Two Million UK Drivers Face £1,000 Fine Through 'Overlooked Detail' On Licence

Apparently millions of UK drivers could find themselves fined £1,000 due to an often overlooked detail on their licence.

From that magical day when you pass your practical driving test, your ability to drive in the UK is pretty much a lifelong right - unless you have your licence taken off you of course.

However, it’s not quite that simple… there is one thing on your driving licence that you’ll need to keep an eye on - its expiry date.

While you can drive for the remainder of your life once you pass your tests, you do have to renew the physical licence itself roughly once every decade.

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Found in section 4b on the front of the driving licence, it is admittedly quite easy to miss it, and according to the team at Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert, around two million UK driving licence holders currently have an out of date licence, meaning millions of Brits are potentially driving around without the legal right to do so!

DVLA driving licence rules

According to the DVLA, you must renew the 'photocard licence every 10 years'. This is for both a full licence and provisional licence.

In theory, you should get a reminder from the agency before the expiry date so that you can fill out the online form and get your new photo through the post, and it costs £14 to renew.

The other thing is rot make sure the address on your driving licence is correct, as it also a legal requirement for it to feature your current address.

If you haven’t done this, the reminder will be sent to your old address - so it’s worth checking your physical card to avoid any future issues!

What do you need to renew your driving licence?

The government website is where you can apply for a renewal online where it costs just £14.

To do this, you’ll need either a ‘driver and vehicles account’, a UK passport, or the document you used to set up your online immigration status (if that applies to you).

If you can't do this online, or don't want to, you'll have to head to your local Post Office to do a physical application to then send by post. It'll cost £21.50 to do it this way.

To renew online, you'll have to live in Great Britain and you cannot be disqualified from driving.

The following details will also be required:

• Your current driving licence (if you have it)

• Your National Insurance number (if you know it)

• Addresses of where you’ve lived over the last three years

If you're renewing and you're not a UK citizen, you'll need one of the following:

• A non-UK passport

• A biometric residency permit

• A biometric residency card

• A national identity card

Fined £1,000 for not renewing

You won't be automatically fined if you don't renew. However, if you’re driving and you're stopped by the police for any reason, they will likely check your driving licence.

At this point, their system will pick up that it’s out of date, leaving you subject to a £1,000 on the spot fine.

It’s also a requirement for your licence to feature a photo that is a 'true likeness’ of you - which is something you can update when renewing your licence.

Gov.uk says: “Motorists must renew their photocard licence when it expires. If they fail to renew their licence and supply a photo that is a recent and true likeness, they will be breaking the law and may have to pay a fine of up to £1,000.

“It is important that licences are renewed. Appearances can change and it is important that photocard licences are updated every 10 years to ensure the police and other enforcement agencies have the best possible photograph.

This helps them correctly identify whether a driving licence is being used fraudulently and also prevents driving licence impersonation – stopping disqualified and perhaps dangerous drivers taking to the roads.”