Just read that the photo on a UK licence has to be updated every 10 years, or you get a £1,000 fine. The gendarmes will soon latch on to that one. I suppose that means I am now going to have to change to a French license... CORRECT??? We have nowhere in the UK to send the license to now.
:-D
Sure, but you can put it in one of the compartments until or at all asked, whereas the 'book' some countries still use is a pain in the exhaust area. One of my Swansea neighbours who had a relative well up in the ranks of the DVLA once told us that the original intention had been to have an electromagnetic strip like credit cards, etc but that most countries and even many UK authorities (including police forces) had dragged their heels for so long that the idea had been shelved. Incidentally, and beside the point, my one has 'Trwydded yrru' beside 'Driving licence' at the top and when I was asked to show it the Gendarme asked me what the long abbreviation was? He looked none the wiser and totally unimpressed when I explained that it is Welsh for driving licence.
The UK permit is a great little card but you're suppose to carry the paper bit around too as that is the actual licence, try renting a car or turning up at the police station with just the card. Kindof defeats the object really!
John Axson has got it in one. The UK one has the advantage of being a neat little card unlike several of the European ones. My wife prefers the UK to her old Swiss one for exactly that reason. Turning in the Swiss on for UK version took all of 12 minutes (well form filling at home on top) and we were living in Swansea (home of driving licences in the UK) at the time fortunately. Ironically, they gave her the Swiss one back, which although it has now expired was still valid for almost a year. Could have been useful - if she was not such a sllllooowww, careful driver for instance.
You're obviously lucky enough to have never been pulled up by a provincial gendarme in a region that is not full of resident Brits! The law may be one thing but the gendarmes always know best and as he told me - I know you live here (disadvantage of living in small town); Fortunately the reason I didn't have my licence on me was because it was away being exchanged for a French one, due to the impending expiry of the photocard. About time as well, he told me!
LOL. Well you are definitely not alone! And thanks for the info about the old paper ones. I'll just stick with that for the time being then.
From the article I read, the old paper ones are OK. It is just the new photocards that need doing. Still I'm in good company. DVLC reckon that 1.6 million people have not updated their photo licenses, due since 2009, with a further over 2 million due this year. Obviously all of us did not read the small print or it is a well kept secret. Still if we all get caught, it is one way of reducing the UK defecit
I've been abroad too long - I've still got the old green version, with no photo. It's seemed valid enough in the past few weeks when I've been hiring rental cars in France. Would that still be the case does anyone know? Otherwise, panic stations, as we'll be moving next month and I won't be able to go to the UK first.
If you go to the UK it only takes 30 quid and 10 mins to renew and you just need any old address, friend, relative, parole officer etc. Did mine last year arrived in 4 days. The photo ones have always been a 10 year ticket and I had the points to prove it, 60 quid fine though, the 1,000 fine is just a maximum possible, not worth worrying about.
If you follow the letter of the law that's how it is - sure there has been a long discussion on this already somewhere. it helps to exchange your licence before it expires if you are have an difficult sous/prefecture as well - it also gets very complicated if you lose your licence!