Driving Licence Renewal

Richb

Richb

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Sep 11, 2004
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I had a letter from the DVLA between Christmas and New year telling me that I need to renew my photocard licence before February, I kicked the letter around the house briefly because the letter informed me that I will have to pay £20.00 for the new one, I doubt that it costs anything close to that for somebody to create a new card and counterpart. What really annoys me is that when I applied for my provisional back in 1984, the understanding was that unless I lost or damaged my licence and need a duplicate, it was paid for. Now I have to renew it every 10 years at £20.00 per time, this will most likely escalate too. It's just another way of taking money from us.

On the plus side, and there are criteria to be met, I renewed it online, I did this on Wednesday morning and have had my new licence through the post this morning, so it's quite efficient, but for £20.00 I suppose it should be. The Criteria that needed to be met are;

The need for a Government Gateway ID, which I had because of the need to have it for tax matters.
To have renewed your UK Passport in the last 5 years, which I have.
To have a valid Credit or Debit card.

I am pleased with the service but not the necessity to have to pay every 10 years, it seems that the things that I agreed to as a teenager starting out in life are all gradually being changed. I liken it to contracts being broklen by one party without agreement from the other. The driving licence is one, retirement age is the other, what next?

It's not really meant as a rant but a recommendation that if you need to do this, the service was good.(y)(y)(y)
 
they seem to be doing it to get updated photo's on them, as you had passport done recently they probably compares photo's and if not much different renew as is or use the photo from your passport renewal, otherwise the photo done when your 18 would remain the same till you was 65, as i got a hgv/psv licence and over 45 it has to be renewed with a medical every 5 years (licence renewal is free apart from cost of medical) and you can use this renewal to update photo at no cost bit of luck there
 
I understand the need to update photographs on licences, I also knew that the passport photo was going to be used as the DVLA would get it from the government big brother computer. What I resent is having to pay so much for such a cheap and simple operation, especially in view of the fact that, like everybody else at the time, once I paid for my licence, it was paid for. Now it isn't, only in 10 year instalments.

I couldn't help having a bit of a gripe about that but my main reason for posting is that, if you have to do it, which most of us will at some tiime soon, the online service is nothing short of excellent.
 
yeah you think that it could be cheaper, i mean its just the card that needs doing, they have even stop using colour photo on new licence as well

just mentioned about the hgv so that others if they got them could use the renewal to save a bit of money, won't help if your well under 45 though as when you pass hgv/psv the first medical/licence renewal is 45
 
Richb said:
It seems that the things that I agreed to as a teenager starting out in life are all gradually being changed. I liken it to contracts being broklen by one party without agreement from the other.
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This reminds me of wedding vows & the 1st wife !!!
 
Damn!! you've just reminded me about mine Rich. Need to check the date on my license - think mine runs out in Feb - need to get that sorted!! ...and quickly too!! lol
 
Peter Froud said:
It is to do with the photo, same as a passport, but I do not agree with charging you for it. I still got my paper licence :)
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I've still got my little red book :). I only ever had the pink UK license after passing my driving test and i have no intention of replacing it with the card type untill absolutely necessary. "Rip off Britain" comes to mind yet again.
 
My passport ran out last year, only used three times if I recall (Dublin, New York, Lemans) so was it worth it in the 10 years of its use, I doubt it. A lot of money to re-new.

I've only ever had a paper licence, if I was going to have a certain job I would have got a photo one, but I think i'll just see how we go till 2042 when this one runs out :LOL:
 
Compared with the cost of renewing a passport it is an absolute bargain.

I always understood that the taxes we pay took care of the costs, the new systems are all computerised so I doubt the wagebill is anywhere near what it used to be.

Mind you, the wars we get needlessly involved in must be very expensive !!!
 
rikedwards said:
Compared with the cost of renewing a passport it is an absolute bargain.

I always understood that the taxes we pay took care of the costs, the new systems are all computerised so I doubt the wagebill is anywhere near what it used to be.

Mind you, the wars we get needlessly involved in must be very expensive !!!
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Not to mention the forthcoming bills for women getting tit implants removed on the nhs.
 
It could be worse. I'm sure it's $35 every 5 years here in Oz.

We've just changed over to the new system of licences. They give you a Credit Card looking thing with an RFID tag on it with all your details stored, and the photo taken is part of their facial recognition program. Next they'll be wanting your DNA sequence, finger print scan and retina scan to store in the RFID too. Big brother police state. I'm surprised it's not the same sort of thing in UK.
 
K10wN said:
It could be worse. I'm sure it's $35 every 5 years here in Oz.

We've just changed over to the new system of licences. They give you a Credit Card looking thing with an RFID tag on it with all your details stored, and the photo taken is part of their facial recognition program. Next they'll be wanting your DNA sequence, finger print scan and retina scan to store in the RFID too. Big brother police state. I'm surprised it's not the same sort of thing in UK.
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They probably get our DNA from the sticking part of the envelope that we send our old licence back in.
 
Richb said:
Do you have expired points on it?
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Yeah I have about 6 if i'm right, thing is they are on your records for is it 5years anyway with the insurance companys, you can send it back and have them removed but i'm guessing they then do you for the photo licence as part of the course.
If they took your DNA other here there would be a lot of people calling themselves Rich B running around, the system is ripe for identity fraud
 
you will be issued with a photo id liscence if you change details or want points removed,still got my paper one as well
 
Is there no law requiring people to remove points that have expired? If not, they've missed one there....shhhhh!
 
no you dont have to remove them rich,even before the photo id you had to pay to get points removed,i instead am collecting them to see how many one paper liscense can take
 
pauldf1971 said:
no you dont have to remove them rich,even before the photo id you had to pay to get points removed,i instead am collecting them to see how many one paper liscense can take
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Lol some might say that is my reason for collecting them but its just my stupid right foot getting me in trouble again :LOL: I have 4 sets of 3 if your wondering ;) but luckily only 3 are endorseable at this time :)
 
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