Photo licence issue - a surprise!

[Data]

Ok, when I turned 70 at the start of the year I of course had to renew my driving licence. I did this online after a phone call to a lovely Welsh girl at DVLA. The lovely agent I spoke to told me that my photo on my licence was just over 9yrs old & would expire at the 10yr point. But not to worry as they would write to me a few weeks before it ran out & tell me how to renew the photo. Great I thought. I did ask if I could just renew it anyway with my licence renewal. She said no, don't do that as it will screw up the system. So I went with her recommendations & renewed online. No issues.

Ok so time goes by & I realised it must be time by now to renew my licence photo. But no letter has arrived to tell me this or how to renew it. So another phone call to DVLA & a surprising response. They told me that they no longer write to licence holders over 70 to tell them about expired photos. Although the lovely Welsh girl told me correctly what the procedure was, it has now changed. In fact they told me my photo expired a month ago but to simply renew my photo next time when I renew my licence in 2yrs. After that they said they will never require me to renew my photo ever again!! Yippee!

Just thought I'd share this for us older folks.

[velocipede6295]

I've renewed mine twice now online, after 70, and I don't know how old my photo was the first time I renewed, but I do look younger on it though. I just renewed both times on line, and I was never asked about the photo as far as I recall. If they query it any time, I'll do something about it.

[knight2]

Just renewed my photo when licence expired with no problems. I'm hoping I don't have to do it again.

[velocipede6295]

I'm hoping that I have to renew my driving licence lots of times!

[Data]

It would be worth phoning up to speak with a lovely Welsh girl!!

[knight2]

Does that mean you two are happy and sad at the same time

[MrGrumpy]

I have a vague recollection that there is some sort of link between your Driving Licence photo and your passport photo - or maybe I dreamed it! I seem to recall that the same photo can be used for both, if its in the system.

[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.

[Data]

I'm hoping that I have to renew my driving licence lots of times!

Me too velocipede!

[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.