Photo Driver licences due to expire on the second 10-year anniversary

In the news we are currently being warned that a large number of Driver Licences with photos are reaching their 10-year renewal date.

It is 20 years since the photocard licence was introduced. Martin Lewis the Money saving exert has highlighted this and asked people to check their driver licences or face a possible £1000 fine if caught with an expired license, see https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/renew-driving-licence/.

However, the DVLA has announced that anyone with a Photo driving license that expired from 1st February 2020 or is due to expire by 31st August 2020 will automatically receive a seven-month extension. This will allow them to stay on the road while the DVLA process new applications and renewals. This extension only covers the photocard, not Entitlements to Drive, these will still need to be renewed.

Ensuring that your fleet of van and lorry drivers’ licences are up-to-date can be a real burden. Descartes SmartLicence automates this task for you as well as checking that a drivers CPC is also up-to-date. Automatic warnings are emailed to alert you of issues that need your attention, such as new points or renewal dates are close. The frequency of the checks increases with the risk profile of the driver – the more points on their licence then the more frequently it is checked.

Find out more about SmartLicence.