Driving Licence UK
Driving Licence UK
Driving Licence UK
Driving licences
For more information go to www.direct.gov.uk/driving
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Contents
How to apply for your driving licence Provisional licences When you pass your driving test
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3 4 6 6 7 7 7
The Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995 Your entitlement to drive
How to change your name on your licence When to renew your licence
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How to renew your licence with a new photo ........8 How to exchange your paper licence for a photocard licence ..............................................................8 How to change your address on your licence ......9 How to get a replacement licence
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How to renew your licence at age 70 or over ........ 10 Can I drive while my licence is with DVLA? Penalty points and driving disqualifications Your health Your eyesight
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11 11 13 16 17 18 18 19 19 20
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The Data Protection Act and you If you have any questions Information leaflets Our service standards
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Go to: www.direct.gov.uk/driverslicence
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IMPORTANT: From 19 January 2013 new rules will apply if you pass a test on or after that date or if you are an existing driver/rider when you renew or replace your licence. Further information is available at www.direct.gov.uk/motoringleaflets If you are the holder of a full lorry, bus or minibus 10 year driving licence, you will be issued with a licence valid for a maximum of five years if you supply a photo or renew your entitlement.
You can order application packs for the D1 and D2 online at www.direct.gov.uk/motoringforms or from us by phoning 0300 790 6801 (between 8am and 7pm Monday to Friday, and between 8am and 2pm on Saturdays). You can also get these application packs from: Post Office branches (D1 only) Traffic Area offices (D2 only), and DVLA local offices (D1 and D2).
Provisional licences
To learn to drive you must have a valid provisional licence. We will normally send this to you within three weeks of receiving your application. It might take longer if we have to check your medical or personal details. You must not drive until you receive your licence, as this will give details of what and when you can start driving. Apply online You can apply for a first provisional driving licence at the website address below: www.direct.gov.uk/myprovisional Apply by post You can also apply for a first provisional driving licence by filling in form D1. Please see leaflet How to fill in your application for a driving licence (INF1D).
Passing the theory and practical tests does not remove the penalty points from your licence, and if the total reaches 12 within three years you may be disqualified from driving.
If you provide a photo when you are 70 or over, you will not need to update your photo again unless you want to. If you hold a paper licence this is valid until your 70th birthday. At that point, you will need to apply for a photocard licence, see section How to renew your licence at age 70 or over. We will send you a reminder before your current licence ends.
Apply by post If you are a car/motorcycle licence holder only you must fill in form D1. Please see leaflet How to fill in your application for a driving licence (INF1D). If you are a lorry, bus or minibus licence holder you will need to fill in form D2. Please see leaflet How to fill in your Application for a lorry, bus or minibus driving licence (INF2D).
Apply by phone If you have lost both your photocard licence and the paper counterpart, you can apply for a replacement photocard licence over the phone using a credit card or debit card, as long as none of the details have changed or are incorrect. You can pay by Visa, Delta and Mastercard. To use this service, phone 0300 790 6801 between 8am and 7pm Monday to Friday, and between 8am and 2pm on Saturdays. Apply by post If you are a car/motorcycle licence holder only you must fill in form D1. Please see leaflet How to fill in your application for a driving licence (INF1D). If you are a lorry, bus or minibus licence holder you will need to fill in form D2. Please see leaflet How to fill in your Application for a lorry, bus or minibus driving licence (INF2D). We will normally send your replacement licence to you within three weeks of receiving your application. It might take longer if we have to check your medical or personal details. If you find your old licence after applying for a replacement, please return it to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AB with an explanatory note.
If you are a lorry, bus or minibus licence holder or wish to retain your C1/D1 implied entitlement you can fill in the reminder form D47P or form D2, please see leaflet How to fill in your Application for a lorry, bus or minibus driving licence (INF2D).
Penalty points
Points stay on a licence for the following periods: 11 years from the date of being convicted of the following offences. Driving while under the influence of drink or drugs, including causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or
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drugs (shown on the licence as DR10, DR20, DR30, DR80, CD40, CD50, and CD60). Causing death by careless driving then failing or refusing to take a breath, blood or urine test (shown on the licence as CD70). Four years from the date of being convicted of reckless or dangerous driving, and offences resulting in a driving disqualification (shown on the licence as DD40, DD60 and DD80). Four years from the date of the offence in all other cases. We will automatically remove out-of-date penalty points when we issue you with a new licence for any reason.
Driving disqualifications
If you are disqualified for less than 56 days: The court will stamp the paper counterpart of your photocard or paper licence and give it back to you. The stamp will show how long you are disqualified for. You do not need to renew your licence when the disqualification ends. Your licence becomes valid again the day after the disqualification ends. If you are disqualified for 56 days or more: You must surrender your licence. You need to apply to have your licence renewed. If you are not sure when your driving disqualification ends, contact the court which disqualified you. Two months before your disqualification ends we will send you an application to renew it. If you were disqualified for more than two years, you can ask the court to consider removing the disqualification after: two years if you were disqualified for between two and four years half the period of the driving ban if you were disqualified for between four and 10 years, or five years if you were disqualified for 10 years or more. For more information on codes which explain what penalty points are for, visit our website at www.direct.gov.uk/penaltypoints or see leaflet Information on driving licences (INS57P),
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Your health
You must tell us if you have ever had or currently suffer from any of the following conditions: Diabetes controlled by insulin (no need to notify us if you have diabetes controlled by tablets or other injections unless you experience hypoglycaemia requiring the assistance of another person) Epilepsy Any condition affecting both eyes, or the remaining eye if you only have one eye not including colour blindness or short or long sight Any condition affecting your visual field or acuity (apart from wearing glasses or corrective lenses) Total loss of sight in one eye Stroke with any symptoms lasting longer than one month Fits or blackouts Any type of brain surgery, severe head injury involving in-patient treatment, or a brain tumour An implanted cardiac pacemaker An implanted cardiac defibrillator (ICD) Repeated attacks of sudden disabling giddiness Any other chronic neurological condition including Multiple Sclerosis, Motor Neurone and Huntingtons Disease A serious problem with memory or periods of confusion Persistent alcohol misuse or dependence Persistent drug misuse or dependence
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Serious psychiatric illness or mental ill health Parkinsons disease Narcolepsy Sleep apnoea syndrome Any persisting limb problem which needs driving to be restricted to certain types of vehicles or those with adapted controls Severe learning disability. If you do not tell us about any of the above, you are committing an offence which could lead to you being fined up to 1000. If you knowingly give us false information, or do not give us any relevant information to get a driving licence, you could be sent to prison for up to two years.
Epilepsy
If you want to drive a medium or large vehicle, minibus or bus you must not have a liability to epileptic seizures.
Diabetes
If you have diabetes controlled by insulin you may apply to drive a medium or large vehicle (lorry) and a minibus or bus as long as you can meet the strict medical criteria: You must attend an annual assessment by a hospital consultant specialising in the treatment of diabetes and you will have to meet strict criteria for controlling and monitoring your insulin-treated diabetes.
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You must have at least three months of blood glucose readings available for inspection on a blood glucose meter with a memory function.
Medical Examination Report (D4) (for medium or large vehicles, minibus or bus drivers/applicants only)
When applying for your first lorry or bus licence, or renewing an existing licence, you will need to get a D4 form filled in by an optometrist/optician and a doctor.
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You also need to have a D4 filled in if you hold an EU/EEA licence and are applying for your first lorry or bus licence or renewing it at age 45 or over. If you already hold a lorry or bus licence and you are applying for the other category you must provide a further D4 form unless you provided one in the last 12 months. You can download form D4 and Medical Examination Report D4 Information and useful notes (INF4D) from www.direct.gov.uk/motoringforms
Your eyesight
You must be able to read a car number plate (with glasses or contact lenses if necessary) made after 1 September 2001 from 20 metres. You must also meet the minimum eyesight standard for driving by having a visual acuity of at least decimal 0.5 (6/12) measured on the Snellen scale (with glasses or contact lenses if necessary) using both eyes together (or, if you have sight in one eye only, in that eye). Visual acuity is the term used by opticians and doctors to measure your eyesight. You should only answer no to this question if you are unable to read a number plate from 20 metres or you have been told by an optician or doctor that your eyesight currently does not meet the minimum standard for driving. If you are in any doubt you should discuss with your optician or doctor. Bioptics (telescope) are not acceptable for use while driving in Great Britain and it is not acceptable to use a Bioptic device to meet the visual acuity standard. A Bioptic device cannot be used to pass the number plate test.
Extra eyesight rules if you want to drive medium or large vehicles, minibuses or buses
New drivers Your eyesight (visual acuity), measured on the Snellen scale, must be at least decimal 0.8 (6/7.5) in the better eye and decimal 0.1 (6/60) in the other (while wearing glasses or corrective lenses if you need them). If glasses are worn, the distance spectacle prescription of either lens used must not be of a corrective power greater than plus 8 (+8) dioptres
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You must have a horizontal visual field of at least 160 degrees, the extension should be at least 70 degrees left and right and 30 degrees up and down. No defects should be present within a radius of the central 30 degrees. An optician will be able to tell you about this. Drivers who held a licence before 1 January 1997 If you had a licence before 1 January 1997 and you do not meet the eyesight standards above, get more information from our Drivers Medical Group, DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1TU (phone 0300 790 6807).
Japan Monaco New Zealand Republic of Korea* Singapore South Africa Switzerland Zimbabwe
Note: If your driving test was not passed in the designated country that issued your current licence you may not be able to exchange, please contact us for advice by phoning 0300 790 6801. If you have a licence which we do not recognise for the purpose of exchange, you can drive as a visitor for up to 12 months from the date you last entered the UK. If you live in the UK you can drive for up to 12 months from the date you become a resident. You will not be required to display L plates if you pass your driving test within 12 months of becoming resident. If the 12 months have passed, to continue driving you must get a provisional GB licence and pass a driving test. Rules for learner drivers will apply.
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You can only get a GB driving licence if you are normally resident in Great Britain
To be normally resident you must usually live in the United Kingdom for 185 days in each calendar year. Applicants who are not UK citizens or nationals of another EU or EEA country will not be considered normally resident if they: do not have leave to remain in the UK, or are in the country on a temporary basis without leave to remain either while awaiting a decision to stay in the UK or following a decision refusing such an application.
Information contained on your application form and the driving licence record to which it relates may be passed to third party organisations where there is a legal power to do so. Purposes for disclosure include checking your application, prevention and detection of crime, and research. Individuals may consent to the release of driver data to third parties for driving entitlement purposes.
Information leaflets
If you need more information, the following leaflets are available: INF28 Driving a minibus INF30 Requirements for towing trailers in Great Britain INF38 Driving in Great Britain (GB) as a visitor or a new resident INF45/1 Your new driving licence INF45/3 Changes to the driving licence and categories INF52 Large vehicles you can drive using your car or lorry licence INS57P Information on driving licences You can download all these leaflets from the website at www.direct.gov.uk/motoringleaflets or you can get copies by phoning 0300 790 6801.
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www.direct.gov.uk/onlinemotoringservices
www.direct.gov.uk/driving
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