the DVLA and Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB), the scheme shares digital information held on your driving licence with insurers, which will enable them to produce fast, accurate quotes and protect against unwittingly making false declarations regarding motoring convictions which could invalidate insurance cover.
Here’s all the at-a-glance information you need
What is MyLicence: This is a scheme that allows insurance companies to check your licence for convictions and entitlements.
Is it compulsory: No, but insurers can choose to not offer you a quote if you don’t provide your driving licence number. Price comparison sites are particularly unlikely to offer a service to those who withhold their number and ‘self-declare’.
What are the benefits of MyLicence: The scheme will negate the need to endlessly enter huge amounts of personal details every time you apply for a quote. Participating insurers and price comparison websites will simply need to enter your driving licence number.
Could it save me from invalidated insurance: Yes. If you accidentally forget to mention a conviction or other restrictions on your licence, your insurance may not pay out in the event of an accident. The new scheme will provide all pertinent information straight to the insurer when you apply for a quote. Currently, nearly one in five policyholders under-declare the number of motoring convictions they have – some by accident, others maliciously in order to pay a lower premium.
Will it save me money, too: Yes – it could well do. Research shows 7% of drivers over-declare their convictions and endorsements – meaning they pay too much. The MIB reckons honest drivers will save an average of £15 on their insurance policy. They’ll also pay a lot less in phone charges by swerving the long list of questions they’d otherwise have to answer.
Can named drivers join the scheme: Yes and this could save more money and protect you from invalidated policies, according to the MIB and DVLA.
What information will be passed on to insurers: Joining the MyLicence scheme will provide the following information to insurers preparing a quote:
Type of licence held
Length of time the licence has been held for
Entitlements to drive
Penalty points
Convictions
Conviction dates
Disqualifications
Why is it needed: The paper counterpart section of a photocard licence is where information on convictions and current penalties is held. With the abolition of this counterpart in June 2015, drivers will have to check online using the View-Driving-Licence [https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence] service. This may not be convenient at all times. You need your driving licence number and national insurance number to view your details.
Will my licence details be shared: Your personal details and driving record will only be used to calculate a motor insurance quote and won’t be shared with anyone. MyLicence adheres to the Data Protection Act 1998, and there are strict controls in place about what data is provided, and how it can be used.
Will the service help me keep my licence up to date: It could do. Your insurer is allowed to advise if the photocard is out of date or if the postcode on your application and licence does not match. This information could help you dodge fine of up to £1000.
Will parking fines be declared: Don’t worry, these are not kept on record by the DVLA so won’t be declared.
Where can I find out more: Hmm – how about the official website, right here
Help – I don’t know my driving licence number
With the new MyLicence scheme making it more likely that insurance companies won’t quote without your driving licence number, it’s important to know what it is.
So, if for any reason you can’t get your hands on the number, here’s how to find it online.
What you’ll need: To find your driving licence number you’ll need the following:
National insurance number – You can find your National Insurance number on your payslip, P60 or tax return. If not, call 0300 200 3500
Postcode that’s on the licence
Your name and date of birth
STILL GOT A QUESTION?
If our guide doesn’t cover all you need to know, then please send your question using the comments section at the base of this page. We’ll do out best to find you an answer and add your query to the Q&A above.
Latest prices
There is also good news for drivers. The price of various licence-related services were cut at the end of October, 2014. Here are the details of changes…
New provisional licence: Falls from £50.00 to £34.00 online or £43.00 by post
Renewals: Fall from £20.00 to £14.00 online or £17.00 by post
Beware of fraudsters
Don’t respond to emails asking you to give personal details
Changes to the driving licence have led to an increase in fraudsters attempting to exploit the confusion and trick drivers into giving out personal details. These can then be used to gain access to bank accounts and other forms of identity theft.
How does the scam work: Drivers are sent an email claiming to be from the DVLA. The communication asks motorists to use a link to a copycat version of the DVLA’s website, where they’re asked to verify their driving licence details.
Do not respond: The DVLA has not sent out an email and would never ask licence holders to divulge information through an unsolicited email or phone call. Do not click the link or give any information. If the DVLA want to contact you, it will do so by post.
Don’t respond to phone calls: As a rule, you should never disclose any personal details – such as date of birth, passwords, pin numbers, passport number, address etc – in response to an unsolicited phone call – even if the caller claims to be from the police or your bank.
Don’t call back: Many scammers use a technique where they ask the ‘victim’ to call them back, to give the impression it’s a genuine call. Many phone lines allow the fraudster to stay on the line, so despite you putting the phone down dialling the correct number, you are still connected to the crook. If you really think you should call back, check the number is genuine, then dial from a different phone.
The DVLA will never send any unsolicited email or other correspondence asking for bank details or passwords. Simply ignore it and visit http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/ to report it.
Changes to how your driving licence is managed is expected to create more such scams and ‘phishing’ emails – made more likely by the online checking systems that replace the outgoing paper counterpart.
We’ll update scam warnings as they appear, so check back regularly.
Drivers over 70 targeted with scam
Drivers over the age of 70 are being warned to ignore adverts offering to renew their licence for a fee.
This scam has been reported across the UK and police are concerned that recent changes to the UK driving licence will result in more people falling victim to the con.
Drivers over the age of 70 can renew their licence for free. Please read this article for information on how to do this. Do not pay anyone offering to do it. Renew your licence for free here
Copycat sites – don’t lose out
As with many Government-backed websites for services such as applying for passports and vehicle excise duty, there are copycat sites trying to take your cash for driving licence-related updates or applications. Typically, these sites will charge £40.00+ simply to fill in a form you can do online, or on paper form, for free.
How to beat the copycat sites: This is simple; when conducting driving licence-related business, only use websites that start with www.gov.uk/ Stick to this simple mantra and you shouldn’t go wrong.
Report a ‘misleading’ website: If you think a website is trying it on, report it here.
Smartphone driving licence on the way, too?
Motorists could soon be allowed to have their driving licence on their phones according to the government agency developing the plans.
The DVLA have said a test system would be in place by September this year and we could see the service in public use by April 2018. They have claimed that the service will be ‘’quick, easy and secure’’, allowing people to share and validate information with ‘’trusted’’ third parties.
In a tweet by DVLA chief executive, Oliver Morley in May 2016, revealed that a prototype for a digital licence was in development. You can see the tweet below, showing an iPhone screen displaying the image of a licence in the Apple Pay app. In an additional tweet he explained that the digital licence will not be replacing the existing plastic licences and is simply an add-on that is possible since the scrapping of the counterpart licence.
So here’s a little prototype of something we’re working on #drivinglicence pic.twitter.com/a5eItrdiNI
— Oliver Morley (@omorley1) May 13, 2016
Further details can be found in the DVLA’s business plan for the next 12 months.
It states: “During 2017/18 we will be developing a quick, easy and secure service to allow customers to view a representation of their driving licence on their smartphone.
“The driver will be in control of their data and this can be used to share and validate driver information with trusted third parties through a secure website. This service will not replace the full driving licence.
“The digital licence service will only be available to driving licence holders who have authenticated themselves on gov.uk through the existing driving licence service.
“This service will be available 24/7, wherever the driver has a web connection. We will develop a private beta service by September 2017.”
Take a new photo for your licence
Photos for your driving licence photocard should adhere to the same guidelines as those for your passport pic (you won’t need to get it signed, though). Getting the photo right is never easy, so why not download this handy app to do the work for you?
Download the app here