Photo licence issue - a surprise!

[MrGrumpy]

Grumpy I thought that to. But since 2017 you can no longer use your digital passport photo to renew your picture on your driving licence. That's good as my passport ran out years ago. What you have to do now is go to specially designated post offices & have your picture taken & verified on this new system that's just been set up. They then send that off with your application forms. Seems pretty simple actually.

So....for your passport, which is a fairly important document, you can take a selfie and use that (or at least you could, maybe that's changed), but for your driving licence, arguably less important, you now need to do some complex process in a post office...assuming you can find an actual post office, rather than one that is just a counter in a convenience store. Perfectly sensible.....

[StephenC]

I'm confused. Are you guys/gals sure?

I just looked and found on gov.uk that you CAN use your passport photo still. https://apply-for-driving-licence.servi ... ?locale=en

Even for over 70 renewal it infers you can use the passport photo as your passport number is required if you want to change the photo - https://www.gov.uk/renew-driving-licence-at-70

[Data]

Datais correct, you can't use a passport photo, but you do't have to go to a post office, I had my photo taken at one of these shops that you can go to to have your photo's printed cost about £12. Make sure you tell them it's for a driving licence.

Yes that's right knight. But if you go to a specially designated post office, apparently they can verify it at the same time which saves a bit of time. Obviously you need some form of id with you, such as any of the documents listed in the application form plus a photo licence!!!

[Data]

I'm confused. Are you guys/gals sure?

I just looked and found on gov.uk that you CAN use your passport photo still. https://apply-for-driving-licence.servi ... ?locale=en

Even for over 70 renewal it infers you can use the passport photo as your passport number is required if you want to change the photo - https://www.gov.uk/renew-driving-licence-at-70

If your passport was issued prior to 2017 you can still use that if it's still current. But digital passports from 2017 onwards cannot be used. That's been the case for a few years now. When you apply online as I did, the site also tells you this.

[Data]

Grumpy I thought that to. But since 2017 you can no longer use your digital passport photo to renew your picture on your driving licence. That's good as my passport ran out years ago. What you have to do now is go to specially designated post offices & have your picture taken & verified on this new system that's just been set up. They then send that off with your application forms. Seems pretty simple actually.

So....for your passport, which is a fairly important document, you can take a selfie and use that (or at least you could, maybe that's changed), but for your driving licence, arguably less important, you now need to do some complex process in a post office...assuming you can find an actual post office, rather than one that is just a counter in a convenience store. Perfectly sensible.....

Grumpy, you have to go to specially designated post offices to do this. But the whole thing seems very very simple. This all as told to me by DVLA yesterday.

[MrGrumpy]

Grumpy, you have to go to specially designated post offices to do this. But the whole thing seems very very simple. This all as told to me by DVLA yesterday.

I just find the juxtaposition of the words 'very simple' and 'DVLA' in the same sentence as rather surprising......and how many of these designated post offices are there?

[Data]

Grumpy, you have to go to specially designated post offices to do this. But the whole thing seems very very simple. This all as told to me by DVLA yesterday.

I just find the juxtaposition of the words 'very simple' and 'DVLA' in the same sentence as rather surprising......and how many of these designated post offices are there?

TBH I've never ever had any issues with DVLA. Unfortunate if anyone does though as it's a big lumbering organisation which sometimes takes its time. This is most often when someone has health issues I've found where other agencies are involved &/or doctors. In my case after my heart attacks DVLA were superb, as they were too after my wife had major brain surgery, twice! Her licence was sorted out entirely by fax! Yes...fax! This was just 5 yrs ago for her & took just 2 weeks from her assessment to getting her licence back. In my case it took just 10 days 2yrs ago. Most of the time it works ok. I've been a legal & medical advocate for a few years & I've helped many folks with their licences. Hardly ever had an issue. But obviously, issues do happen.
Don't know how many specially designated Po's there are but they said they are in virtually every major town & city. Important to say you can still apply in the normal way that people have used for years as far as I know.

[knight2]

Datais correct, you can't use a passport photo, but you do't have to go to a post office, I had my photo taken at one of these shops that you can go to to have your photo's printed cost about £12. Make sure you tell them it's for a driving licence.

Yes that's right knight. But if you go to a specially designated post office, apparently they can verify it at the same time which saves a bit of time. Obviously you need some form of id with you, such as any of the documents listed in the application form plus a photo licence!!!

You are correct, I took my out of date passport which they were happy with. I just thought there might be more photo shops around than PO's with photo booths. I just took it home stuck it on the form filled it in and sent it off and my licence came back three weeks later.

[Data]

Yes Knight, that was a good way to do it. If you're 70 or over you won't be asked ever again to renew the photo from what they told me. There are some advantages to being an old git! Yippee!!

[Whatsisname]

Turns out the little PO round the corner on the shopping parade is designated. If I'd known that before it'd have saved a lot of fuss, including fighting with the photo booth instructions in Tesco. Shades of the "Hamlet" man!