Martin Lewis Warns There Are Two Million Brits With An Expired Driving License

Martin Lewis has warned that there are currently two million Brits operating with expired driving licences, which could land them with a hefty fine.

The Money Saving Expert has advised followers to take 30 seconds to check whether their permits are valid, and save themselves a lot of grief.

The photo on a driving licence must be replaced every ten years, so if you've had yours for longer without updating it, you might want to think about renewing.

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According to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), approximately two million driving licences in the UK are currently out of date.

Assuring Brits that the quick check would be worth their while, Martin Lewis wrote on his website: "It's easy to forget, but a quick check now could save you a fine of up to £1,000 if your photocard is expired.

"It's an annoying £14 to renew (£17 if you renew by post), but that's a far better option than the fine."

To find the expiry date on your photocard licence, all you have to do is go to section 4b on the front of your card.

If it turns out that your licence really has expired, then there a three different ways to renew it: by post, online, or in person.

To renew your licence online, all you'll need to do is apply to Gov.uk with a valid UK passport.

If you're operating by post, you will need to fill out and send a series of forms, known as the 'D1 pack', which are available at most post offices. You can also download and print these forms from the DVLA website.

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And if you're renewing the licence in person, you'll be able to do so at selected post offices, but you will be charged an extra £4.50 on top of the £17 fee. The fee will include your new photograph as well as postage.

So if you're not willing to part with a whopping £1,000 and plan on heading off for a drive in the near future, it's probably best to check up on

Martin Lewis went on to add that, while a photocard needs to be renewed every ten years, "in general, driving licences are valid until you're 70, after which it needs renewing every three years.

"If you only need to update your address or name, or you're over 70 and you're just renewing it, this is free. There's no limit to the number of times you can update your name and address for free."

In fact, skipping out on updating your home address could also land you with a fine of up to £1,000 if you're stopped by the police.

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As well as that, if your name or gender has changed since you first got your driving licence, it's vital to update that.

According to Direct Line, 3 percent of married women have an out-of-date name on their licence - a blunder that could also land you with a £1,000 fine.

To update your name or gender on your licence, you'll need to fill out the D1 Application for a driving licence, available on Gov.uk, and post it to the DVLA along with any other documents they might ask for.

Though it's important to note that changing personal details on your driving licence won't renew the licence or update the expiry date.

So what are you waiting for? Let's make sure everything in our purse is up to date so we can save that precious coin!

Topics: Money, Martin Lewis, News

Ali Condon

Ali is a journalist for LADbible Group, writing on all things film, music, and entertainment across Tyla, LADbible and UNILAD. You can contact Ali at [email protected].

@alicondon