Frustrated

[Michael Rolls]

I need to renew my driving licence. Normally I receive a reminder with the necessary application form at teh end of April. Needless to say, presumably thanks to WFH - no sign. In the past I have applied on line without any problem, but because I no longer have a valid passport I can no longer do so, despite conflicting advice on the GOV website which seemed to indicate in one place that I needed a passport to change my name (so presumably not if not needing so to do) and in another it said 'if you have your passport'.
So I am going to have to apply by post, which means that I have to go to Perth post office for the 'D1 pack' whatever that is. I have studiously avoided going into Perth for over two years now to avoid mixing with people, but now I have no option. Not happy
Mike 

[Michael Rolls]

Now I think about it, had I realised last year that I would need a passport to renew my licence on line, I would have renewed the passport, even though I have absolutely no intention of ever going abroad again.
Mike

[GrannyMac]

 I got the form quite some time before I needed it.  According to their website it should be sent automatically 90 days before renewal is needed.  I've had my updated licence for several weeks now, and its not my birthday yet.

I wonder if yours has gone to someone else by mistake?

[Michael Rolls]

yes - that's what they say! I am 80 days away from the licence expiring and in the past have always had the paperwork by now. Damn nuisance, to say the least. The last thing I want to have to do is go into town with all the people around,
Mike

[klondike]

The rules must have changed then. My passport elapsed shortly after I retired yet I was able to renew my licence on line at age 70 without one. I intend to renew again later this year. From memory you can do so 3 months prior to expiry.

Just thought - do you mean you can't renew without a passport because you didn't get the renewal notification? WFH should have on impact on that as it would all be automatic driven by their computer.

====

The over 70 renewal does not require a passport unless you want to change the photo
https://www.gov.uk/renew-driving-licence-at-70

What you need
If you haven't used this service before, you need to register with:

an email address
addresses of where you've lived for the last 3 years
your National Insurance number (if you know it)
a valid UK passport number (if you want to change the licence photo)

I was going to update my photo but won't bother if I can't do it online without a passport.

[Michael Rolls]

yes, that's how I read some of the advice- but the moment I couldn't provide a pp number I was chucked out - tried twice, same result
Mike

[Cassandra]

yes, that's how I read some of the advice- but the moment I couldn't provide a pp number I was chucked out - tried twice, same result
Mike

Had exactly this problem a year ago Mike. The system kicked me out because at that time I didn't have a UK passport. Kept banging away about I didn't need one for the photo etc, then looped back to referring me to a manual application. I downloaded the form, then saved it into a PDF format and annotated (typed in) all the answers. Completing a photo to add to it I posted it 3 months before expiry. When I left for the States it still hadn't arrived and indeed eventually turned up here via a mail forwarding service. It was nearly four months overdue and the start date reflected that. Therefore technically I'd had no licence for 4 months. The total renewal time had been seven months all because the blockheads at DVLC couldn't allow a driving licence online application to upload a photo!

If in that time I'd have been 'pulled' by plod, I still had my international licence to fall back on. However I would have enjoyed being made a 'Precedent' by the WFH idiots losing the case due to a plead of relief on the grounds of 'force majeure'. In reality the DPP would never process such an action, as for them it heralds a waiting tsunami of 'awkward fronters' like me to claim damages from.

Another example of weak indeterminate governance. They have no right to create unnecessary stress to senior citizens in particular, worrying about driving around licenceless with no clarity announced about the overall position. They could simply declare a 'six month' moratorium, like they did with MOT expiries to ease anxieties. But that of course implies direct failure and we all know how perfect 'Grant Schapps' and his invisible stay home woke DVLA has been these past two years!

Absolutely unforgivable negligence and disregard for common people's circumstances!

[Michael Rolls]

nice to know that I am not alone! How are you and the doggies getting on now that winter is - presumably - over?
Mike

[klondike]

Must be a common fail as they took the time to produce a guidance pamphlet on driving when they fail to provide the renewal before the old one expires.

I haven't read it but the brief notes suggest it would be ok. Mind you other notes suggest no passport is needed. I think I still have my expired one somewhere but the important word there is somewhere and it may be useless anyway despite them just asking for a number and not specifying current.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla

[Michael Rolls]

In the guidance that I have read, it has to be a current passport.
I actually managed to speak to someone at the DVLA who said (I gave him my details) that I should have received my reminder by now, so advised me to use the D1 I picked up at the post office yesterday, which I am doing
Mike

[Jacqueline]

I need to renew my driving licence. Normally I receive a reminder with the necessary application form at teh end of April. Needless to say, presumably thanks to WFH - no sign. In the past I have applied on line without any problem, but because I no longer have a valid passport I can no longer do so, despite conflicting advice on the GOV website which seemed to indicate in one place that I needed a passport to change my name (so presumably not if not needing so to do) and in another it said 'if you have your passport'.
So I am going to have to apply by post, which means that I have to go to Perth post office for the 'D1 pack' whatever that is. I have studiously avoided going into Perth for over two years now to avoid mixing with people, but now I have no option. Not happy
Mike 

Mike,


A couple of weeks ago I renewed my husbands Driving Licence  online.  Our Passports ran out a few years ago and as we have no intention of traveling abroad again haven't renewed them, anyway there was no problem in renewing the Licence.  They asked for the number off the form they sent him and I had to put in husbands N.I. number, it mentioned Passport but skipped that bit, can't remember what else they asked me but there was no hassle and he has his new Licence already.  Give it another go,  Jac


Just read your post again, did you not receive a form from the DVLA? that I expect complicates things.

[Michael Rolls]

Managed to speak to a very helpful chap at the DVLA (despite a very bad connection) and he said I should have received the reminder by now - so probably lost in the post, which has happened several times of late. He advised me to used the D1 I picked up from the PO - I had intended to wait a while to see if the reminder turned up but he said no.
Cannot understand about the passport. I tried on-line twice from slightly different looking sites (both GOV) and each time I tried to move on after not filling in a passport number they threw me out.
Mike

[klondike]

Maybe because you didn't have a reference number from the reminder (assuming there is one - I think there is for re-taxing a vehicle).

[Michael Rolls]

That could well be it - good thought
Mike

[klondike]

I have always found that the DVLA website worked smoothly whenever I used it.