Is your driving licence up to date?

28 November 2014

According to research by Direct Line Car Insurance, over 2 million motorists are running the risk of a £1,000 fine, having failed to update their driving licence with their current address.

The research also showed that 3% of married women still have their maiden name on their driving licence. Although DVLA charge to renew a driving licence, it’s completely free for motorists to update their address or a change of name, so by taking a few minutes to do this, they could avoid the risk of a hefty fine.

Motorists are also risking a maximum of a £1,000 fine for failing to update their photographs. A huge number of drivers wrongly believe their photocard licence is valid for life, however, as informed by the DVLA, Photocard licences must be renewed every 10 years and according to their statistics over 2 million are out of date.

According to research, 41% of motorists are not aware of the consequences of having expired details on their licence, and while an out-of date or invalid licence doesn’t remove your entitlement to drive, it can lead to a substantial fine or cause issues if you want to hire a car or you are stopped by the police.

With over 10 million people not aware that their licence expires, it’s certainly worth double checking yours before it’s too late.

For details on how to update your licence, visit www.gov.uk/browse/driving/driving-licences